THE DISTRIBUTION OF NORTHWESTERN BOXED APPLES. 9 



insurance premiums. The use of shipping space for transporting 

 war materials, together with measures taken by belligerent Govern- 

 ments to limit the importation of such commodities as apples also 

 interfered. The exports during the following year were less than 

 one-third of those during 1916-17. After the signing of the armistice 

 there was an unusual export demand and shipments from the United 

 States rapidly increased. The total for February, 1919, almost 

 equals the entire 1917-18 exports. 



Apple operators planned for even heavier exports during 1919-20, 

 but, largely because of the very unfavorable rate of exchange, the 

 exporting of apples became unprofitable and by February, 1920, 

 shipments were reduced to the equivalent of 90,000 barrels for that 

 month. 



F. O. B. PRICES. 



In making price studies 1 reports of sales from all classes of ship- 

 pers were used. The price differentials between Extra Fancy, Fancy, 

 and " C " grade are fairly uniform ; therefore, only the Extra Fancy 

 grade has been used and no sales of small sizes have been considered. 



The price trend x for the last four years for f . o. b. sales at shipping 

 points in the Pacific Northwest shows a steady advance. In 1916-17 

 there was a moderate range but a fairly uniform level to December. 

 The 1917-18 season shows a comparatively small range in price but a 

 generally higher level than the preceding season closing in March 

 at prices somewhat above the opening. Prices opened at a higher 

 level in 1918-19 than the closing of the previous season with gradual 

 upward fluctuations from the first to the last of December, and then 

 advanced rapidly to the close of the season in March to the highest 

 prices ever realized in the Pacific Northwest. 



The 1919-20 season opened at a price level of about $1 above the 

 previous year's opening. Doubtless this can be attributed to the high 

 prices which prevailed in the spring of 1919 and the unusual export 

 demand, causing very active competition among apple buyers, who 

 paid unusually high prices to growers. The great variance in the 

 condition of the fruit was reflected in the wide price range which 

 prevailed practically throughout the season. The variance was 

 brought about by more or less careless handling, due largely to the 

 pressure of getting the enormous crop picked, packed, and shipped 

 or stored, inadequate and congested storage facilities which made 

 much rehandling necessary, the October freeze, car shortages, and 

 extremely cold weather in December. The top range of the price 

 level continued fairly uniform until the latter part of February, 

 when slow but steady advances finally closed in March at a little 

 above the top opening prices. The extreme cold weather, a shortage 



1 See Exhibit No. 1, p. 11. 

 21394°— 21 2 



