160 MODERN FRUIT MARKETING 
Among the factors that influence the supply of fruit 
may be mentioned the following: (1) Weather condi- 
tions. (2) Skill necessary to grow the fruit. (3) The 
climatic zones. (4) Cost of production. (5) High 
market prices. (6) Transportation facilities. (7) Per- 
ishability of the fruit. (8) The storage problem. The 
first or weather condition probably accounts for the 
greatest fluctuation in supply. Where certain fruits are 
grown over a large area there is seldom a total crop 
failure due to weather conditions. 
On the other hand, limited fruit enterprises like the 
almond industry of the West have occasional years of 
almost absolute failure due to peculiarities of climatic 
conditions. In other years it may be unusually good, 
hence we have the fluctuation in the fruit crops. For 
example, the apple yield has ranged from 25,000,000 
barrels in one season to about 65,000,000 the next, and 
this uncertainty and variation cannot help but infiu- 
ence to a large extent the price paid for fruit. 
The skill necessary to grow fruit is a potent factor in 
influencing the supply. The more skill required to pro- 
duce a fruit the higher priced the product, and since 
extreme high prices are not long in demand the more 
skill necessary to grow any particular kind of fruit, 
the less the supply of that fruit. The climatic zones influ- 
ence market conditions so that it restricts certain fruits 
to small areas. Where the area that will be favorable to 
any particular fruit is limited, the supply must be 
limited or the fruit imported from more favorable for- 
eign countries. 
The cost of production very materially influences the 
quantity of fruit offered for sale. Where the cost equals 
