188 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



is still being planted throughout the fruit districts of the United States 

 and Canada, we cannot help speculating what to do with all these fruits, 

 especially in a good fruit year. 



There is perhaps no fruit which is more universally planted at this time, 

 than the apple, owing to the fact stated before, that the apple is regarded 

 as the commercial fruit of the world. Millions of trees are being planted 

 yearly, and if it were not for the fact that winter apples grow, as yet, in 

 comparatively few localities, the result would be appalling. Even as it is, 

 our home markets are now fully supplied, and in a short time will be 

 glutted. There is but one solution to this problem, and that is to seek 

 foreign markets. 



My attention was first drawn to this matter about ten years ago, when 

 the Chamber of Commerce of Portland honored me as a delegate to the 

 Nicaragua Canal Convention, which was held in New Orleans and there 

 in conversation with the representatives from South American Republics, 

 learned that there would be a good market for northern-grown fruits, if 

 freight rates could be arranged. Again my attention was called to it in 

 a letter I received from the American consul at Manchester, England, 

 four years ago, stating that a lot of Oregon apples had found their way 

 there; that finer apples were never seen, and buyers wanted to contract 

 for the entire output of this man's crop, which was four thousand boxes, 

 in 1898, and all were shipped to that point. In this connection the New 

 York Journal of Commerce said at that time, "A large increase in the 

 shipment of Pacific coast apples abroad by way of New York this year 

 (1898) is a noteworthy feature of the fruit trade, and is exciting no little 

 interest; large quantities of Newtown Pippins in boxes weighing fifty 

 pounds net, grown on the Pacific coast, principally in Oregon, have been 

 sent to this city of late in carload lots, and from New York have been 

 sent directly abroad, selling at eleven shillings per box in England." 



Encouraged by this a commission house of Portland, Oregon, sent a 

 carload of Nevrtown Pippins to Hamburg, Germany, which were sold for 

 fifteen marks, or $3.65 per box, equal to $10.95 per barrel. Some six weeks 

 after that sale, a gentleman came to my office and presented his card. 

 He proved to be a commission merchant from Hamburg, Germany, and 

 said to me, that he was present when that car of apples was auctioned off, 

 and was one of the bidders. He was so impressed with the fine quality 

 of these apples that he came over in person to make arrangements for 

 his future supply. 



These shipments have been followed up very closely by various growers 

 and developed so rapidly that last year nearly the entire output of 

 Southern and Eastern Oregon-grown Newtons and Jonathans, some two 

 hundred and sixty-five carloads, were shipped direct to England and 

 Germany, netting the grower one dollar per box of forty-five pounds, 

 f. o. b. shipping station. These shipments were distributed as follows: 



