No. 4.] EXPERIMENT STATION. 209 



gets anything. If it is a year when apples are scarce, he 

 gets perhaps $1.50 to $2 per barrel for them; if apples are 

 abundant, and consequently cheap, he gets from $1 per bar- 

 rel down, his expense for barrels, freight and carting being 

 the same in either case. 



There is a market price for empty barrels at all times. 

 In nearly every business packages and packing are charged 

 to the person or company buying the goods ; whenever 

 goods are in bulk, — nursery stock, dry goods, furniture, 

 etc., — a charge is made for cases. If producers of the 

 latter classes of goods cannot afford to give away such ma- 

 terial, it is certainly unjust to allow nothing to the farmer, 

 whose profit is so much smaller. We have personally 

 known of instances the past season where the farmer has 

 received less than 50 cents a barrel net for his apples, and 

 many who exported them received nothing; in the latter 

 case the farmer made some one a present of at least $20 for 

 every 100 barrels sent. These unjust practices should be 

 corrected, and, if possible, the fruit industry of the State 

 put on a business basis, so that young men may find it de- 

 sirable to make fruit culture a profession, and older culti- 

 vators also be helped. 



The total shipment of apples to foreign countries from all 

 shipping ports in the United States in 1903 was 2,546,141 

 barrels ; of these, 459,458 barrels were from Boston, 853,- 

 838 barrels were from New York. In 1904 the total ship- 

 ment was 1,603,944 barrels ; from Boston 439,675 barrels, 

 and from New York 417,087 barrels. Shipments will con- 

 tinue during the winter. 



Respectfully submitted, 



WILLIAM H. SPOONER, 



Chairnmn. 



