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BETTER FRUIT 



An Illustrated Magazine Devoted to the Interests 



of Modern Fruit Growing and Marketing. 



Published Monthly 



by 



Better Fruit Publishing Company 



703 Oregonian Building 

 PORTLAND, OREGON 



Delayed Apple Buying. 



It is now evident that speculation 

 in the 1920 apple crop will be re- 

 duced to the minimum as buyers who 

 last year bought large blocks of 

 apples early in the season are holding 

 off until the market is more fully de- 

 veloped. In fact, apple sales up to 

 September 1st have been fewer than 

 in almost any years that men in 

 the trade can remember. This does 

 not necessarily mean a poor year for 

 the grower, but it does mean that the 

 apple movement to the big markets 

 will be considerably slower this year 

 than last and that the grower and 

 shipper must take every precaution 

 to store and care for their hold- 

 ings. The delay in apple buying is un- 

 doubtedly due to some extent to un- 

 certain financial conditions in regard 

 to the movement of almost all farm 

 crops. These conditions will no doubt 

 adjust themselves a little later in the 

 season. 



As to the size of the crop, although 

 larger than last year by 15 to 20 per 

 cent, it is not by any means of the 

 bumper proportions of a number of 

 years in the past. There should, 

 therefore, be a good market at satis- 

 factory prices for the crop — particu- 

 larly the Northwest output, which is 

 far below normal in size, but of fine 

 quality. 



BETTER FRUIT 



marketing the season's crop of soft 

 fruits at the increased prices. It is 

 believed, however, that the top notch 

 was reached this year in prices for 

 soft fruit canning stock. 



Shipping in Bulk. 



The apple packing season is again 

 with us, bringing with it, according 

 to reports from all sections of the 

 country, a distinct shortage of con- 

 tainers. In the East, barrels are high 

 and difficult to get, and in the North- 

 west the same conditions obtain in 

 regard to boxes. This has led to a 

 great deal of talk about shipping in 

 bulk, and it is probable that a consid- 

 erable shipment of Northwest apples 

 will be made from some sections in 

 the latter region to points in the 

 Middle West unpacked. These ship- 

 ments, however, must of necessity be 

 limited as the large Eastern buyers 

 of Northwest apples, buy them on ac- 

 count of the attractiveness of the box 

 package as well as their quality. If 

 they want bulk apples, they can buy 

 them much nearer home. If the box 

 shortage becomes very acute, it may 

 result, in some sections, in the pack- 

 ing of the extra fancy and fancy 

 grades in boxes and in shipping the 

 "C" grade in some other way. 



The grower, however, who can ob- 

 tain boxes should not be tempted to 

 experiment in shipping his apples, 

 even at the high cost of containers. 

 The reputation of the Northwest apple 

 has been built up and is being main- 

 tained on its extra high quality pack 

 and a deviation from this course can- 

 not help but prove disastrous. 



Soft Fruit Crop 



Generally speaking, the 1920 berry 

 and cherry crop has been marketed 

 at very satisfactory figures to the 

 grower this year. Prices for all kinds 

 of soft fruits have been the highest 

 ever known in the Northwest, and, 

 despite the high cost of labor or ma- 

 terials necessary to the soft fruit in- 

 dustry, growers, almost without ex- 

 ception, have had a most profitable 

 season. In some instances there is a 

 tendency to be skeptical as to whether 

 the establishments who bought the 

 soft fruit crops can turn them at a 

 living profit. Of course this does 

 not worry the grower, except that if 

 prices for the finished product fall 

 down in one year, prices must natur- 

 ally be lower the next. It is to be 

 assumed, however, that most of the 

 buyers of soft fruits had estimated 

 the quantity they could sell at the 

 prices paid and were taking no 

 chances. In fact in some lines of 

 processed fruits, manufacturers are 

 said to have sold more stock than 

 they could obtain. In others, the 

 prices of fruit were so high that it 

 was almost prohibitive and the output 

 was necessarily limited. In viewing 

 the whole situation canners are in- 

 clined to be optimistic in regard to 



Marking Fruit Packages. 

 Fruits and vegetables in package 

 form when shipped into interstate 

 commerce should bear a plain and 

 conspicuous statement of the quan- 

 tity of the contents in each package, 

 according to a statement made by 

 officials of the Bureau of Chemistry, 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, who are charged with the en- 

 forcement of the Federal food and 

 drugs act. Instructions have been is- 

 sued showing how various fruits and 

 vegetables in different styles of pack- 

 ages may be marked in order to com- 

 ply fully with the net weight amend- 

 ment to the law, and also showing 

 what shipments of vegetables as ordi- 

 narily marketed are exempt from the 

 net weight provisions. 



