THIRTY-THIRD BIENNIAL, SESSION 
107 
ago the West Virginia Experiment Station began some tests! in our orchards 
which demonstrated the fact that nitrogen was the limiting factor in our 
fertilizer formula and that there was probably already as much potash 
in our soils as the trees required. As soon as these facts became apparent 
we cut down the potash content of our fertilizer formula and increased the 
nitrogen. This change produced a marked beneficial result in our orchards. 
Wood growth was increased, the foliage became darker and more luxuriant, 
and we secured a much better set of fruit buds. Applying or withholding 
potash appeared to cut no figure, so far as tree growth or development of 
fruit was concerned. 
Markets and Marketing. 
Marketing is probably the greatest problem which confronts the aver- 
age fruit grower. It some times happens that good fruit well packed and 
placed on the market in attractive condition nets the grower less than the 
cost of production. This usually means one of two things; over production 
of that class of fruit or lack of proper distribution. For over production 
there is no remedy to which the grower can resort. Fortunately, however, 
unprofitable returns are not often due to this cause. For lack of distribu- 
tion the grower is not without remedy. Shipments can often be made direct 
to retailers and consumers in sections of the country where fruit is scarce. 
This past season when all the eastern markets were heavily stocked with 
New York State Elbertas and prices were low, we were able to find a good 
market for our late peaches in a number of the mountain towns of West 
Virginia and Maryland. One of our Mineral county growers conceived the 
idea of starting a couple of salesmen out on the road to work the mining 
towns of West Virginia and in this way he disposed of the bulk of his peach 
crop at a good profit. Advertising certain kinds of fruit, particularly the 
apple, will help to increase the demand. In this movement the grower can 
lend his aid and influence. Apple shippers and handlers having designated 
the third Tuesday in October as National Apple Day are doing a good work 
in exploiting the merits of the apple and increasing the demand for this 
fruit. When Apple Day came around last month it was quite generally ob- 
served in most of the large eastern cities. Commission houses, restaurants 
and retail stores made a special effort to center attention on this particular 
fruit. Many schools in apple growing regions devoted a portion of the day 
to special written articles on the apple and in the cities many samples were 
given to the poor, to orphan asylums and to hospitals. The Chicago papers 
participated in the celebration, telling the people about the abundance of 
the fruit and its beneficial effect. In Baltimore about 35,000 apples were 
distributed among the children in the orphan asylums. In New York, res- 
taurants in the produce district made a special display of apples cooked in 
various styles. 
Organization of Growers. 
In the handling of quickly perishable fruit like peaches wider distribu- 
tion can be secured and often more satisfactory prices obtained, if buyers 
can be induced to enter the field and purchase cars as loaded at the shipping 
