MARKETING WESTERN BOXED APPLES 9 
Canada and about one-twelfth as large as the average commercial box 
crop of the United States. 
The region is as yet fairly free from many of the insect pests and 
diseases of older sections. Careful effort is made to prevent importa- 
tion of infested nursery stock. The trade is largely with the prairie 
Provinces, but when crop conditions and prices afford an opening 
there are liberal offerings of British galmane apples as far east as 
Boston and New York, notwithstanding the tariff , which, is equiva- 
lent to about 25 cents per box. About one-third of the commercial 
crop is exported. 
ADVANTAGES OF THE WESTERN APPLE REGION 
The western boxed-apple regions have certain definite advantages 
which seem sufficient to overcome the handicap of distance from their 
principal markets. Irrigation is most important, assuring more rapid 
growth and larger yield than in eastern orchards, and at the same time 
promoting larger size of the fruit. The climate in the more favored 
districts promotes regular annual crops and fruits comparatively 
free from some of the defects, diseases, and injuries attending the 
moist hot summer or the severe winters of the Hast, and gives the 
fruit a superior finish. The natural fertility of most western apple 
districts is an advantage which may last indefinitely under careful 
soil management. 
High yield means much to the orchardist. An average crop of 
500 bushels in the Wenatchee district is able to stand high acre 
costs and still sometimes to return more to the grower than an 
average crop of 225 bushels in western New York. Average produc- 
tion cost per bushel may be higher in the West, but the return per 
acre is frequently greater. Orchard surveys have shown that only 
orchards having a high yield of the best grades are profitable to 
the western producer, taking one year with another. 
Evidently success lies in the direction of large, regular crops of a 
quality fine enough to stand the necessarily high cost of production 
and marketing. 
HARVESTING 
The bulk of the boxed-apple crop is picked during the latter part 
of September and October and the first half of November; only a small 
part of the total tonnage consists of the early production, like the 
Gravenstein and Yellow Bellflower of California. The main harvest 
season begins with Winter Banana, Wagener, Grimes Golden, and 
King David. About the time these kinds have been picked the 
Jonathan season opens. A week or 10 days after beginning the 
Jonathan harvest northwestern growers will be picking such varieties 
as Rome Beauty, Stayman Winesap, Esopus Spitzenburg, and 
Delicious. Most of the Yellow Newtown and Winesap crop in the 
Pacific Northwest is harvested during the latter part of October and 
the first half of November. Growers in general plan to have all 
apples picked by the middle of November, as after that date in most 
apple regions there is danger of freezing weather. Maturity of the 
crop in different parts of the same district may vary as much as 
two weeks. : 
