The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-11-21
VOL. XXXII.--NO. 4.

Ndiics c'iCH year, uellctuilS upOu luc CuuI-
acter and distribution of the crop, the
apples, of course, seeking naturally the
nearest port. The proportion of the ship
ments from the various ports this year are
roughly estimated as follows Boston,
80 per cent. New York, 20 per cent.
Montreal Portland, 80 per cent other
ports, 20 per cent. The total exports of
American apples so far this year, from all
ports, up to October "a, were l,0S1, 647
barrels; the exports to the same date last
year were 159, S75 barrels. The largest
total shipments for a season since 1880
were those Of the season of 1892,
amounting to 1,450, 336 barrels 1t is
estimated that the total shipments for the
current season will amount to 1000, 600
barrels.
The apples exported go chiefly to Liver
pool, London and Glasgow, whence they
are distributed Some are sent to Ger
many direct, and few to Denmark and
Sweden. Apples are exported also to
Cuba and other Spanish American coun-
tries. The apples exported from New
York come from the Hudson Valley, from
western New York and from the far West,
and from Canada in bond The surplus
Canadian apples can find no market in
this country, where the duty on apples
amounts to 90 cents barrel; the Canadian
surplus that is shipped goes to Europe.
While there are many orchards in the
Hudson River Valley, and their number
is all the time increasing and their aggre-
gate yield is great, yet the apple orchards
along the Hudson are not large. Apples
are here cultivated to great extent with
other fruit. The grower might have fifty
trees or hundred, or he might have an
orchard of some acres. \ ten-acre apple
orchard in the Hudson Valley would be a
big one; there are few larger than that in
this region In the western part of the
state the apple orchards are larger. Or
chards of from twenty to thirty acres or
more are not unusual, but a fifty acre or
chard would be even there counted large
Fifteen acres would be about the average
of the New York apple orchards, taking
them throughout the state In the far
West apple orchards are larger, running to
fifty and up to hundred acres Two
barrels would be counted fair yield for a
tree in this state, although the yield is
sometimes much more than that. This
year, in well cultivated orchards, it is
nearer twice that The average yield is
less in the West, where there are many
younger trees.
Apples are now very low in price. 1t
is difficult to sell good apples now in New
York at wholesale at dollar barrel, and
they range from that down to IS cents.
The growers who made the most money in
apples this year are those who sold early
in the season. Many of those who held
off for still higher prices finally sold at
lower prices and made less money or none.
Some apples shipped to Europe this season
have netted the grower only from 40 to 60
cents barrel, from which must be de-
Quoted the cost of the barrel and the cost
of picking and packing.
The apple grower who ships his fruit to
Europe does so without the slightest trou-
BILE to himself as far as the handling of
the fruit is concerned He delivers at the
shipping point, rail or water, as the case
may be, nearest his orchard, and then it
passes under the control of the commits
sion merchant to whom it is consigned.
The commission merchant pays all charges
on it and assumes full care of it from that
time until it is sold in Europe. The pro-
ceeds are RENTED by cable. The returns
are prompt, and the grower living near a
shipping port gets his money very quickly.
Il would not be unusual for a Hudson
river grower, shipping through New
York commission merchant, to get his cash
for apples sold in England within fifteen
days from the time he delivered them al
his local railroad station or steamboat land
ing for shipment to New York