M- 



I' 





BETTER FRUIT 



NEW YOf 



C£3 



CJ STATE ASSOCIATE EDITORS 



OREGON— C. I. Lewis. Horticulturist. CorvalUs. 

 CC WASHINGTON — Dr. A. L. Melander, Entomoloflst ; 

 V. O. M. Morris. Horticulturist; W. S. Tliomber, Horticul- 

 U*- turist. Pullman. 



^I COLORADO — C. P. GUlette. Director and Entomologist: 

 E. B. House. Cliief of Department of Civil and Irrigation 

 Engineering. State Agricultural College. Fort Collins. 

 .\KIZ0N.4— E. P. Ta,vIor. Horticulturist. Tucson. 

 WISCONSIN— Dr. B. D. Ball. Director and Entomologist. 

 Madison, 



MONTANA— O. B. Whipple. Horticulturist. Bozeman. 

 CALIFORNIA- C. W. Woodworth. Enlomologist. Berke- 

 Ie,v: W. H. Volck. Entomologist, Watsonville; Leon D. 

 Batchelor. HoTticulturist. Riverside. 



INDIANA— H. S. Jackson. Patliologist. Lafayette. 



An Illustrated Magazine Devoted to the Interests 



of Modern, Progressive Fruit Growing 



and Marketing. 



PIBLISHF.D MONTHLY 13Y 



Better Fruit Publishing Company 



407 Lumber ExL-liaiigc 



PORTLAND, OREGON 



All Conimiiiiications should be addressed and 

 Remittances made payable to 



BETTER FRUIT PUBLISHING COMPANY 



SvBSCRiPTioN Pricis: 

 In the Vnilcd States, $1.00 per year in advance. 

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Advertising Rates on Application, 



Entered as second-class matter April 22, 1918, 



at the PostofTice at Portland, Oret^on, under 



the .\ct of Congress of March 3, 1879. 



Volume XIII 



Portland, Oreuon, July 1, 1918 



Number 1 



Proposed Increase in Freight Rates 



BECAUSE of the increased freight These figures were compiled by the as an estimated weight of 491/2 pounds 

 rate as announced by Director- Bureau of Markets, U. S. Department of per box and a minimum car of 30,000 

 General of Railroads William G. Agriculture. In Table I is shown the pounds would be 606 boxes. In order 

 McAdoo, the fruit growers of the Pacific districts from which the above men- to make even tiers in a car, shippers 

 Coast are facing a crisis. Several meet- tioned shipments were made, together voluntarily loaded 630 boxes to the car, 

 ings have been held throughout the with the number of refrigerator cars making a weight of 31,185 pounds. 

 Northwest and California to protest and number of box cars, with average In Table II is shown the earnings of 

 against this increase in freight and to loads, a minimum load, a 630-box load, a 756- 

 decide what steps to take to have this When the dollar rate to Eastern terri- box load, the lowest amount the car- 

 new rate to the East altered, tory was established apples were prac- ricrs would receive during the winter 

 As the East is a long haul from the tically a luxury and brought prices that of 1917-18; the 787-box load, which was 

 West, it will mean an increase of 10 to could afford any reasonable rate. The the average of the Northwest during the 

 15 cents per box on our apples, giving dollar rate was established by the car- period August 15 to December 15, 1917, 

 Eastern competitors an advantage over riers because they undoubtedly thought and the 822-box load, which was the 

 us, as it will effect them but 2 to 5 cents that that was all the traliic would bear, average load at Hood River during this 

 per bushel at the most. Already the In order to settle the great Northwest period. 



railroads are getting an increased reve- the railroads used the prices at which It will be seen that the apple industry 



nue from the apple men by increasing apples were selling as an inducement has already been paying the carriers a 



the number of boxes which are now to settlers, and a very great portion of decided increase over the minimum 



placed in a car. Such industries as live- the Northwestern apple lands were sold earnings and in addition has been 



T stock, wool, grain and lumber are pay- to Eastern people, brought here by the forced to accept conditions unknown 



