FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. <J1 



■ — trade in American barrel apples will decrease from year 



to year. 



I am also of the opinion that the imports of American apples into 

 this country would increase enormously if the prevailing defects could 

 be eliminated." 



Quotation from a letter written to the Secretary of the International 

 Apple Shippers' Association by a large distributor of apples in Ham- 

 burg, Germany, April 15, 1911 : 



"Apples in barrels: You are undoubtedly aware of the fact that the 

 crop of last year was of about the poorest quality we ever had, and, al- 

 though we tried to get the best possible stock for our market, yet the 

 quality gave no satisfaction whatever, and by about the beginning of 

 December the import ceased altogether. As apples were very scarce in 

 our market, those that were shipped here brought fairly satisfactory 

 prices, but by about the last of December there was practically no ship- 

 per and no importer who would risk any money in shipping poor stock 

 across the Atlantic. Thus it happens that the total imports of American 

 apples in barrels amounted to only 52,000 against 250,000 to 300,000 

 barrels five to seven years ago. We wish to point out that it is absolutely 

 necessary for the growers and shippers in the East to improve quality 

 in packing, or the Eastern apple will find no buyers here any more." 



Now our foreign trade is of the utmost importance. It is a safety 

 valve. It needs to be increased rather than decreased, but to increase 

 it we must get in line with Canada. They are planting trees in Canada 

 just as fast as on this side. The last Canadian Crop Keport stated that 

 the number of trees not yet in bearing north of Lake Ontario now ex- 

 ceeded those in bearing, while Nova Scotia is making tremendous prog- 

 ress. Nova Scotia has some of the best cared for orchards in the world 

 and her best posted men stated positively that in the next few years 

 she alone will be able to supply the foreign market. What are we going 

 to do about it? Are we going to give up in despair, or get busy and 

 fight it out? 



When Fort Sumpter was fired upon and the irrepressible conflict was 

 on, the boy and the man on the farm and in the store from Maine and 

 Michigan, from Old Virginia and Alabama, shouldered the musket and 

 fought for the right, as they saw it, on the heights of Gettysburg, from 

 the Rapidon to Appomatox and from Chattanooga through Atlanta 

 to the Sea. They were men of conviction, whether they wore the blue 

 or wore the gray. The rifles loaded with real powder and real shot 

 piled the bloody field of many a Cold Harbor with the evidence of their 

 sincerity, and their bayonets of real steel swept over the blazing 

 ramparts of many a Fort Wagner. 



We are now in an irrespressible conflict which must and will be 

 settled right. We must have markets; we must eliminate chicanery 

 and evil practices. We must conquer deceit and fraud. There are 

 our ancient enemies against which war has been waged; but don't 

 go into this fight with your guns loaded with "junk," cider apples 

 and windfalls, and in place of a real bayonet a limber twig from the 

 old apple tree. If you do, you will go to a funeral and you will be the 

 corpse. Load your guns with Standard Grades and have the cold 

 steel of integrity on the end of them, and march on to victory. 



