260 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral Edition. 



An Analysis of Apple Market Conditions 



E. F. Palmer, Salesj Manager, The Co-operative Fruit Growers of Ontario, Limited 



THE unusual factors which are attending 

 the marketing of this year's crop of 

 apples, are making the situation full 

 of interest. While there is not the panic 

 lliat prevailed a year ago, there are other 

 influences at work which require that we 

 shall use our best judgment and all the 

 powers within our reach, if we hope to ob- 

 tain maximum returns. 



Initial Shipments. 



Iliarly shipments of fall apples from Mary- 

 land and Virginia sold at such satisfactory 

 figures on the Old Country markets that they 

 gave reason to expect a remarkably good 

 market there for apples this year. These 

 shipments, however, arrived in good condi- 

 tion, and on that account probably realized 

 top market prices. Growers In Ontario, 

 judging from the returns of these United 

 States shipments, looked for good markets 

 in the Old Country for Ontario apples. These 

 expectations have been justified by the 

 prices obtained for sucli fruit as we have 

 been able to land in good condition. 



The difficulty has been to land a large 

 enough percentage of the apples there in 

 good enough shape to command returns on a 

 par with prices in the Canadian west- 



This difficulty of the fruit arriving in good 

 condition has been due to two or three fac- 

 tors. First, the weather at the time fall 

 apples were being packed in Ontario was 

 very warm for a considerable time. Apples 

 picked and packed during such weather are 

 bound to be in poor shape on arrival. Second, 

 the ocean boat service lias been poor. Many 

 of the apples so far exported have had to go 

 by very slow boats, boats which under ordin- 

 ary trade conditions would not be used for 

 carrying perishable products such as apples, 

 unless in cold storage. 



Some Good Sales. 



A few shipments of early winter apples 

 have arrived in excellent condition. The 

 prices realized on them have been good. 

 Ontario Kings, iNo. I's, shipped on the Pre- 

 torian for Glasgow, sold for Ms to 35s : Rib- 

 stons, 26s; Greenings, 2Ss 6d. In Liver- 

 pool the market has not been so good. From 

 London tlie report is that the demand for 

 Canadian .apples Is not so brisk, owing to 

 there being too many English apples on the 

 market. 



Indications are that certain of the Old 

 Country cities are good markets at present, 

 and all of them are likely to be good later 

 on. providing the fruit arrives in good con- 

 dition. This factor is the big difficulty with 

 Old Country shipments this year. It is diffi- 

 cult fo get service across the ocean that 

 will ensure the arrival of shipments in good 

 order. (Prices realized in the Old Country 

 need to be very good to warrant the risk and 

 expense of shipping over there, as home 

 prices and orices in the Prairie Provinces 

 are very satisfactory. 



The Western Demand. 



The demand in the Canadian west has 

 fallen off to some extent during September, 

 owing diiefly to the unfavorable weather ex- 

 perienced there during threshing time. 

 Threshing operations have been greatly de- 

 layed in consenuence. The weather has 

 been better of late so Ontario shippers may 

 look for an increased demand from this 

 market shnrtlv. 



A some-what peculiar condition exists In 

 the west. The grain erowers' organizations 

 are contracting for apples of good quality 

 wherever they can get them, and at good 

 prices. The wholesalers do not seem anxious 

 to buy excent at nrices which Ontario ship- 

 pers are not justified In accepting. The rea- 



son for this probably is that the grain grow- 

 ers' organizations can supply their members 

 with apples considerably cheaper than the 

 wholesalers can supply them for, as the 

 wholesalers have to make a profit on their 

 sales. 



The farmers' organizations supply their 

 members practically at cost. As both have 

 to pay practically the same price tor the ap- 

 ples f.o.b. shipping points, the position is a 

 difficult one for the wholesalers. A report 

 has come through that the fruit merchants 

 in the west have in some localities started 

 a rumor that the grain growers' organiza- 

 tions have not been able to contract with 

 Ontario shippers for any cars of apples. We 

 do not voucli for the truth of this statement, 

 though it is known that the grain growers' 

 organizations cannot get as many apples of 

 the varieties and grades required as they 

 need. 



Ontario Apple Crop. 



Unfavorable weather conditions have In- 

 duced the development of a great amount 

 of apple scab throughout Ontario. It is like- 

 ly that the grade of the crop has been re- 

 duced fully 40 per cent, from apple scab in 

 many, if not all, sections. Shipping associa- 

 tions are finding it extremely difficult to fill 

 orders taken for cars of grades one and two, 

 standard winter varieties. In many cases 

 these associations, on the strength of pros- 

 pects six weeks ago, took orders for practi- 

 cally their entire pack, not expecting the 

 late development of scab. It is extremely 

 likely, therefore, that considerable No. 3'3 

 will have to be packed to fill these orders. 

 No. 3's this season should be an excellent 

 pack for this grade of fruit, as the apples are 

 of good size, fair color and of good keeping 

 quality, the only drawback being the scab in- 

 festation. 



