Il8 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE FOREIGN APPLE MARKETS. 

 By Alfred W. Otis, Boston. 



(In the absence of the writer the paper was read by Mr. W. P. 

 Babb of Portland.) 



I understand from the programme that my subject is to be 

 "The Foreign Markets," but I have taken it to be more partic- 

 ularly the foreign apple markets. 



American apples have been exported to European markets for 

 a great many years but my personal experience dates back only 

 to the season of 1 880-1881. The exports that season from all 

 American ports were in round numbers 1,300,000 barrels and 

 many weeks the quantities were limited only to the carrying 

 capacity of the steamers. From that time the business has 

 grown in almost every particular. The steamship companies 

 have done much to cater to the interests of the shippers and in 

 building their new steamers have given particular thought to 

 the necessities of the apple carrying trade. 



In 1880 the shipping from New England was almost wholly 

 done by the dealers in and around Quincy Market, Boston, and 

 an issue of fifty circulars would supply each shipper with the 

 latest information. Now instead of fifty local shippers there 

 have been this season not less than six to eight hundred differ- 

 ent shippers from various parts of New England, sending their 

 consignments on Boston steamers alone. 



Many farmers, believing that they might as well have the 

 profit themselves, which they supposed of course the speculators 

 received, have shipped their apples, and in some cases have real- 

 ized not the profits, but the sad fact that "All is not gold that 

 glitters." In some sections the entire crops are forwarded and 

 sold for the growers' accounts, while in other localities the 

 apples are bought up by speculators and I am free to say that in 

 some respects the speculator has the advantage. He handles 

 not the apples from his one particular orchard regardless of the 

 quality, but he naturally looks for the best which he obtains upon 

 as favorable terms as possible. If in shipping only from one 

 orchard, his apples happened to arrive upon a low market, his 



