APPLE MARKET INVESTIGATIONS, 1914-15. 3 



market. Combined with the prospects for a very large crop of apples 

 these business conditions created directly or indirectly by the war 

 caused a depression in opening values; but really, as may be shown 

 later, this depression may have been very beneficial for the reason 

 that the market opened on a low level, thereby creating an unusual 

 consumptive demand for the fall and whiter months. 



The results of the investigations that preceded the movement of the 

 crop were published in the Agricultural Outlook of September 16. 1 

 In that connection, practical suggestions were made for the proper 

 handling of the crop, including a general forecast of market prospects. 



CONDITIONS IN THE NEW YORK STATE ORCHARD DISTRICT. 



One of the investigators visited the orchard district of New York 

 State. This section had suffered from excessive rains, with the result 

 that the Greening crop had been badly damaged by a fungus and it 

 was feared that the Baldwin crop would suffer likewise. Speculators 

 and operators were paying the farmers at this time for such varieties 

 as Greening, Baldwin, Spy, etc., $1.35 to $1.50 per barrel f. o. b. 

 loading station. This was for New York A grade (2§-inch minimum) 

 fruit, packed and branded in compliance with the New York State 

 law. The B grade (2 to 2\ inch minimum) of these same varieties 

 were bringing $1 to $1.25 f. o. b. loading station. For King, farmers 

 were receiving $1.75 to $2 per barrel for A grade fruit, and $1.50 for 

 B grade. These prices were for barreled apples f. o. b. cars or de- 

 livered to the storage houses. 



The following estimates were given as the expense incurred in 

 picking, grading, packing, and marketing a barrel of apples: The 

 standard apple barrels cost 40 cents each; pickers received 15 cents 

 per barrel of loose, unpressed, ungraded fruit. It cost 10 cents per 

 barrel, piecework, for grading and packing, and 5 to 10 cents for 

 hauling from the orchard to the loading station or storage warehouses, 

 the total expense being 70 to 75 cents per barrel. 2 



As a result of the defects caused by rainy weather and also because 

 of the grower's fear of not being able to pack according to the New 

 York law, large quantities of fruit were being sold to buyers who 

 shipped it in bulk to the consuming markets. Growers were being 

 paid 50 cents per hundredweight for this fruit delivered on the car. 

 Mo- 1 of the buyers specified that the fruit be 2 inches minimum in 

 transverse diameter. Many cars, however, contained ungraded fruit, 

 and much worthless stock was sent to market. The marketing of 

 fruit, in this manner would have been thoroughly good business had 

 the inferior portion been left at home. In many cases such stock 



1 Farmers' Bulletin No. 620, pp. US 16. 



2 Bulletin 130, U. S. Oeparlmcnt of Agriculture "Opcraling costs of a Now York apple orchard," gives 

 comprehensive information regarding the cost of preparing barreled apples for market. 



