No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 419 



Why slionld'nt the fruit growers of West Virginia, Virginia, Mary- 

 land and Pennsylvania unite on an advertising campaign and make 

 it stylish to have Grimes Golden apples at all times in the fruit 

 dish and York Imperial apple pie with which to finish every meal? 



The conditions in the apple trade appear to the writer very fav- 

 orable for the taking up at this time such a campaign. Giowers 

 are gradually learning that they place themselves in a very weak 

 position when they sit around and wait for the cash buyers to come 

 to them to get their apples. With the apples ready to pick, no 

 storage facilities provided and no means of getting in touch with 

 consuming markets many growers this last year were forced at the 

 last minute to take whatever they could get irrespective of what the 

 market warranted. 



Others growers, and wiser ones in my judgment, turned over to 

 expert selling agencies the inspection and marketing of their crops 

 on five year contracts. Such a contract enables them to concentrate 

 their energy upon the successful production of their apples knowing 

 that they will get for them the best that the market affords, and 

 at the same time enables the commission man to begin a year ahead 

 to help create the market for next year's crop knowing that he, and 

 not someone else, will have that crop to handle. 



The further development of this idea until the bulk of the apples 

 of these four states would be put into the markets through well 

 established and strong selling agencies would produce the machinery 

 through which I believe we could control very largely the styles 

 in apples as the hat trade does in men's derbies. 



From correspondence and conversation with growers and com- 

 mission men I am convinced that a considerable number of boiu w<mld 

 be mutually glad to enter into long term contracts ii the uui'ter 

 were presented to them in such a way and under such auspices as 

 to have their confidence. I suggest, therefore, Ihat at the meetings 

 held this winter of the state horticultural societies of West Virginia, 

 Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania that committees already ex- 

 isting or new committees if necessary be instructed to confer with 

 similar committees of the other three state societies to adopt a 

 recommended form of selling contract between growers and selling 

 agencies, to provide for securing funds for advertising appropriation 

 and advertising agency to be recognized as an official agency of the 

 four state societies to carry out such an advertising plan. 



As details for consideration by these committees I suggest: First, 

 that the form of contract recommended be for not less than five 

 years duration; that it provide for high standards of pack and 

 thorough supervision; that it require of the selling agency strict 

 accountability but that it give him very free hand in meeting the 

 market conditions and that it provide that 2 per cent, of the gross 

 sales under such contract, one per cent, to come out of the grower 

 and one per cent, out of the selling agency, be turned over to the 

 officially designated advertising agency to finance an advertising 

 campaign to make our apples stylish in the city markets. 



To the advertising agency that may be selected this suggestion 

 is offered: Already the Yoik Imperial apple is favorably known 

 in many southern markets, where the house-wives have learned to 

 call for the big red lop-sided apple. This style in apple should be 

 encouraged. If all of the house-wives can be persuaded to do the 



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