MARKETING THE BITTER ROOT APPLE CROP 



By O. M. Gerer, Board Member, Fifth District 



This season there has been marketed from the Bitter Root valley 

 about two hundred cars of ^ood quality apples. The demand has 

 been strong and there is no question but that under present marketing 

 conditions twice this amount could easily have been sold. The price 

 received has been satisfactory and the growers who have produced 

 fruit of a good grade haVe been able to realize more profit from their 

 fruit than for many years past. 



Those interested in marketing the crop in the Bitter Root realize 

 perhaps more than any one else the value of having a standard product. 

 In the past it has not been possible for the Bitter Root to put out 

 uniform grades when the growers have been doing their own packing. 

 The last couple of years has seen a great deal of progress along lines 

 of standardization because of the central packing house work which has 

 been done and the super\dsion of the packing by competent instructors 

 of the packing operations which have been carried on in»the individual 

 orchards. The packing supervisors are under instructions from the 

 marketing agencies handling the growers' output. When apples 

 are prepared for market under this plan the organization making the 

 sale can guarantee the grade and pack. It is to be hoped that in 

 the very near future all fruit which is sent out from this valley may 

 carry the stamp of some reputable organization which will be a guar- 

 antee to the purchaser of the honesty of the grade and pack. In 

 order to bring about this condition it is necessary that the fruit grow- 

 ers learn the lesson of co-operation and learn it from a practical 

 standpoint. 



We, who have been in the marketing end of the business 

 for several years, realize, perhaps more than the growers, that this 

 co-operation, which in the past has been lacking, is the only solution 

 to the orchard problems. It has been proved beyond doubt to the 

 eastern buyers that the Bitter Root Mcintosh cannot be excelled by 

 any grown elsewhere in the United States. This fact is conclusively 

 shown by the increased demand for them and it is now only necessary 

 for the Bitter Root growers to put out a thoroughly standard grade 

 and pack. When this becomes a reality and is no longer a dream, 



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