^05 



The further deA'elopment of this idea until the bulk of the 

 apples of these four states would be put into the markets through 

 well established and strong selling agencies would produce the ma- 

 chinery through which I believe we could control very largely the 

 styles in apples as the hat trade does in men's derbies. 



From correspondence and conversation with growers and com- 

 mission men I am convinced that a considerable number of both 

 would be mutually glad to enter into long term contracts if the 

 matter were presented to them in such a way and under such 

 auspices as to have their confidence. I suggest, therefore, that at 

 the meetings held this winter of the state horticultural societies of 

 West Alrginia, A^irginia. ^Maryland and Pennsylvania that commit- 

 tees already existing or new committer if necessary be instructed 

 to confer with similar committees of the other three state societies 

 to adopt a recommended form of selling contract between growers 

 and selling agencies, to provide for securing funds for advertising 

 appropriation and advertising agency to be recognized as an official 

 agency of the four state societies to carry out such an advertising 

 plan. 



As details for consideration by these committees I suggest': 

 First that the form of contract recommended be for not less than 

 five years duration ; that it provide for high standards of pack and 

 thorough supervision ; that it require of the selling agency strict 

 accountability but that it give him very free hand in meeting the 

 market conditions and that it provide that 2 per cent, of the gross 

 sales under such contract, one per cent, to come out of the grower 

 and one per cent out of the selling agency, be turned over to the 

 officially designated advertising agency to finance an advertising 

 campaign to make our apples stylish in the city markets. 



To the advertising agency that may l)e selected this suggestion 

 is oflrered : Already the A'ork Imperial apple is favorably known 

 in many southern markets, where the house-wives have learned to 

 call for the big red lop-sided apple. This style in apple should be 

 encouraged. If all of the house-wives can be persuaded to do the 

 same thing and taught also to send back other apples if the corner 

 grocer is so unwise as to send a substitute around to her, the re- 

 tailers and the wholesalers will eventually be forced to stock with 

 York Imperial apples. To get the same they must come to some 

 orchard in our section of the country beginning with Adams county, 

 Pa., in the North and ending practically with Augusta County, A'ir- 

 ginia, in the South, and only a few miles wide. Outside of this 

 limited area there may be some York Imperials grown but not many. 

 In other words there is this unique situation in a restricted area 

 producing for some }-ears a commercial crop of York Imperial 

 apples cannot exceed a few hundred thousand barrels this must all 

 come from comparatively small territory in the Shenandoah, Cum- 

 berland and Potomac valleys. This apple is already favorably 

 known in certain markets so located geographically as to 1)e most 

 available from this section. It is an apple of such peculiar shape 

 that any house-wife, however ignorant previously she ma}' have been 

 of apples, can be easily taught to identifv it. 



Prosperous cities have grown up around manufacturing plants 



