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BETTER FRUIT 



Published Monthly 

 by 



Better Fruit Publishing Company 



Twelfth «n<l Jefferson Streets 

 PORTLAND, OREGON 



lERROLD OWEN Managing Editor 



ERNEST C. POTTS Editor 



C. I. MOODY Advertising Manager 



EASTERN REPRESENTATIVES 



PAUL W. & GUY F. MINNICK 



303 Fifth Ave., New York 



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SAN FRANCISCO REPRESENTATIVE 



EDWIN C. WILLIAMS ;^ ■ • ■ . 



Hobart Bldg., San Francisco 



STATE ASSOCIATE EDITORS 

 WASHINGTON— Dr. A. L. Melander, Ento 



Biologist : O. M. Morris. Horticulturist, Pull 



man. 

 COLORADO— C. P. Gillette, Director and Ento 



mologist; E. B. House, Irrigation Expert, State 



Agricultural College, Fort Collins. 

 ARIZONA— F. J. Crider, Horticulturist, Tuscon. 

 MONTANA— H. Thornber, Victor. 

 CALIFORNIA— C. W. Woodworth, Entomolo 



gist, Berkeley; W. H. Volck, Entomologist. 



Watsonville; Leon D. Batchelor, Horticulturist. 



Riverside. 

 INDIANA — H. S. Jackson. Pathologist. Lafayette 



All Communications should be addressed and 



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BETTER FRUIT PUBLISHING COMPANY 



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VOL. XVI. NO. 10 



Inspection at Source 



Reports from Washington gi\e 

 indication that growers and shippers 

 of the Northwest are at the point 

 of winning their fight for inspec- 

 tion of shipments of fruit, vege- 

 tables, poultry, butter and other 

 perishable products at loading sta- 

 tions instead of destination. 



The measure that may bring this 

 about was introduced by Represen- 

 tative Summers of Washington 

 state. It was adopted as a part of 

 the agricultural appropriation bill 

 and, unless there be meddlesome 

 tinkering, will be enacted into fed- 

 eral law. 



Were shipping point inspection 

 a new and untried thing, Congress 

 might find some justification ft^- 

 turning down the idea. But it is 

 far from being new or untried. The 

 article in this issue of Better 

 Frl'it on shipping point inspection 

 of potatoes in the state of Idaho 

 quite convincingly sets forth both 

 the practicability and success of this 

 method. It would be difficult, 

 even for a United States senator, to 

 read the benefits as summarized in 

 the conclusion of this article and 

 still have adequate justification for 

 opposing the growers' plea. 



BETTER FRUIT 



The senseless losses and injus- 

 tices involved in the present inspec- 

 tion system demand a remedy. This 

 remedy has been evolved. Con- 

 gress faces the duty of applying it 

 forthwith, and the great army of 

 growers and ranchers should stand 

 by and see that the job is promptly 

 accomplished. 



Wage Problem 



Consideration of wage questions 

 has been to the fore of late in 

 fruit growing circles. Adjustments 

 are taking place and must have 

 place in the grower's plans for this 

 season. Manifestly, since the 

 country has been experiencing a 

 period of falling commodity prices 

 for some months, the trend of 

 wages has also been downward. 



The real problem which now 

 concerns fruit men is a question of 

 how much reduction there should 

 be in wage rates. 



There are those who hold that 

 the country will this summer return 

 to pre-war conditions and prices. 

 They argue, accordingly, that 

 wages should be put back to the 

 pre-war basis — back to the point 

 where 20 and 25 cents an hour was 

 considered equitable pay, for all 

 ordinary labor. 



There is error in this conclusion. 

 The fundamental error lies in the 

 fact that the country is no loneer 

 in a period of falling prices. Man- 

 ufacturing and wholesale prices 

 have passed low ebb. Minor re- 

 \'isions downward may yet be ex- 

 pected in a few lines, but they are 

 only such as must come from the 

 retailers. In the basic industries, 

 including such things as steel, cop- 

 per, sugar and fabrics, prices now 

 tend upward and not downward. 



Even the prices of farm products 

 reached the bottom of the decline 

 some weeks ago and now are stif- 

 fening. 



The fundamental fact to be 

 borne in mind — in which all econo- 

 mists concur — is that the country 

 will not return to pre-war prices of 

 1912-13 at this time. Every period 

 of high prosperity is followed by 

 at least one secondary upward swing 

 of prices. Not until after this 



April, 1922 



second swing has passed can the 

 country expect pre-war conditions 

 and prices. We have entered this 

 movement, and the wise man will 

 lay his plans accordingly. 



It is both wise and just to recog- 

 nize the fact that we have not re- 

 turned and will not return — -for at 

 least 1 8 months or more — to a pre- 

 war status. Disregarding the scales 

 of skilled workers, the wages of 

 common labor have now been 

 deflated about far enough. Labor 

 prices this season will be below 

 those of last season, but to seek to 

 force them too low will entail only 

 dissatisfaction and trouble. 



The Radiophone 



Use of the radiophone has come 

 into its own in the Northwest with 

 a rush. At first considered rather 

 lightly as something that should 

 amuse and interest the mechanically 

 inclined boy, it has quickly won 

 recognition as a valuable invention 

 of far-reaching utility. 



It is partly true that the radio- 

 phone is still popular chiefly for 

 amusement purposes. But, mark 

 the statement, its commercial uses 

 are to be very extensive and valu- 

 able. These are in their infancy, 

 but will be developed with startling- 

 rapidity. 



If the boy wants to install a 

 radiophone receiving set in your 

 back-yard give him fullest en- 

 couragement. In another year your 

 neighbors will be receiving frost 

 warnings, weather reports, market 

 reports and no end of helpful and 

 interesting information over the 

 radiophone. 



Use of the radiophone will be- 

 come as universal as use of the auto- 

 mobile. Every orchardist will have 

 one. Cost of installation is quite 

 nominal — that is, for the receiving 

 set alone. Scan our advertising 

 columns if you are suspicious about 

 this boost. We are not thinking 

 c\'en of the endless amusement and 

 entertainment features you will 

 enjoy. In suggesting that you in- 

 stall a radiophone at your earliest 

 convenience we have in mind only 

 its assured commercial value to you 

 in protecting and marketing your 

 fruit. 



