Apple and Pear Market in Europe, Etc. 113 



per annum. Canada is now our strengest competitor, sharing about 

 equally with us in the amount of exports. Belgium and France are 

 the next in trade, Australia and Tasmania following. We are not 

 competitors with the Australian and Tasmanian apple, because they 

 come into the markets at a different time of the year, mostly during 

 May and June, while our apples are almost entirely fall and winter 

 varieties. 



character of fruit pack. 



The great bulk of apples in the markets of Great Britain are shipped 

 in barreis and, measured by the Pacific Coast Standard of quality and 

 pack, are of a very inferior grade. The consumption of apples 

 in Great Britain, however, is largely for cooking purposes, and on this 

 account it consumes an enormous quantity of inferior and low grade 

 stock. The bulk of these apples are bought by brokers from the orchard, 

 thrown into the barreis in an indiscriminate and careless way, and 

 shipped without any thought or care for the reputation of the business. 

 This style and method of handling fruit, when it is met by the superior 

 skill and care of growers and shippers of the North Pacific Coast, will 

 be very readily discovered in the trade. 



FURTHER PROSPECTS FOR THE OREGON APPLE. 



If the Pacific Coast orchardists continue to produce their present 

 high quality of stock, and improve upon their methods of handling same 

 by superior packing and enlarging and improved organizations of associa- 

 tions for reliable grading and marketing, there seems to be no reason 

 why they should not command the largest part of the apple trade of 

 Great Britain. The most serious difficulty at present standing in the 

 way is not a sufficient quantity, with a well established reputation of 

 quality and grading, together with too high cost of transportation. 

 The reputation of Oregon apples in the British market now Stands 

 highest of all that are shipped from any part of the world. There 

 is no question whatever concerning the possibilities of the north- 

 west producing a quality of fruit that will command this market. A 

 little better understanding in relation to the varieties for the market 

 in future plantings would be of great value. The taste of the British 

 apple consumers demands a fruit filled with juice; a dry apple will 

 never be populär here. Sufficient acid to make it a good cooker is 

 also important. 



TRANSPORTATION. 



The present cost of transporting a box of apples to the European 

 market from the Pacific Coast is 75 cents. 



The great market for the apples of the north west in Europe cannot 

 well begin until the completion of the Panama Canal. Considerable 

 quantities of good grade stock will find a market here from nov/ on 

 at a profitable rate, and shipments ought to increase very materially 

 every year, but t^e mnrl-et for Pacific Coast anoles is not likely to 

 reach into the million dollar class until the completion of the Panama 

 canal. By that time, however, shipments ought to reach in the markets 

 of Europe from three to six million dollars per annum, and cost of 

 transportation should not be over 35 cents per box. 



If proper attention is given to this great future market by the 

 states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, the bulk of these shipments 

 can be made from Poi-tland bv refrigsrator ste^me^s at a rate not 

 to exceed 50 per cent more thin the regulär merchandise steamer rate. 

 There is no apple growing district of equal value in production any- 

 where on the North American continent as close to tidewater as the 



