March, 1922. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



61 



at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Queenston, and 

 percentage both in baskets and money aver- 

 ages on sales and commission: 



Quantity. -Proceeds. Average. 

 Commission ...50,057 $35,232.66 70c 

 Sales 59,334 50,418.36 85c 



Baskets, 47% Commission; 53% Sales. 



Money, 41% Commission; 59% Sales. 

 Export Pears vs. local 



The next figures I wish to show are the 

 amount of export pears and the difference 

 on the pool for pears exported against those 

 sold on local markets. Altogether there 

 were exported 18 cars— 5 cars of Bartletts, 

 5 cars of Duchess, Anjou and Louise Bonne, 

 and 8 cars of Keiffers, all of which were 

 packed through a central packing house, 

 which is the only possible way to pack our 

 fruit and get a standard, so that we are 

 not ashamed to put our brand on it and 

 stand by it. Bartlett pears average, export 

 and local, figuring by the pound, practi- 

 cally the same price, but what would have 



happened if the five cars had been put on 

 our local market, especially when they had 

 all they could dispose of at the time? The 

 same thing applies to the five cars of 

 Duchess and Anjou — the export prices for 

 20 lb. boxes of No. I's, 74c; No. 2. 59c; 

 while local averages, No. I's, 60c, and No. 

 2's, 45c. The KeifEer export average was 

 3.24c a lb. net, while Keiffer local average 

 was 2c, including container. Export price 

 was f.o.b., with wrapping, boxing, handling, 

 wiring, all paid for. Basket price on local 

 market was still worse with No. I's at 40c 

 average. 



Pint and Quart Berry Boxes 



The next figures that I have prepared are 

 the difference between pint boxes and quart 

 as it now stands. This is something of 

 vital importance and will come before the 

 Dominion Fruit Conference at Ottawa on 

 the 22nd of this month, when we will have 

 radical changes recommended in the stan- 

 dardization of our packages. If we do not 



Niagara Peninsula Growers, Ltd., Balance Sheet, Dec. 31, 1921 



Assets. 



Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment $ 13,587.03 



Organization Expenses d 19,935.39 



$ 33,522.42 

 L*ss 20 per cent, absorbed in operating Expenses 6,704.48 



$ 26,817.94 



Accounts Receivable .•. $95,774.47 



Do., Members' Supplies 5,737.06 



Bills Receivable 260.00 



Cash in Bank 12,508.32 



Cash on Hand 63.53 



Fruit on Hand per Inventory 5,230.60 



iMemb3rs' Supplies per Inventory 7,146.95 



Stationery and Office Supplies per Inventory 3,363.95 



$130,084.88 



Liabilities. 



Capital Stock Subscribed $93,200.00 



lL*ss— Uncalled 74,560.00 



$156,902.82 



Members' Credits $1,059,498.39 



Less — 12 per cent, operating ccst 126,930.77 



$18,640.00 



iljess — Payments 



932,567.62 

 888,438.45 



-$94,129.17 



Accounts Payable 12,074.26 



Reserve for Adjustments 32,059.39 



OPERATING ACCOUNTS TO DEC. 31, 1921. 

 Cost of Sales. 



-$156,902.82 



Sales 



Less— (Freight, 



imus.^ion, Packing and Trucking. 



.$1,494,770.88 

 79,786.87 



Per cent, to 

 Sales. 



Net Sales $1,414,984.01 



Members" (Credits (from May 15th) $1,059,498.39 



Fruit Purchases including Members' to May 15th 28,834.85 



Niagara District Grape Growers 324,184.73 



100.00 

 5.34 



94.66 



Less — FrUit on hand per Inventory. 



$1,412,517.97 

 5,230.60 



-$1,407,287.37 94.15 



Sales Reserve tor Adjustments $ 7.696.64 



Operating Expenses. 



Head Office. Divisional. 



