16 



BULLETIN" 302, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



storages reporting for any one month was 258, still only 179 firms 

 reported iiniformly for each month. Estimates for the monthly 

 movement for the entire season, therefore, are based upon this num- 

 ber. Table 4 shows the monthly movement from these 179 plants 

 in terms of percentages: 



Table 4. — Monthly movement of apples from 179 cold storages reporting — estimated on 

 the basis of their total holdings December 1, 191 A- 



Month. 



Per cent 



Per cent 



of 



of 



barrels. 



boxes. 



11.1 



5.7 



20.1 



12.3 



20.5 



26.2 



24.5 



26.3 



14.5 



15.6 



Per cent 

 of total 

 holdings, 



December 

 J anuary . . 

 February. 



March 



April 



9.7 

 18.1 

 21.9 

 25.0 

 14.8 



There remained in storage on May 1 approximately 10 per cent of 

 all apples held in the coolers on December 1, if the conditions existing 

 in these plants may be accepted as a criterion of the general situation. 

 It is interesting to note that the market supply of apples as indicated 

 by the 179 plants on May 1 was 13.2 per cent less than May 1, 1913, 

 whereas the crop of last year was much in excess of two years ago. 



It would appear, then, despite the war and depressed conditions 

 here, that the actual movement of apples from cold storage has been 

 very satisfactory in comparison with 1912-13. It is thought that 

 the liberal consumption of this fruit was due to the uniformly low 

 prices which prevailed in the early fall and throughout the entire 

 year. In February, however, the situation looked especially grave, 

 for the reports of February 1 indicated unusually large holdmgs. In 

 publishing the data secured at that time the office issued a timely 

 warning 1 to growers and dealers advising them that a regular, vigor- 

 ous movement would be required to prevent disaster in the spring. 

 Fortunately for trade in apples, the late spring prevented heavy 

 shipments of first southern vegetables and made conditions excellent 

 for the handling of apples, so that holdings rapidly diminished. 



PACIFIC NORTHWEST APPLES VIA THE PANAMA CANAL. 



Reports of four shipments of boxed apples made during the past 

 season from the Pacific Northwest via the Panama Canal to New York 

 City for export were secured. These shipments, which were made in 

 December, January, and February, consisted of 54 cars and repre- 

 sented practically the entire quantity forwarded through the canal. 

 With the exception of 8 carlots, all of this fruit arrived in New York 

 in first-class condition. These 8 carlots, which represented the total 



i Farmers' Bulletin 651, p. 10. 



