Winter Meeting. 267 



The whole of our country seemed to be paralyzed about buying 

 the apples, and buyers simply refused to purchase at any price 

 whatever. Growers were always ready to meet the buyers at any 

 living price, but the latter seemed to be frightened out of their wits, 

 and would not give 30 cents, nor 25 cents, nor 20 cents, nor 15 cents 

 even, and so hundreds of thousands of barrels of apples rotted on 

 the ground or were never gathered. Evaporators used all they could 

 at 5 cents, 6 cents 8 cents or 10 cents per bushel, but they could take 

 care of only a small part of the waste, and some, even these, were; 

 afraid to run for fear they could not sell their products, and so 

 closed down, scared out. No such time was ever known in our 

 history; every one afraid to pack, to store, to buy, to evaporate or 

 to make cider or vinegar even, and, "shame on us all," the fruit 

 went to waste by the millions of bushels. To those who did take 

 care of their crop and put it into storage will come a reasonable re- 

 ward for their labor ; if they keep their heads. 



It is a good principle to adopt in all our growing to take care 

 of and save the crops when we have them, for prices will always 

 justify, sooner or later; it has been so on all the apple crops we 

 have ever had. Years ago we had corn worth 10 cents at gathering 

 time and in less than one year it was worth 50 cents. The same 

 Avith apples, 20 cents per bushel at the harvest and $1.00 per bushel 

 Defore spring. 



Our apple crop, in spite of its "wonderful surplus," as given 

 out by the buyers, is now being marketed, or, rather, sold, on the 

 markets at just as high prices as any year in the last 15 years, with 

 one exception — that of 1901 — and the number of barrels packed has 

 dropped from the huge estimate in September of 69,000,000 to tliat 

 of 36,000,000 barrels, and with the exception of last year's crop, 

 lower than any of the three years preceding, which was 43,000,000 

 to 46,000,00 bushels, and prices are better in the east and the far 

 west also than ever before, except for the one exception mentioned. 



This seems to have been one year when the buyers have had 

 their own way in the destruction of our apple crop in the middle 

 west; and we have been the losers. There is no doubt but from 

 the great demand for fruits this year, we shall see prices go as high 

 as last year before spring. We can only reiterate here what we 

 have said : It always is best for every producer to be ready to take 

 care of his crop when ready for market, and not depend upon the 

 speculator. 



Our Society work has continued lively, but never before have 

 we been at such a loss as to "How to help the grower." Everyone 



