80 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



EPT EMBER, 



90' 



Getting the Most Money from 

 Apple Crop 



CHOICE apples will sell from cold storage 

 in New York City in early spring for 

 five to six dollars a barrel, the grower prob- 

 ably receiving about two dollars a barrel 

 for these the previous autumn. 



In every large market, there are cold- 

 storage houses in which space can be rented 

 for anv length of time desired, and for any 

 special product, so that anyone can secure 

 for holding and preserving his products, 

 the advantages of a process which has revolu- 

 tionized modern market methods. It is 

 better to have fruit or other products stored 

 where they are to be sold, for then advantage 

 may be taken of any sudden rise in price. 



It would hardly pay the small growers 

 to ship individually to the large markets, 

 but by combining their shipments they can 

 secure all the advantage enjoyed by the 

 large shipper. 



At about the same time that apples were 

 selling for five dollars per barrel, there was 

 a sale of apples in boxes which brought two 

 dollars for a 40-pound box, or the equivalent 

 of eight dollars a barrel, as one barrel equals 

 four boxes. This is fully one-third more, 

 and the extra price was simply on account 

 of the packages. The price of packages and 

 the cost of packing vary in different localities, 

 but may be estimated approximately. There 

 are two sizes of apple boxes in use in our 

 markets, holding forty and fifty pounds 

 respectively; the former size is preferred. 

 These cost, in the vicinity of New York, 

 eleven cents each, so the cost is only a very 

 little higher than that of barrels, which are 

 thirty-six cents apiece. 



Pack only the choicest fruit in boxes, and 

 care and skill are necessary to do it well. 

 For the best trade, which means the largest 

 return, each apple is wrapped in paper, and 

 every effort is made to have the fruit present 

 a fine appearance. The extra expense of 

 packing in boxes will not amount to more 

 than five cents a box, and with experience 

 and skill acquired, it may be reduced to about 

 three and one-half or four cents a box. 



As with the barrelled crop, it will be 

 cheaper to ship these to a large market by 

 the carload and store in a cold-storage ware- 

 house at the place of sale, ready to be released 

 when the market tendency is strong. Space 

 can be rented in any size at the larger storage 

 houses, and it costs approximately fifty cents 

 a barrel for the season, which is about six 

 months long. 



In the large apple-producing districts, 

 buyers from the cities come directly to the 

 orchards, often buying the whole crop out- 

 right. In many districts, the evaporators 

 furnish a market, either for the windfalls 

 and culls, or in many cases, for the entire 

 crop. 



For those not having a home market, a 

 good commission merchant affords the best 

 means of reaching the city market. Of 

 course, there are some dishonest ones, but 

 there are just as many conscientious, reliable 

 men in this business as in any other. When 

 you get hold of such an one continue to do 

 business with him, and follow his directions 

 in all details, for he knows his market better 

 than you possibly can. 



An extensive export trade has been built 

 up in some of our American fruits, and the 

 apple is capable of the greatest possibilities 

 in this direction. To find a ready market, 

 the varieties shipped must be attractive and 

 good keepers. Each apple must be wrapped 

 separately in tissue paper and packed in 

 excelsior, in light but strong boxes. The 

 best-sized box is one about 24 x 12 in. and 

 just deep enough for one layer of apples. 

 If more than one layer be packed in a box, 

 the different layers must be separated by 

 cardboard, the same as layers of eggs in an 

 egg-case are separated. 



Anyone contemplating exporting apples 

 should get definite information about the 

 demands of the different countries. Large 

 exporting firms are located in New York 

 and Boston, probably in some other cities, 

 who can give all needed information. Differ- 

 ent kinds are in demand in different markets. 

 In Liverpool and Glasgow, large red apples 

 like Kings and the largest Baldwins are 

 wanted. In London, medium-sized red 

 apples sell for more than the larger ones. 

 Newtown Pippins find their best market 

 in Liverpool. 



New Jersey. F. H. Valentine. 



Preparing the Bees for Winter 



TN LOCALITIES where there is a fall 

 ■■- honey flow, full colonies generally 

 will store enough honey in the brood-combs 

 to last them till fruit bloom of the ensuing 

 year. Weak colonies, however, must often- 

 times be fed. 



The first thing to do is to ascertain the 

 amount of stores present in each hive. Some 

 people estimate the amount in each hive by 

 lifting, and those considered too light in 



A good bee feeder can be made from a fruit jar by 

 punching holes in the cover 



weight to contain stores enough to carry 

 the bees through winter are opened. If 

 short of the required amount, they are 

 marked to be fed. I consider estimating 

 the amount by lifting to be unreliable. I 

 open each hive and remove the honey comb 

 by comb and thus know just how much there 

 is in each hive. 



An average-sized colony requires from 

 twenty to twenty-five pounds of stores when 

 wintered in a cellar. For outdoor wintering, 

 well packed with chaff in cases, each colony 

 must have not less than thirty pounds of 

 honey. 



Especially for outdoor wintering, it is 

 important that the stores are sealed. The 

 bees cannot do this during the cold days 

 of October and November. Feeding should, 

 therefore, be done in September. The sooner 

 the better in order that the syrup may ripen 

 in time to be available as food for the bees 

 during their long winter repose. I make it 

 a rule to look over all colonies as soon 

 as fall flowers have ceased to yield nectar. 

 That is about September 10th here. 



As sugar syrup is just as good (it is even 

 considered better as a winter feed by some 

 practical apiarists) and cheaper than honey, 

 it, of course, has the preference of most bee- 

 keepers. 



To make the syrup mix equal parts, either 

 by weight or measure, of best granulated 

 sugar and water. To each twenty-five pounds 

 of syrup add about five pounds of extracted 

 (liquid) honey. This is important. Hot 

 water may be used as it will dissolve the sugar 

 sooner; but the syrup must be allowed to 

 cool to about blood heat before it is given 

 to the bees. 



There are many kinds of feeders in use. 

 I have used with success fruit cans that were 

 closed with perforated covers. The bees 

 take the syrup through the perforations. 

 The feed will not run out if the covers are 

 screwed down tight. 



I made the perforated covers by breaking 

 out the glass lining of old covers that, on 

 account of rust spots or for some other 

 reason, were not used any more, and punched 

 them full of holes with a sharp awl. 



Wisconsin. F. A. Strohschein. 



