57 



Creight rate. The individual grower, in order to make up 

 ji shipment of desirable size has to hold some varieties until 

 they are someAvhat past season. Association apples can be 

 shipped in proper season to meet market demands. The 

 fjict that our Association apples are on the market ^'ear after 

 year keeps the buyers on the watch for them and they know 

 what to expect. An individual's apples may be ever so 

 good, but if the brand is unknown the price will be less than 

 that realized by those with a reputation. To illustrate this 

 point I will say that this year we started in early to export 

 our apples. 



From the middle of October until the Christmas Holi- 

 days nearly every boat docking in Liverpool had in its 

 cargo one or two cars of Oxford Bear apples. The buyers 

 vrere expecting them and were willing to pay a premium of 

 two shillings per barrel or more for them. Almost invaria- 

 bly we received a cable after each sale. "Sold Oxford Bears' 

 Apples Absolutely Top of ]\Iarket." 



It is Avith no light effort that we have built up and 

 maintained our reputation. Insistence has ever been made 

 that all fruit put out under our name should be honestly 

 graded and packed strictly according to law. Our ^lanager 

 is ever on the alert and the packers are carefully watched 

 to see that their work is done as well as possible. Of course 

 it is impracticable to inspect each barrel of apples put up. 

 and the packers, being human, sometimes err. However, I 

 will say that we have so far succeeded in maintaining our 

 standard that we have seldom received a complaint and 

 never have had a shipment turned down. 



Frequently our apples are sold at auction or private 

 sale without showing a sample, solely on the reputation of 

 the Oxford Bear brand. When cars for export are shipped, 

 we cable a variety list to our English receivers and frequent- 

 ly the apples are sold before landed at a premium of two to 

 tljree shillings over the top prices realized at auction for 

 the same varieties on the same sale. 



One of the chief things onr manager does is to make a 