Y ing well— some have increased prices railroads themselves. when the dollar rate was placed in 



^ 300 per cent since the beginning of the The apple industry has grown to such effect. Attention has been called to the 



I war, and furthermore on some things an extent that it is one of the largest fact that when the dollar rate was 



the Government is guaranteeing a profit revenue producers of the carriers, established the character of equipment 



of 10 per cent, whereas apples have Special equipment was necessary to was taken into consideration, and attcn- 



about the same values as they did be- transport these apples to market and tion is also directed to the fact that the 



fore the war, and growers have had to refrigerator cars were built for that character of the commodity was also 



face an increased cost in production, purpose. When the rates were estab- well known. There was always danger 



p Fruit must be shipped when ready, and lished the character of equipment to be of freezing in transit in the winter, and 



St^^be sold when it reaches market. It is used was taken into consideration, for the carriers provided protection, such 



governed by a market condition as gov- it costs more to make and keep a refrig- as round-housing, etc., and where fruit 



erned by the law of supply and demand, erator car in condition than an ordinary was frozen carriers paid claims for 



During the period August 15 to De- box car. When the tariffs establishing such damage, 



cember 15, 1917, inclusive, there were the dollar rate were made 30,000 pounds About three years ago the carriers 



shipped out of the Northwest 10,180 was decided upon as a minimum weight, adopted what is known as the "Heater 



cars, containing 8,014,884 boxes of ap- and the tariffs still show that weight. Tariff," which provided two options 



pies, or an average load of 787.7 boxes. Apples are accepted at what is known under which apples might be shipped 



LTARiF T u f ■ , , during the period October 15 to April 



I ABLE I. Refngeralor Average iV • i ■ /-> .• i i «t-i • 



Cars Box Cars Load 15, inclusive. Option 1 reads. Shipper 



Wenatchee District 3406 (782.8) 1270 (911. .31 817.7 a.ssumes all risks of frost, freezing or 



, Hoo!rRi^r'DS^tHci:::;::::::::::;:;:::::::::::::::::1g^J^?5:^J ]^\^li\ ltl:l heating m transit,- whue option 2 



— ^ Walla Walla, Lewiston, Milton and Freewafer Districts 375 (764..';) 83 (9.10.7) 798.2 reads, "Carrier assumes all risks of 



-Medford, Grants Pass and Gold Hill 218 (776.1) 30 (87G.7) 788.3 frost, freezing or heating in transit." 



TABLE II. Excess All shipments under Option 2 carried a 



^'""'"'eni ^""^ To'ooo I'oo ''3"oo oo' Earning tariff charge of $27 per car into dollar 



63o'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.['.'.'.\'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.. '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.] 31485' i!oo 3ii.'83 .0395% rate territory; thus the Carriers made a 



156 37,422 1.00 374.22 .2473% revenue when shipped under Option 2, 



'87 38,971 1.00 389.71 .2990% j r , . , -i i 



822 40,689 1.00 400.89 .3563% and refused to accept any risk when 



T.»T>it.T.. .. , , „ shipped under Option 1, this regardless 



TABLE III. Present Rale Proposed Rale Recent - V^ , ... . ,, •' • , ,„„•«• 



Increase Pacific Pacific Minimum of the fact that the Original tariffs on 



Commodity in Value Norlhuiest Northwest Weigh! the dollar rate aSSUmed thc risks as part 



Lumber 70% '" $".'^3""' '" S'ts"" 'Tone" of their charge as a common carrier. 



Sheep 300% 1.08 1.15 None When the heater tariff Went into effect 



wit:;:;:::::::::::::::::::;;::::::: ??2| ':5!! '■^, nZ u provided a heater charge under 



Flour 150% .57% .63Vi None Option 2 as far ea.st as Chicago, but the 



Pefrs and other' soft fruYts: ;:;::;:;;:;; Noife 1.25 iil% ^8% Eastern llnes declined to participate in 



Apples None 1.00 1.25 31410 17?/^% Continued on iiage 22 



