178 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



of car lots of seasonable varieties. By this, I mean that at a 

 certain time, when a variety is in prime condition, we are able, 

 by drawing on the various members, to make up a car lot, thus 

 securing the minimum freight rate. The individual grower, in 

 order to make up a shipment of desirable size, has to hold 

 some varieties until they are somewhat past season. Associa- 

 tion apples can be shipped in proper season to meet market de- 

 mands. The fact that our association apples are on the market 

 year after year keeps the buyers on the watch for them, and 

 they know what to expect. An individual's apples may be ever 

 so good, but if the brand is unknown the price will be less than 

 that realized by those with a reputation. To illustrate this 

 point I will say that this year we started in early to export our 

 apples. From the middle of October until the Christmas holi- 

 days nearly every boat docking in Liverpool had in its cargo 

 one or two cars of Oxford Bear apples. The buyers were ex- 

 pecting them, and were willing to pay a premium of two 

 shillings per barrel or more for them. Almost invariably we 

 received a cable after each sale, "Sold Oxford Bear apples 

 absolutely top of market." It is with no small effort that we 

 have built up and maintained our reputation. Insistence has 

 ever been made that all fruit put out under our name should be 

 honestly graded and packed strictly according to law. Our 

 manager is ever on the alert, and the packers are carefully 

 watched to see that their work is done as well as possible. Of 

 course, it is impracticable to inspect each barrel of apples put 

 up, and the packers, being human, sometimes err. However, 

 I will say that we have so far succeeded in maintaining our 

 standard that we have seldom received a complaint and never 

 have had a shipment turned down. Frequently our apples are 

 sold at auction or private sale without showing a sample, solely 

 on the reputation of the Oxford Bear brand. When cars for 

 export are shipped we cable a variety list to our English 

 receivers, and frequently the apples are sold before landed at a 

 premium of two to three shillings over the top prices realized at 

 auction for the same varieties on the same sale. 



One of the chief things our manager does is to make a careful 

 study of the market. All information as to crop conditions 

 throughout the country is obtained early in the season. This is 



