Bureau of Ageicultuee 509 



apples were about 128 to the box, which would make them retail at 

 something like $3.00 a box. In order to find out what profit the 

 dealer was making, I posed as a northwestern grower and tried to 

 sell him a ear of apples. He admitted these cost him 80e a box, mak- 

 ing over 200% profit he was asking. 



We hear so much about the middleman, and while there are no 

 doubt plenty of crooked commission merchants, yet on the whole, 

 I am convinced it is not the commission merchant who is making the 

 great difference in price between the grower and consumer, but it 

 is our own retail merchant. And just as long as he can buy from the 

 individual grower and there is no strong association to say he shall 

 not charge exorbitant prices, he is going to make as large a profit as 

 he can. This means he will sell very few apples but will push the 

 sale of oranges that he has to sell in large quantities to make any 

 profit. 



Judging by the publicity the northwestern states receive, one 

 would judge their output to be much more than your own state. 

 Kentucky is not usually spoken of as a leading apple producing 

 state and the foUowiag figures taken from the lasit census may be 

 a surprise tq you. They were to me. This census says there was 

 produced that year in round numbers in 



Idaho 659,000 bushels of apples 



Montana - 567,000 bushels of apples 



Oregon 1,930,000 bushels of apples 



"Washington 4,225,000 bushels of apples 



Or a total of 7,381,000 bushels. In the same year Kentucky alone 

 produced 7,268,000 bushels of apples, practically as much as the 

 four great northwestern apple states combined. But no one heard of 

 Kentucky's output, and why? She did not advertise and the north- 

 western states did. 



I know you can raise good apples here for I have seen and 

 tasted them. Perhaps they may not have the superlative finish that 

 we get in the northwest but they make a good appearance and cer- 

 tainly have the flavor. 



Good as your fruit is, you can make it better, especially in 

 looks. Thin out the dense heads of j'^our trees and let the sunlight 

 in. It won't hurt them. You will be surprised at the color the fruit 

 will take on and how much less you will be bothered with fungus 

 diseases. 



When you plant a new orchard, find out what varieties do best 

 in your particular section and confine you'rself to only a few of the 

 best. Do not attempt to grow all in the nurseryman's catalogue. 

 After they are planted, give them good care. Remember you must 

 take care of them now if you expect them to take care of you later. 



