208 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



September, 1907 



of the dock superintendent, whom I 

 have seen personally in reference to 

 this matter, and who assures me of 

 their keen interest in the apple trade, 

 and of their willingness to do anything 

 to stimulate and assist it. 



Here, then, is an opportunity for a 

 combination of growers and shippers to 

 so far control their own rnarket, and there 

 is no doubt that this is the thing to do, 

 and that it will be done before very long 

 is almost certain. If some such scheme 

 is well prepared and organized, I beUeve 

 that this is the system that will bring 

 the exporter a bigger all-round net 

 price for his fruit than he has yet secured. 



To sell on f.o.b. terms is, in my opin- 

 ion, to at once discount and depreciate 

 the price of your fruit, as the buyer 

 naturally must purchase at a price 

 which allows him a big margin for risks. 



In these days of quick transit and 

 cool storage, refrigerator cars, and so 

 forth, this risk is in reality now very 

 small, but it is there, and the buyer 

 covers it by the comparatively low 

 price at which he buys, every time he 

 makes a purchase. The grower no 

 doubt loses this extra profit every time ; 

 whereas were he "to take this, now, very 

 small risk, and consign his fruit to 

 reUable people on this market, I am con- 

 fident that, on the whole, throughout 

 the season, he would find himself a 

 considerable gainer, by selling his pro- 

 duce on consignment terms, as against 

 f.o.b. 



Why not put this to a practical test 

 this season and sell half your output on 

 f.o.b. terms as usual, and send the other 

 half to some reliable firm to sell for you, 

 on consignment terms, and on a fixed 

 rate for expenses, keeping separate 

 accounts of prices secured under each 

 system and comparing the results at the 

 end of the season by the net prices as 

 shown by each system of sale ? 



Just a few words as to the kinds of 

 fruit that sell the best on this market, 

 and that bring best prices. Golden 

 Russet, Blenheim Orange, Cox's Orange, 

 New York Pippin, Fancy Spy, Kings and 

 all other Pippins, and so forth, are 

 amongst those that stand in the first 

 rank; with Baldwin, Greening, Stark, 

 Wealthy, Fameuse, and so forth, run- 

 ning a good second; closely followed by 

 Nonpareil, Canada Red, and Ben Davis, 

 as good, useful apples of the cheaper 

 kind. 



Finally, I would impress upon Cana- 

 dian growers the ever-increasing im- 

 portance of the British markets as a 

 profitable outlet for their produce. 

 With our combined population of over 

 43,000,000 people, and our ever open 

 door, the growing and exporting of 

 Canadian fruit and produce generally 

 should prove to be one of the most 

 profitable of commercial pursuits, as the 

 demand here is practically unlimited. — 

 A British Canadian. 



A.pples — From GroMrer to Cons\imer 



J. ArtKur McBride, -with Geo. Vipond & Co., Montreal 



THE apple industry of to-day, to be 

 an intensive and perpetual "money- 

 maker," requires a thorough study 

 of the exacting demands of the con- 

 sumers (householders) throughout Can- 

 ada and England, as they are the people 

 whose trade largely governs the markets. 



The history of an apple from the tree 

 to the consumer is varied and interest- 

 ing. Frequently, through someone's 

 ignorance or dishonesty (and neither in 

 these enlightened days is excusable), 

 there is great annoyance and loss of 

 business to the wholesale dealers in the 

 large distributing centres who are sell- 

 ing directly to the private individual 

 through the medium of the retail dealers. 

 The consumers' demands are very ex- 

 acting, and unless fully complied with, 

 either the goods are returned or a heavy 

 reduction is made. It would be the 

 broadest and most liberal education pos- 

 sible if more of our growers and packers 

 would come in close touch with these 

 people who demand so much in quality 

 and also have their eyes wide open in 

 regard to "market prices." The price 

 must be within reach of all, otherwise 

 the consumption is curtailed. 



One cannot travel through the apple 

 orchards of Ontario and Quebec to-day 

 without feehng that there is great room 

 for improvement in regard to the time 

 and attention bestowed on them in 

 pruning, spraying and cultivating the 

 ground. The practical and experienced 

 labor spent on a well-set-out orchard, 

 will certainly yield the owner a hand- 

 some dividend on the fruit in proportion 

 to the labor he puts into it. 



The apple business, the last few years, 

 has been developing on a firmer basis of 

 packing and distribution. With the 

 general growth of our country, and an 

 improved quality of our apples, the 

 results are certain to be satisfactory, 

 but we must bear in mind that the qual- 

 ity (either good or bad) is remembered 

 long after the price is forgotten. 



The responsibility and future of the 

 apple trade rests equally — and some- 

 times heavier on the packer than on the 

 grower. The apples, being of good 

 quahty, will minimize his difficulties, but 

 too great care cannot be taken to make 

 the contents of the package agree with 

 the grade marked on the cover. 



The advantage of producing the No. 

 1 quahty is brought very forcibly to our 

 attention and also to our pocket-books, 

 when the yield causes growers to pack a 

 larger percentage of No. 2 goods than 

 the market can profitably handle ; con- 

 sequently the over-supply is sold at a 

 loss — -which comes out of the packer or 

 grower. The demands (except at a re- 

 duced price) is for the No. 1 grade of 

 fruit. The packing, handling and trans- 



portation charges are the same on all 

 grades. The Canadian west insists on 

 No. 1 almost exclusively, and the east- 

 em markets will only handle a propor- 

 tion of them. The great solution of the 

 question is not to produce poor fruit. The 

 grower, to be successful, will devote his 

 time to good advantage on his orchards. 



The Fruit Division at Ottawa, and the 

 apple inspectors, coupled with The Fruit 

 Marks Act, also the "Monthly Fruit 

 Crop Reports," and so forth, are all 

 doing a splendid work in the right direc- 

 tion to the mutual benefit of all con- 

 cerned. They should have the hearty 

 cooperation of every person who has an 

 interest in the apple business. The De- 

 partment's field of operation is large, 

 and will undoubtedly be extended both 

 in regard to more inspectors and gen- 

 eral equipment. The Canadian Horti- 

 culturist's suggestion that a fruit 

 growers' conference should be held in 

 1908, similar to the one held in March, 

 1906, should have the fullest endorse- 

 ment of every grower from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific. A Dominion conference 

 should be an annual event. 



Another phase of the apple business 

 which is coming into prominence is the 

 cooperative fruit growers' associations. 

 While this movement is largely in its 

 infancy, there has already been much 

 good accomplished. The field of their 

 labor is extensive, but with the most 

 careful management and supervision of 

 a responsible head, they should be a great 

 influence for good in the apple-growing 

 district. If the associations work along 

 the lines of the California orange dis- 

 tricts, with a central packing-house, 

 uniform and experienced packing, with 

 an established brand and reliable offi- 

 cials, they will command the respect and 

 approval of all liberal-minded business 

 men. Further, if these associations will 

 live up to these requirements, they 

 should place their apples on the market 

 at a price (f.o.b. at the packing-house) 

 that is regulated by the intrinsic present 

 value of the fruit, according to the crop 

 condition and general quality, and not 

 base these ideas by some far distant, 

 imaginary price which may be realized 

 for a small portion of the fruit. Let 

 the price be such that the dealers can 

 make a reasonable turn -over and there- 

 by establish a connection with him for 

 the following seasons. The sales made 

 in the early season, prior to storing last 

 season, were the most profitable, and 

 while there may be exceptions, the fall 

 sales are usually the most satisfactory. 

 The dealers are prepared to buy apples 

 under these conditions and at a good 

 price, which will remove the necessity 

 of any uncertainty of the foreign com- 

 mission markets. 



