66 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



PRESENT AND FUTURE OF MICHIGAN APPLES. 



S. H. FULTON, SUPT. OF SOUTH HAVEN FRUIT EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Since prices are the controlling factor in the planting of fruit for 

 commercial purposes, permit me at the outset to refer to this phase 

 of the subject in hand. A great deal has recently been said and written 

 in horticultural circles to show the profits of apple growing in Michigan, 

 taking a term of years into consideration, so I will simply mention 

 prices paid for last season's crop. I fully realize the difficulty, and in 

 fact impossibility, of giving exact figures, because of the widely vary- 

 ing methods followed by growers in disposing of their crops. Many 

 apples were purchased in the orchards by fruit buyers, some at so 

 much per barrel, some by bulk, some by the lump or whole orchard; 

 still others w^ere delivered at the train, and some picked, i)acked and 

 shipped direct to commission men and dealers by the growers them- 

 selves. However, a few figures may be given w'hich will be some indi- 

 cation of the value of the crop. 



Early in the season, during the month of September, apples were 

 bought largely on the basis of one dollar a barrel for the fruit on the 

 trees. Quite a large per cent of the orchards of Western Michigan 

 especially were bought in this way. On board the cars prices averaged, 

 so far as I have been able to learn,, about $1.75 per barrel. But the 

 farmers who sold their fruit by the lump were the fortunate ones last 

 fall. As a Chicago commission merchant expressed it: "The buyer 

 was the one who was in mourning when the time came around for the 

 apples to be picked." The long spell of warm weather which occurred 

 caused the premature ripening and falling off of much of the fruit, and 

 what w^as harvested was largely of poor quality. It was very difficult 

 for any one, wiiether a buyer or a grower, to put up fruit satisfactory 

 to the trade. Such was the general -condition of the crop, but it is a %^ 

 significant fact that a much better class of fruit was harvested in the 

 comparatively few orchards of the State w^hich were well cared fur. 

 Buyers were quick to learn of such orchards and were willing to pay 

 extra for them. Some orchards of this description in the Western 

 part of the State sold at the rate of about |100 per acre. 



As a further evidence of increased profits because of better care, we 

 have the experience of New York State growers, who have for the last 

 few years been paying more attention to the apple, and as a result are 

 growing better fruit in general than heretofore. Last fall New York 

 apples sold at a premium over Michigan fruit, and I have the state- 

 ments of Chicago and Buffalo commission men that this w^as occasioned 

 wholly by New York State growers having a better grade of fruit. 

 The difference in price which existed has been variously estimated at 

 from 75c to |1.25 per barrel in favor of New York fruit, and according 

 to the most reliable reports which can at present be obtained, will 

 probably average more than |1.00. 



As an apple producing state Michigan ranks high in quantity of fruit 

 produced. According to figures kindly furnished me by Wm. A. Taylor, 



