Specific Marketing Problems — Fruit 43 



largerly rests on a general understanding between the various members 

 and the association. \'cry httle honey is sold by the producer to large 

 outside buyers. Most of the extracted honey shipped from the Salt 

 River Valley ultimately passes into the hands of wholesale biscuit 

 manufacturers, wholesale drug manufacturers, tobacco manufacturers 

 and confectioners. 



Prices for amber honey have ranged from $4.50 per case in 1916 

 to $12.40 per case in 191 7. Prices for amber honey during the latter 

 part of 1916 ranged from $5.40 to $6.00 per case of 120 pounds, while 

 prices early in 1917 averaged about $8.40 per case. This price rapidly 

 lose as the 1917 season progressed to 11 cents, then to 12.2 cents and 

 closed at about 12.4 cents. Small quantities of mesquite honey in 1917 

 brought $13.00 per case. These prices were fairly well in line with 

 prevailing market quotations. There is at present no general dissatis- 

 faction with the local honey markets. It is likely that better market- 

 ing arrangements could be made if all the honey producers of the 

 Valley were organized into one association to care for the selling in- 

 terests in a businesslike way. As long as prices received, however, are 

 lairly well in line with wholesale market quotations, it does not seem 

 likely that the beekeepers of the Valley will organize more extensively. 

 On the whole, there is no serious problem in connection with the mar- 

 ket for Salt River \'alley honey and there seems to be no need to 

 recommend any changes at this time. 



Fruit The production of fresh fruit for market is not one of 

 the leading industries in the Valley. This phase of agriculture, how- 

 ever, is not limited to any considerable extent by clim.atic or soil con- 

 ditions and could easily be made one of the most important agricul- 

 tural activities in this section of the Southwest. There are in general 

 two types of fruit produced. The output of deciduous fruits consists 

 very largely of peaches and apricots, while oranges and grapefruit 

 constitute the chief offerings of citrus fruit. A few plums and figs 

 produced in a very small w^ay complete the list of tree fruits produced 

 in the Salt River \^alley. 



The output of deciduous fruits is rather evenly divided, about 

 one-half being peaches and one-half apricots. The apricots are largely 

 Newcastles, Royals, Blenheims and Moorparks. Almost every variety 

 of peach which can be grown in this climate is produced and the 

 variety list ranges from Elbertas to Salways. Most of the peaches are 

 Elbertas however. The wide range of varieties noted above has re- 



