Page 6 



BETTER FRUIT 



February 



berg, Winesap, White Winter Pear- 

 main, Winter Banana, Yellow Newtown 

 Pippin. 



I doubt if the real money makers in 

 the list will exceed half the number. 

 There is a doubtful class, as specified 

 by Mr. Sickles at the conference of the 

 Ninth National Apple Show, as follows: 

 It is a question of judgment to deter- 

 mine the best thing to do with them. 

 The following may be mentioned in the 

 doubtful class: Aiken Red, Baldwin, 

 Delaware Red, Gano or Black Ben, 

 Hydes King, King David, Mammoth 

 Black Twig, Missouri Pippin, Red 

 Cheek Pippin, Stayman, Vanderpool, 

 Wagener, York Imijerial. 



There is a third class that are not 

 grown in any great quantity, but of 

 which some orchards may have quite 

 a few, which in a commercial way 

 have never proved satisfactory. In 

 addition it may be stated that in all 

 probability, if records were searched 

 during the last four years, they would 

 show that none of these varieties that 

 were shipped out of the state have 

 actually paid the growers the cost of 

 production. This list, as specified by 

 Mr. Sickles, consists of Apple of Com- 

 merce, Ben Hur, Bismarck, Canada 

 Red, Chicago, Champion, Fall Wine, 

 Hoover, Ingram, Kaighn Spitzenberg, 

 Kentish, Kinnard, Manning, Northwest 

 Greening, Pawaukee, Rambo, Salaom, 

 Shackleford, Wallbridge, Willowtwig. 



The first list includes thirteen varie- 

 ties, of which I believe about eight vari- 

 eties will permanently prove good 

 money makers. The second list con- 

 sists of thirteen varieties. In this list 

 there are scarcely any varieties which 

 would be considered good enough com- 

 mercial varieties to justify any great 

 hope. However, it is possible that 

 while no general trade may be devel- 

 oped for them that would bring satis- 

 factory prices the opportunity for dis- 

 posing of them at fairly satisfactory 

 prices, prices that would afford the 

 grower a little over the cost of pro- 

 duction, may be found in limited dis- 

 tricts, particularly in years of light 

 crops. 



The third list consists of twenty vari- 

 eties. I don't believe there is a single 

 variety in this list that could be con- 

 sidered a commercial variety that 

 would justify its continuance. How- 

 ever, it may be that many growers who 

 have them may develop a local trade 

 for small quantities, which might be a 

 better proposition than digging them 

 up or grafting them over. 



In addition to this there are about 

 one hundred and fifty varieties more 

 that are grown in small lots through- 

 out the Northwest, none of which will 

 probably pay the grower a profit. 



To go into this matter in detail would 

 require more time than the limited 

 space I have would permit. Therefore 

 about the only thing I have further to 

 say on this subject is that every grower 

 should give the matter careful atten- 

 tion, ascertain his tost of production, 

 find out his average price for the last 

 four years and decide the matter for 

 himself. 



Grades and sizes of varieties that 

 don't pay is another problem we must 



face. There are some varieties that pay more than cost. However, this 

 bring fair prices in Extra Fancy and determination should not be made too 

 Fancy, but in C grade do not pay the hastily by the grower, or on one year's 

 extra cost of packing. The same is true returns. The proper method would be 

 in reference to small sizes, yet we go to take a four or six-year average of 

 on packing at a loss or receiving less the past because an even number of 

 than we could sell for at the vinegar years would include an equal propor- 

 factory. Wlien a customer orders a tion of low and high-price years, 

 box of apples he does not want a box My figures are not exact, but suffi- 

 of marbles. When an Easterner buys ciently so to illustrate. In this work 

 a box of Northwestern apples he ex- we should have the assistance of every 

 pects quality, not trash. We are ruin- selling concern in furnishing the sell- 

 ing our reputation and killing our mar- ing prices in the past four or six years, 

