No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 671 



in Michigan and the Southwest. Within the past few days I have 

 taken pains to further investigate the situation, with a view of 

 throwing some light on tlie probabilities of profitably increasing the 

 output of evaporated apples. Inquiry made among some of the 

 most prominent deaiers in the New York City^ Market bring out the 

 highly encouraging opinion that the business is not overdone, and 

 that within reasoaablt; limitations it may be increased consider- 

 ably, and still leave a margin of profit to all engaged in it. 



This is apparently to come through the further building up of 

 the export trade. Evaporated apples are very popular in the do- 

 mestic markets, and the consumption is large, yet certain facts bear 

 directly on this business in the wax of limiting the quantity which 

 producers can reasonably expect to market at home. Reference is 

 made, for example, to the development of cold storage throughout 

 the country, so that ripe barreled fruit is much better distributed 

 and taken care of than formerly. Furthermore, the domestic de- 

 mand is perhaps not increasing so rapidly as might be wished, for 

 the reason that fine California dried fruits, prunes, peaches, apricots, 

 etc., are verv largelv used as a substitute. 



But the wider outlet is to come from the foreign demand. We 

 export in some years as much as 50,000,000 pounds of dried apples, 

 mostly evaporated. The opinion of those closely identified with the 

 trade almost without exception points to the possibility of further 

 extending the business in foreign countries, particularly northern 

 Europe where evaporated apples are very popular. It depends very 

 largely upon the price of the finished product. If foreigners can 

 buy evaporated apples at 5 1-2 to 6 1-2 cents per pound in a wholesale 

 way, they are prepared to take large quantities, but when the figures 

 go to 7 cents and above, the movement is more restricted. Ocean 

 freights are low and favorable, and our fruit is very popular abroad. 

 The business is thoroughly established as to curing, grading, pack- 

 ing and shipping, and with the friendly attitude of both exporters 

 and foreign buyers there is every assurance that the outlet will be 

 permanently large, aiid is capable of further material expansion. 



Now for the practical application to the Pennsylvania fruit 

 grower. It would be ill advised for the orchardist without adequate 

 knowledge or equipment to go into, this business of evaporating ap- 

 ples; but it is well worth careful consideration as a means of dis- 

 posing of at least a part of the surplus crop, particularly in full 

 years. An evaporating plant is not expensive, comparatively speak- 

 ing; there are possibilities of co-operative work in thus handling 

 the fruit, or small stock companies might be formed to establish 

 and operate a plant, with, of course, the prerequisite that this is 

 well managed from its inception. There would also seem to be room 

 for the individual grower unde^- proper environment, as has been 

 proved in manj' instances in Western New York. When apples are 

 scarce, many of the larger evaporators cannot get raw material at 

 prices to justify operating them, and this leaves the business to some 

 extent in the hands of individual farmers and fruit growers, who 

 thus utilize from their own supplies considerable quantities of low 

 grade fruit. Evaporated stock outsells the sun dried a cent or two 

 a pound, in average seasons, and in some years more. One argument 

 which has been advanced why general good would come from a far 

 wider extension of small evaporators is the way in which this might 



