No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 441 



about ten cents au hour. We tried evaporated aj^ples one year, but 

 didn't strilie a good niaricet. Now evaporated apples are in demand 

 at good prices. Tiiere is alwajvS some money in cider, vinegar, evap- 

 orated apples, apple butter and apples for cannery. This leaves 

 plenty of good outlet for the different grades of fruit when help 

 can be obtained. 



I don't know about the Adams county farmers rushing over to 

 Lancaster county. Good farm land there brings anywhere from 

 |12o.U0 to flSU.ui) an acre, and as high as |200.U0, where land can 

 be secured close to the railroad. I don't think we are warranted in 

 investing quite that much money in orchard land. Now in regard 

 to the profits of the crop, you can figure that up just as you please. 

 I offered |30.00 for the apples on one tree, but the man would not 

 sell at that price. Now you can easily count thirty trees to the 

 acre and that would make fOOO.OO an acre. If I would have got 

 those apples, I could have got foO.OO for the apples on that one 

 tree, w^hich would be a yield of |1,500.00 to the acre. 



Nearly all apple orchards bearing heavy crops bear on alternate 

 years, yet the orchard should be sjn'ayed every year, and the other 

 expenses on the off years must be borne in mind, so that dividing 

 the income by two will make a showing somewhat too high. Many 

 orchards are unprofitable even both years. Thank you for your at 

 tention. 



THE HANDLING OF FRUIT FOR COLD STORAGE. 



Bv MK. Geo. T. Powell, President of the Agricultural Experts AssociatUn, of New York City. 



Mr. Chairman, Members of the Fruit Growers' Association: — 

 The question of handling fruit for cold storage is perhaps one of 

 the most important which we have to consider at the present time. 

 The early history of our fruit growing found us with varying con- 

 ditions. Times of great gluts in the markets and then very soon 

 after times of great scarcity, without the facilities for holding, 

 which we have at the present time. Our seasons were short and 

 the fruit all had to be forwarded and disposed of in the shortest 

 possible space of time. That resulted in exceedingly low prices for 

 the producer and rather high prices for the consumer, but with the 

 changes of the times, with the increase in transportation facilities, 

 there has come the advantage for storing and holding back very 

 much larger quantities of fruit, which may be, in consequence of 

 the storage facilities, carried over a much longer period of time, and 

 the result has given much greater value to the producer and at the 

 same time is keeping prices more uniform to the consumers of our 

 fruits. There are many things to be considered in the handling of 

 fruit for cold storage. There have been in the past heavy losses, 

 and it is not to be considered that we as fruit growers can depend 

 on cold storage as an absolute means of avoiding loss. Cold storage 

 only furnishes a medium for retarding or holdings yhe success 

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