59 



guard and since then more care than ever has been given to 

 coopering, the result being a very small percentage of slacks. 



For several hours at a time on two or three occasions I 

 sat in the auction room where apples were selling. I also 

 had a chance to meet many of the fruit brokers and large 

 buyers, as well as a number of retailers. From personal 

 observation and conversations with these men I was able to 

 gain more of an insight as to market demands, preferences, 

 and so forth, than I could have learned in several years 

 reading up on the subject. Most important of all, I learned 

 that the English buyers are able to distinguish between an 

 ordinary apple and a well graded and packed article, and 

 that they show this by their willingness to pay more for the 

 latter sort. 



We have not, however, been interested solely in the 

 export market. For several years our manager has made a 

 trip to Aroostook County in our own State and has suc- 

 ceeded in building up a nice little business there. A number 

 of cars were placed there this fall. 



I will now attempt to tell you a little of the actual 

 operation of our Association. Early in the fall, at the time 

 crop reports are coming in from various sections of the 

 country, the manager puts in several days visiting the or- 

 chards of the members. He notes about how large a crop 

 and what varieties and quality each will harvest. By a 

 careful estimate he is able to tell somewhere near what the 

 crop will be — how many hundred barrels of Baldwins, 

 Greenings, or other varieties he may count on, and how they 

 will run as to grade. At this time also he -gets a better idea 

 of price by talking with the growers. 



As the apples are harvested, crews are organized to do 

 the packing. These men are hired for the season and paid 

 so much per day and board. The Association pays the 

 packers, charging their time to the growers at cost, and 

 they are boarded at the expense of the men whose apples 

 are being handled. 



A crew usually consists of three men, one of whom is 



