THE DISTRIBUTION OF NORTHWESTERN BOXED APPLES. 9 
insurance premiums. The use of shipping space for transporting 
war materials, together with measures taken by belligerent Govern- 
ments to limit the importation of such commodities as apples also 
interfered. The exports during the following year were less than 
one-third of those during 1916-17. After the signing of the armistice 
there was an unusual export demand and shipments from the United 
States rapidly increased. The total for February, 1919, almost 
equals the entire 1917-18 exports. 
Apple operators planned for even heavier exports during 1919-20, 
but, largely because of the very unfavorable rate of exchange, the 
exporting of apples became unprofitable and by February, 1920, 
shipments were reduced to the equivalent of 90,000 barrels for that 
month. 
F. O. B. PRICES. 
In making price studies 1 reports of sales from all classes of ship- 
pers were used. The price differentials between Extra Fancy, Fancy, 
and " C " grade are fairly uniform ; therefore, only the Extra Fancy 
grade has been used and no sales of small sizes have been considered. 
The price trend 1 for the last four years for f . o. b. sales at shipping- 
points in the Pacific Xorthwest shows a steady advance. In 1916-17 
there was a moderate range but a fairly uniform level to December. 
The 1917-18 season shows a comparatively small range in price but a 
generally higher level than the preceding season closing in March 
at prices somewhat above the opening. Prices opened at a higher 
level in 1918-19 than the closing of the previous season with gradual 
upward fluctuations from the first to the last of December, and then 
advanced rapidly to the close of the season in March to the highest 
prices ever realized in the Pacific Xorthwest. 
The 1919-20 season opened at a price level of about $1 above the 
previous year's opening. Doubtless this can be attributed to the high 
prices which prevailed in the spring of 1919 and the unusual export 
demand, causing very active competition among apple buyers, who 
paid unusually high prices to growers. The great variance in the 
condition of the fruit was reflected in the wide price range which 
prevailed practically throughout the season. The variance was 
brought about by more or less careless handling, due largely to the 
pressure of getting the enormous crop picked, packed, and shipped 
or stored, inadequate and congested storage facilities which made 
much rehandling necessary, the October freeze, car shortages, and 
extremely cold weather in December. The top range of the price 
level continued fairly uniform until the latter part of February, 
when slow but steady advances finally closed in March at a little 
above the top opening prices. The extreme cold weather, a shortage 
*See Exhibit No. 1, p. 11. 
21394°— 21 2 