September, ip20 



bination is an effective disinfectant 

 for both wounds and tools, according 

 to Prof. F. C. Reimer. Frequent in- 

 spection in districts where this dis- 

 ease has been discovered is necessary 

 and growers should use extraordinary 

 vigilance in combatting this disease. 



What the Newspapers Interested in Fruit 

 Are Saying 



The removal of price control of apples from 

 August 1 to the middle of November by the 

 British Government recalls the remark of the 

 embarrassed dinner guest that the butter was 

 verv good, what there was of it. and that 

 there was enough of it, too, such as it was. — 

 Fruit Trade Journal. 



We hear that very extensive orders have 

 been placed for small motor machinery for 

 working citrus farms and sugar plantations 

 in Natal and the Eastern Transvaal. There 

 is no doubt that South Africa is certainly 

 behind in its application of motive power 

 to land-working. 



A combined tool which ploughs or culti- 

 vates, or converts itself into a stationary 

 engine at will and is always ready to work 

 must "stand in" as a thing the working 

 farmer can't afford to be without. Elsewhere, 

 scarcity and dearness of labor has forced the 

 use of these implements to the front and they 

 certainly cut work. We are not in the dire 

 need of other countries so far as labor goes, 

 but we are in competition with their products, 

 and if they can "do it cheaper" by applying 

 new methods we have got to apply them, too. 

 — South African Fruitgrower. 



The California Associated Raisin Company 

 on August 9th named its opening prices for 

 1920 crop of raisins on a basis of 15c per 

 pound to the grower. This is an increase 

 of five cents per pound over last year's 

 prices. With an increase in the yield this 

 year, raisin growers will receive approxi- 

 mately $22,000,000 more for this year's crop 

 than they were paid last year. 



The estimated tonnage of the 1920 California 

 raisin crop is 200.000,000 tons in comparison 

 with a total tonnage of about 190,000.000 tons 

 produced last year. The price the trade will 

 pav for this year's raisin crop will be ap- 

 proximately $80,000,000, of which the Cali- 

 fornia raisin growers will receive about $60,- 

 000,000. — Sunsweet Standard. 



The amount of effort it has taken to bring 

 to the attention of people of the valley the 

 menace confronting them in the lack of re- 

 frigerator cars for this year is almost unbe- 

 lievable. When the facts are presented as 

 clearly as they have been in this case it would 

 seem that people would flock to the cause and 

 thereby prevent, if possible, a serious loss. 

 But the general inclination seems to be to let 

 George do it, or an implicit confidence that 

 the thing will come out all right. The growth 

 of that idea would ultimately tear down every 

 improvement that has been made with such 

 great effort in the Yakima Valley. It will 

 spell defeat in any cause just as surely as the 

 defensive game played by the Germans was 

 disastrous before aggressive forces. Those 

 few individuals who responded to the first 

 call for ammunition in the refrigerator car 

 campaign are in a class with the Belgians who 

 stemmed the gray tide in a critical moment. 

 The present situation demands immediate 

 action of the most aggressive character if the 

 valley is not to feel the pinch of congested 

 transportation when shipping time comes. — 

 Yakima Valley Progress. 



Combatting Fire Blight. 

 Do not forget that fire blight is one 

 of the most serious diseases in an or- 

 chard and that when discovered 

 should be cut out at once. This dis- 

 ease shows itself in the fruit spurs 

 and twigs first, which exhibit a 

 cankerous condition. In removing fire 

 blight the cuts should be made 10 to 

 12 inches below the infected part. 

 The wounds should be disinfected 

 with one grain of cyanide of mercury 

 and one gram of bichloride of mer- 

 curv to 500cc of water. This com- 



How You Can Get 



Better Fruit's 



Apple Packing Chart 



Better Fruit's apple packing chart as it 

 appears in this number, but printed on 

 cardboard so that it can be hung in the 

 packing house, will he mailed to anyone 

 desiring it on the following terms: 



ne card FREE with a new subscrip- 

 tion to Better Fri it. 



One card without subscription 10c 



Twelve cards without subscription. . .$1.00 



For quantity prices write us. 



BETTER FRUIT PUBLISHING CO. 



703 Oregonian Building 

 Portland. Oregon 