 kefs by putting on the markets poor In furnishing this information they will 

 varieties, low grades and marbles. An not only help us to eliminate packing 

 illustration is frequently more con- or growing at a loss, but they will 

 vincing than argument. eliminate for themselves a lot of grief 



The City of Portland is an illustra- and a lot of cussing, 

 tion of a market which apple growers Just a word about the importance of 

 persistently and continuously have apple recipes for dessert in connection 

 done their utmost to demoralize. It is with sales and consumption. I think 

 a prosperous city of 280,000 people or too few of us realize its importance, 

 more. The people are well-to-do — they Every box of apples should contain a 

 buy quality goods in all lines of mer- neat, small booklet with a few good 

 chandise, clothing, food, everything recipes, because more apples are eaten 

 generally except apples. Within wagon cooked by our customers than fresh, 

 haul are located many apple orchards. If you don't believe it just observe the 

 Cheap river transportation reaches next time you visit any well-to-do 

 nearly every fruit section in the state family in a city, or take a meal in any 

 except Southern and Eastern Oregon. hotel, restaurant or dining car. I'll 

 When an apple grower in Oregon has a venture the statement that almost 99 

 variety so poor he is afraid to put on people out of a hundred of the well- 

 freight charges he ships it to Portland. to-do cat an apple baked, as sauce, in 

 When he has a good variety he ships pie or some other cooked form to one 

 the Extra Fancy, Fancy and C grade apple fresh. 



East, the balance he packs up and A word to the ladies, to the ladies 



dumps on the Portland markets. in the cities, I mean the ones who are 



Portland should consume from 500 hollering about the high cost of living, 



to 1,000 cars of good apples. The and boycotting eggs, butter, turkeys, 



growers have spoiled their own home chickens and a lot of other things we 



market for good varieties and good farmers produce by working hard from 



grades with trash. sunup to sundown, including apples. 



Does it pay to grow poor varieties We farmers and fruitgrowers at best 



and pack poor grades and small sizes. are making only a modest living. If 



My advice to every apple grower is, you dear ladies in the city will buy 



figure it out in accordance with your just a few less silk stockings, a few less 



own costs, whatever they may be. As high-price dresses, a few less ex- 



an illustration I will use my way of pensive bonnets and curtail your 



figuring, in round figures: expensive habits, in a word, put less 



, , -nr monev on vour back and your in- 



cosl of hauuns . ::::::::::::::::::::: olt duigences and more money into good, 



Cost of making up boxes 01 wholesome f ood, particularly box 



Cost of pap^r^ » ^^ apples, you will have better health 



Cost of 'nailing up andstenciiing];:]:;!; !oi and more money at the end of the 



Cost of packing house sundry 01 year. 



.j,^jgj ^ From my past experience it seems to 



Value at vinegar'factory, $12 per ton!!!! !l2 me that we are justified in the conclu- 



— T— sion that each district must work out 



'^"^'^^ its problem of organization, control 



Add the cost of Association, labeling, and selling. To perfect an organiza- 



coid storage, adveitising and selling... .20 jj^jj requires a great many meetings of 



.)obber's''prom, say 10 cents" !!!!!!!!!!!! !io the people interested. You can under- 



stand the impossibility of getting grow- 



Grand total ?1.15 ^.^.^ f,.^,,^ .^j, ^f j,^^, dillVrent districts 



Any grade or size that will not sell together frequently enough to perfect 



at wholesale or in the East for more the right kind of organization, on 



than .$1.15, with me, goes to the vine- account of the time required and the 



gar factory. Equivalent to 65 cents net expense. However, I do believe that 



cash f.o.b. representatives from each district 



Take this wholesale price of $1.15 should attend the Growers' Conference 



Omit value at vinegar factory previously at the National Apple SllOWS, lor tlie 



included ■ -12 purpose of getting the benefit of each 



Balance $1.03 other's experience, as well as for the 



Add the cost or packing 05 P.»rpose of working along the same 



Add the cost of hauling to packing house. .01 lines SO far as advisable ami necessarj. 



Add the cost of grading 04 y^ long time ago I made the state- 



lii Z ^osl of ^AJlJ'i"^*"."!""'!!!!!!!!! !3^ mont, and luive repeated it many times 



since, that I did not believe that any 



Total $1.50 co-((i)erative selling concern would be 



Any variety that won't wholesale in a success until each district was organ- 

 Eastern markets at over $1.50 will not ized. Our experience, it seems to me, 