There would seem to be ample room in the 

 middle west provinces to work up a consider- 

 able trade amongst the farmers, as well as 

 in the, cities, with this class of fruit, which 

 is practically -No. 1 fruit in every way except 

 for scab. "The problem is to get this fruit 

 into the west in such a form that it can be 

 sold to the consumer there at as good a 

 price as he ordinarily has to pay for No. 3 

 apples, which iNo. 3 apples are usually of poor- 

 er quality than these slightly scabby No. 3's 

 are this year. 



Open Crates Being Used. 



With a view to getting apples to the con- 

 sumer with the least possible expense, Brit- 

 ish Columbia shippers have adopted an open 

 crate for shipping apples "shuffle pack." 

 This crate is cheaper than the ordinary ap- 

 ple box and also there is practically no ex- 

 pense in packing the fruit. The Co-opera- 

 tive Fruit Growers of Ontario, Limited, have 

 also adopted a somewhat similar crate, hold- 

 ing practically the same quantity of fruit as 

 the standard apple box. The advantages of 

 such a crate over the barrel for shipping a 

 grade of fruit which has every appearance 

 of being No. 1 fruit, except for occasional 

 scab spots, are, first — that the fruit, which 

 can be readily seen from the outside of the 

 package, is sold on its merits. If this class 

 of apples were put in barrels, it would have 

 to be stencilled iNo. 3 in accordance with the 

 Fruit 'Marks Act, and the mere fact of the 

 barrel having this No. 3 on it, immediately 

 brings the selling value of the barrel down to 

 that which ordinary No. 3's are worth- 



Another advantage is that the box is a 

 better carrier than the barrel. There is less 

 bulk of fruit and there is better circulation 

 of air. The barrel is a tight, close package. 



and if the apples are packed at all warm or If 

 they sweat In the barrels aa they are likely 

 to do, the apple scab will develop rapidly. 

 The free air circulation which the slatted 

 crate allows, greatly reduces the chance of 

 the apple scab spreading. 



A third point In favor of this packing is 

 that the same quality of No. S's in boxes, as 

 In barrels, can be sold probably 30c per bar- 

 rel cheaper packed in boxes, as the package 

 is cheaper and the packing practically 

 amounts to nothing as compared with the 

 barrel. The consumer, therefore, can get 

 his apples that much cheaper. As he can 

 see what he is getting; he Is almost sure to 

 get a better quality fruit than In the No. 3 

 barrel, and at the same time the grower Is 

 receiving back better value for his fruit than 

 if it had been put in barrels and marked 

 No. 3. 



Okanagan Valley, North, B.C. 



Ohas. Webster, Armstrong, B.C. 



Our early tree fruits, cherries and plums, 

 moved at low prices, particularly plums. 

 Peaches are not a commercial crop In this 

 end of the valley. Apples and pears show 

 great improvement. In the north valley, 

 however, good apples are not plentiful; a 

 rainy summer and sadly relaxed care of 

 orchards resulted in a serious infestation of 

 scab. Maw and Sons, of Armstrong, who 

 have con.saderable acreage in orchard, by 

 thorough and timely spraying grew a splen- 

 didly clean crop. 



The Economy crate, made of slats with in- 

 side edges bevelled, is proving a great suc- 

 cess. Robert Hood, president of the local 

 Fruit Growers' Association, was an ardent 

 advocate of this crate principle for shipping 

 other than No. 1 apples, and kinds of only 

 cooking quality. Prairie consumers evi- 

 dently appreciate seeing what they buy. It 

 has been demonstrated that "too much wrap- 

 ping paper" is possible. 



The demand for vegetables has fallen off 

 seriously this year. North Okanagan points 

 liave been heavy producers of vegetables. 



The produce firm of Etaykin & Jackson has 

 lately made an assignment. 



W. E, 'Dabney, now manager of the local 

 branch of the Okanagan United Growers, 

 came from "across the line," His capability 

 for '^hustling" is up to the standard of his 

 countrymen. 



The mana.gement of the Armstrong and 

 Spallumcheen fair, held Sept. 28th and 29th. 

 are to be congratulated on the finest exhibi- 

 tion ever held here. It is claimed that there 

 were over a thousand more entries than a 

 year ago. Apples were nearly as numerous 

 as ever. Varieties susceptible to scab were 

 less shown, particularly Mcintosh, Snow and 

 Spy. Pears were shown in greater number 

 and perfection than ever. Grapes of local 

 growth made an interesting exhibit. 



The Indians of the Okanagan reserve were 

 persuaded to make a representative exhibit. 

 Their exhibit would have been hard to beat 

 anywhere. W. E. Scott, Deputy Minister of 

 A.griculture, bought the whole exhibit and 

 had it shipped to Victoria. 



Apples for South Africa 



W. J. Egan, Canadian Trade Commissioner, Cape 

 Town, S.A. 



The exporters of Canadian apples will 

 soon be making their first shipments and 

 preparing for the 'arger shipments at the 

 end of October and first of November. It 

 may be well to suggest that great care must 

 be exercised in the selection of fruit for the 

 South African market, as there are strln- 