Salaries $39,964.92 $41,035.70 



Tnavelllng 625.02 1,548.32 



Telephone 4,163.85 1,224.27 



Telegraph 2,293.25 973.43 



„ Rents 600.00 2,937.60 



Postage 1,706.42 317.52 



Stationery and Supplies 3,297.33 1,727.78 



Advertising 625.45 



General Expense 2,471.84 2,582.69 



Bank Charges 1,376.15 



.61 



$57,126.23 $52,347.31 



Total Head Office Expense $57,126.23 



Less — Government Grant 9.000.00 



Total Divisional Expense $52,347.31 



Less— Jlefund Ix)adlng, etc., of Fruit 4,610.00 



1 43,126.23 3.22 



Depreciation 20 per cent, of Organization Bxpense and Equip- 

 ment 



Adjustments $32,059.39 



Less — Sales Reserv 7,696 64 



$ 47,737.31 

 6.704.48 



3.19 

 .45 



$ 24,362.75 1.63 



Total Cost being 12 per cent, of Members' Credits $126,930.77 



8.49 



do something to get a more attractive 

 package than what we have at the present 

 time, and a package that will stand ship- 

 ping, we cannot compete with British Col- 

 umbia and the states to the south of us, 

 and might as well get off the market, as 

 they are most certainly making a big effort 

 to ship right into our local markets and, 

 furthermore, they will continue to do so 

 unless we awaken to the fact that our 

 packages are inferior and will not hold up 

 on long distance shipments, and before it Is 

 too late, make a change. We have sp- 

 perior fruit — why put it In the inferior con- 

 tainer? Let us start this season in box 

 packing through central packing houses. 

 We have the chance. With the government 

 behind us, why should we not take the op- 

 portunity? Our averages on fruit shipped 

 in pints and quarts are as follows, in cents: 



Quarts. Pints. 



Raspberries 17.24 , 12.16 



Red Currants 11.00 8.00 



Black Cherries 14.00 16.00 



Black Currants 21.00 15.00 



Of course, there is one big disadvantage 

 in adopting the full quart: It will take 

 some time on our local markets to educate 

 the consumer that he is getting a fifth more 

 than he used to in our old box. However, 

 this can be accomplished and, as far as the 

 factories are concerned, it will make no 

 difference, as they practically all figure by 

 the pound. 



Average on Each Kind of Fruit 



I have also had averages on every variety 

 of fruit taken oft by our auditing depart- 

 ment and, while the average on several var- 

 ieties may not compare with the growers' 

 average he received, it shows the price of 

 the early sale to the last. 



Our strawberries average 11.65c. If we 

 had not have had an organization, what 

 would the grower have received for his 

 berries? Nearly every factory started with 

 a very low price, but, going the rounds, 

 we were at least able to make a contract for 

 at least 15 or 16 cars at a good price, which 

 was the salvation of the strawberry crop. 

 Furthermore, I do not hesitate In saying 

 that, hadn't it been for the poor quality of 

 the berries this season, our average would 

 have been much higher, as the American 

 market would have taken so much larger 

 quantity at higher prices, provided we 

 could have shipped. This is one good rea- 

 son why we should change the standard for 

 our berry box. 



Raspberries, 17.24: That average is be- 

 low the price asked at the beginning, but 

 we find in some cases that It is necessary to 

 take large losses on account of the fruit 

 not carrying and, even at that, I consider 

 the average good. 



The next average I wish to remark on 

 are tomatoes at 48c. Are you going to let 

 the factory pay you 30 to 35c per pushel 

 or what price will you basket them for, or, 

 better still, what price will you box them 

 for? At your next local meeting give this 

 information to your director. 



Cherries, sour, both Richmond and Mont- 

 morency, at an average of 1.20: It is quite 

 right that some dealers paid higher. The 

 answer to this is: What did It cost him? 

 Black, sweet, 6-quart flat average, $1.30; 

 lenos, $1.67. A little low owing to short 

 crop, but as I have explained, right in the 

 height of our black cherry season there 

 were sufficient cars of American cherries 

 selling on our local markets, which knocked 

 our markets and lowered the price. 



Peaches average all through the season. 

 No. 1, 85c; No. 2, 71c. Our average on our 

 quotation for the season in 20 -basket lots 

 (Continued on page 64) 



