Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-01-05

Twenty nine years ago an agent for
Boston firm bought thousand barrels of
apples from a farmer in this vicinity,
which were put up in good shape, and he
has continued to buy of them from time
to time since. Last fall the same agent
in the employ of the same firm was buy
ing about here He was told before
starting out that they were willing to pay
% cents per barrel more for the apples
on this farm than from others about there
Although the former owner has long since
passed away, and the farm was occupied
BY his sons, their apples had a reputation
and character in the market, and could be
sold and recommended without an exam
ination. Many others in the neighborhOod
had as good or better apples, but the
buyers were not sufficiently informed of
| the fact to be able to recommend them,
without any qualification, in the market. "
And-all moral considerations aside
much less is gained in point Of bulk by
mixing small with large than might be
supposed; IA truth which Mr.. Brown en-
forces by the following reminscence:
"A story is related that in old times,
before the days of railroads, when pota
toes were sold by measure and carried
away in sehooners, man who had
brought a load of fifty bushels had them
rejected on account of the small size OF 4
portion of them. He dumped them or
the ground, and after picking out eight
bushels of small ones, measured up forty
eight bushels of good ones which were ac
cepted, Had they been sold by weight, rs Il
present, the small ones would have brOugh
as much as the large ones, and there
would have been no loss: but in meaSur
ing it made quite Il difference, owing t,
the closer packing Of big and little togeth
Ell. This fact should be kept in mind il
putting fruit into barrels. Where one i
| in doubt us to what should 90 into th
first quality,the doubt should be given il
favor Of keeping the doubtful from tn,
first quality. Such specimens will help tn
} second quality as much as they will damag
t the first; in the one case proving an injury
and in the other a benefit. The dtferenc
in price in the one case will not amoun
to as much as the damage to the reputa
: ton in the other"
From our own state we have another hi
of information bearing directly on thi
gen, raj subject. 1t appears that Will
winter apples were selling last fall il
Cataraugus and Erie for Sl.75 tn 81 tn
| barrel, the average rate in Chautauqu
was only Sl.25. The reason of this r.
markable difference of price in adjoining
counties is explained by Mr.. G. f. Bishop
Editor of Countryside, with an additions,
paragraph about the same short sighte
p economy above referred to:
| Hha l., i, Il. -,
ties; orchardists have become educated t.
he business of raising good fruit of th
G varieties that ship best and picking an
! packing it well after it is raised. Tines
facts invite competing buyers and
struggle for the crop; with the usual result
of pctiion-high prices. When it he
/ comes generally known that good frui
4 properly packed can be got in Chautauqu
the same competition will spring up her,
with the like profits to farmers. .
l Many Knocked Il third off the price of lhei
good fruit by trying to wiring in windfall
5 and small and unmarketable apples Th
buyer of course had to sort them after
ward. and he alwa, discounted the pric
IA little more than enough to make hir
: good
But there IS another phase of the subjec
which involves the middleman in II dlsrc
, putabe way. He is accused by the Wor
cester, Mass, horticultural society {
! 'palming off inferior fruit on the reputa
! ton Of grower" of putting poor fruit i
packages bearing an honored name;" tn
hest berries are upon occasions Used Il
decoys to secure II good price for Il baske
Of inferior fruit"