1290 
making a total of 5,083 carloads with a 
total of 2,989,295 packages, exclusive of 
potatoes and melons, aggregating a 
realized price, net to the distributors, of 
$3,069,9538.51, without the loss of a single 
penny through failure to collect. 
Distribution of fruit covered 243 cities 
in 38 states, 33 cities in six Canadian 
provinces, and 179 carloads were exported 
to 16 cities in 10 European countries. 
Shipments were also made to South 
America, South Africa, Australia and the 
Philippines. 
The average price realized per box for 
apples for all varieties of all districts, all 
grades and all sizes, was $1.26, f. 0. b 
the shipping point. 
Of total shipments of 3,958 cars of 
fruit, 2,102 cars (54 per cent) started on 
f. o. b. orders, 1,790 cars (45 per cent) 
were started as tramp cars, but 3,284 cars 
(83 per cent) were delivered on a f. o. b. 
basis; 26 cars only were shipped on con- 
signment and only 92 cars (244 per cent) 
were finally delivered on consignment. 
(Leading authorities of the Northwest es- 
timate that heretofore at least 70 per cent 
of our entire apple tonnage was con- 
signed.) A majority of these, however, 
were damaged cars or rejections that 
could not be successfully delivered on 
the basis shipped, and, to avoid unneces- 
sary sacrifice, were turned over to re 
sponsible dealers for sale for our account. 
Cars sold through auction numbered 299 
(74% per cent). 
System of Financing 
The system of financing is worthy of 
consideration. A grower or organization 
that accepts a loan or advance from a 
dealer or buyer virtually mortgages his 
or its tonnage to that buyer and his 
particular market, and therefore shuts 
off all other buyers and all other terri- 
tories from the sale of his fruit. Prices 
may be far better in other territories and 
possibly freight rates less, but the fruit 
must go on to the man who lent the 
money if the obligation exists. But if 
(as with the growers with the North 
Pacific Fruit Distributors) the money is 
borrowed from the banks—the legitimate 
institutions to borrow from—all buyers 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
and all territories are opened as a market 
for the fruit. 
During the past season a total of $551,- 
000 was made available for advances 
to the growers of our respective districts 
This was in part from funds on hand in 
local or sub-central reserve funds; in part 
through bank accommodations arranged 
with local banks by the sub-centrals, and 
in part through bank loans arranged tor 
by the central office. And what is most 
gratifying to note is that over $400,000 
additional was voluntarily offered by Spo- 
kane banks upon growers’ warehouse re- 
ceipts This, however, there was no oe- 
casion to use. 
No one fact stands out in bolder con- 
trast with the past than does this tribute 
paid to the distributors by the conserva- 
tive bankers of the Northwest when they 
so completely reversed former practice 
and either lent or offered to lend nearly 
one million dollars for advances upon a 
product so perishable in nature that it 
had been heretofore regarded by them 
as an utterly impossible security. It is 
interesting to note also that of the 
amount borrowed, every dollar was re- 
paid on or before maturity of the loan 
and the greater part even before ma- 
turity. 
By the just and equitable plan of pool- 
ing like varieties, grades, ete., of fruit 
(of each separate district within itself), 
there has been brought to the industry 
such stability that fruit products under 
the distributors’ control are considered 
a safe and acceptable collateral not pre- 
viously regarded as possible under the 
most favorable conditions. 
Retail Price and Consumption 
Never before throughout the Northwest 
has been maintained anything like a uni- 
form price for a given grade and variety 
of fruit throughout the several producing 
districts. Heretofore each district has 
graded its fruits according to its own 
notion and maintained its own individual 
price This encouraged middlemen to 
speculate on prices and destroyed all pos- 
sibility for anything like a uniform price 
to the trade throughout the whole coun- 
try. The selling methods this year have 
