248 MODERN FIU'IT MARKETING 



apple crop. The yield was probably never before reached 

 in the apple industry, yet the movement of the crop was 

 regular and without confusion. The prices were not 

 so high as in former years, still sufficient to warrant fair 

 returns for the money invested. Prices ran steady and 

 even, and the distribution was uniform. Intelligent ad- 

 vertising and broadminded business methods were re- 

 sponsible for this unusual situation. Accurate statistics, 

 even prices, uniform packages and standard grades have 

 inspired confidence in the buying public, and advertising 

 has created the demand. 



Gathering Statistics. Reliable figures on fruit crops 

 have ever been hard to get. This has been due in part 

 to the perishable nature of the product, also to the lack 

 of any well-organized effort in collecting data. Some- 

 thing has already been mentioned of the efforts of the In- 

 ternational Apple Shippers' Association in gathering 

 statistics on the apple, but these do not include any of 

 the other fruits. As the market prices depend largely 

 upon the quantity of the fruit harvested it is highly 

 desirable to get an accurate forecast of the conditions 

 of the crop. The more information that can be placed 

 in the hands of the producers and distributors of the 

 fruit the greater the opportunity for getting equitable 

 returns for the labor involved. 



Government Reports. For years the United States 

 government has maintained a department for reporting 

 crops. This has been under the auspices of the Agri- 

 cultural Department and includes reports on all the im- 

 portant agricultural crops. This work has been col- 

 lected largely through the Post Office Department and 

 through the efforts of special field agents. Printed 



