Page 22 



BETTER FRUIT 



April 



BEFORE using Cement Coated Nails 



Western Cement Coated Nails 

 for Western Growers 



Our Cement Coated Nails are always of 

 uniform length, gauge, head and count. 

 Especially adapted to the manufacture of 

 fruit boxes and crates. In brief, they are 

 the Best on the Market. 



Write for Growers' testimonials. 



Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. 



DENVER, COLORADO 



Pacific Coast Sales Offices 



Portland, Spokane, San Francisco 



Los Angeles 



AFTER use of C. F. & I. Co.'s 

 Cement Coated Nails 



Cutting Wisdom Teeth and Orchard Costs 



THE necessity for a more economi- 

 cal production of apples is becom- 

 ing more and more apparent. In 

 the past we have not given this phase 

 of fruit growing suilicient considera- 

 tion. When the pioneers of the North- 

 western apple industry had proved to 

 their own satisfaction and to the satis- 

 faction of others that there were nor- 

 mal and in many instances abnormal 

 profits in apples, the cost question was 

 pushed aside for questions concerning 

 the best (though not the cheapest) 

 methods of pruning, spraying, cultiva- 

 tion, etc. These things were yet in 

 their experimental stage; but it seemed 

 to be definitely settled at that time, and 

 for all time, that profit would follow in 

 the wake of all plantings where good 

 judgment was used in conjunction with 

 modern methods. So, in association 

 meetings, fruit growers' institutes, bul- 

 letins and fruit journals, we discussed 

 the fundamental problems relating to 

 soils, the planting, the shaping and the 

 care of the tree, perhaps forgetting for 

 a lime that there was a monetary side 

 to all these operations. If you should 

 take the trouble to go back through the 

 Year Books of this association you 

 would find that only recently has much 

 emphasis been placed on doing things 

 cheaply. — We said, "Above all else let 

 us do them well." 



That the result of this policy was of 

 great benefit in developing a superior 

 product is unquestionable. The North- 

 western fruit grower has produced 

 apples of "chaiacter" — apples of such 

 a character that they have been in de- 

 mand over other apples from other 

 sections. As long as the supply of our 

 own product was limited, we could, 

 within certain limits, ask and get what 

 we wanted for it. But now we have 

 such an increased production right at 

 home that we nuist compete not only 

 Northwest with California, and with 

 Colorado and with the large producing 

 sections of the East, but also Northwest 

 with Northwest, state with state and 

 district with district. We are no longer 

 in a position to dictate prices. Now 

 our brother fruit grower across the 

 fence or across the state, who can pro- 



By L. F. Dumas, Dayton, Washington 



duce apples like ours for ten cents a box 

 less, and who is not in the business for 

 his health, can undersell us, or if he 

 can get the same price we get, he can 

 make more than we can. Should we be 

 called on to face a number of lean 

 years, the chances are that he is going 

 to last longer than we are. 



Under this new competitive condition, 

 which, it seems, is with us to stay, it is 

 becoming apparent that it will be a 

 question of the survival of the fittest, 

 and the fittest man is going to be the 

 one who can get quality the cheapest. 

 Instead of "quality at any price," then, 

 we must make "quality at a minimum 



price" our slogan. Mr. Shepherd has 

 pointed this out repeatedly. He began 

 preaching economy before it was con- 

 sidered "good form" to speak of cheap 

 apples. We are just beginning to heed 

 him. By some, he has been misinter- 

 preted, for they have sacrificed quality 

 to cost. It should not take them long to 

 find out that this extreme does not pay 

 either. But, in general, cost careless- 

 ness is gradually giving way to cost 

 carefulness. A few of us are beginning 

 to keep books. A few know just what 

 each orchard operation is costing — a 

 few have made a cost study of each 

 process with a view towards determin- 



Statement of the Ownership, Management, Circulation, Etc. 



Required by the Act of Congress of August 24. 1912, 



of "Better Fruit," Published Monthly at Hood River, Oregon, 



for April, 1917. 



state of Oregon, ) 



County of Hood River, j ^■ 



Before me, a notary rublic in and for the state and county aforesaid, personally 

 appeared E. H. Shepard, who having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and 

 says that he is the editor and business manager of "Better Fruit," and that the follow- 

 ing is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, 

 management (and if a daily paper the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication 

 for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, 

 embodied in section 443, Postal I^ws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this 

 form, to wit: 



1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor and busi- 

 ness manager are: 



Publisher, Better Fruit Publishing Company. Postofflce address. Hood River, Oregon. 

 Editor, B. H. Shepard. PostofBce address. Hood River, Oregon. 

 Managing Editor, E. H. Shepard. Postoflice address. Hood River. Oregon. 

 Business Manager, E. H. Shepard. Postoflice address, Hood River. Oregon. 



2. That the owners are; (Give names and addresses of individual owners, or if a 

 corporation, give its name and the names and addresses of stockholders owning or 

 holding one per cent or more of the total amount of stock.) 



Better Fruit Publishing Company. E. H. Shepard. Hood River. Oregon. 



3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or 

 holding one per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities 

 are: (If there are none, so state.) None. 



4. That the two paragraphs next above giving the names of the owners, stockholders 

 and security holders, if anv, contain not only the list of stockholders and security 

 holders as they appear upon the books of the company, but also in cases where the 

 stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or m 

 any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such 

 trustee is acting is given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements em- 

 bracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under 

 which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the com- 

 pany as trustees hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide 

 owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association or 

 corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bondsor other securi- 

 ties than as so stated by him. 



5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication sold or dis- 

 tributed, through the malls or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months 

 preceding the date shown above Is; (This information is required from daily publica- 

 tions only.) (Signed) E. H. SHEPARD. 



Editor and Business Manager. 



Sworn to and subscribed before me this 28th day of March, 1917. 



(Seal) ERNEST C. SinTH. 



Notary Public for the State of Oregon. 

 (My Commission expires August 1. 1920.) 



