Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-01-24
THE APPLE MARKEr.
The Lesson to BE Learned from the
Present High Prices.


Atpresent the apple market is all in
favor Of the seller. Amy man who
has apples on hand now can turn
them into money at very liberal rates.
Ii was not always thus. We can
all of US remember as far back as last
September.
At that time there were wise men
in the land who said that apples were
not worth more than fifty or seventy
dive cents barrel. Some folks
seemed to think that at that price the
growers ought to furnish the barrel
also, and give chrome with every
purchase.
The wise men said that the apple
crop was larger than in 1896, and that
prices would be lower; and many
growers, frightened by the recollection
of that bad year of plenty, took what
they could get for the fruit and let il
90 to the first buyer.
The Vermont experiment station
registered a strenuous protest against
this policy of hasty selling at the time
and, through the newspapers and by
private correspondence, did all in its
power to help the growers to get
better prices. A few growers held
their apples, but the majority sold
many of them needlesslY soon.
Nevertheless apples have gone up
steadily and strongly in price, and at
the present time are selling almost at
the top figure known for this time of
year. Many lots sold before the end
OF November at $3.50 TO SO barrel;
and prices as high as S3.75 and "a a
barrel In considerable lots have been
reported for the holiday market.
Fancy apples have sold as high as 50
barrel and even higher. Those who
have apples in storage and keeping in
good condition may expect to realize
handsome figures.
In speaking OF the stand which the
Vermont experiment station has
taken in the matter of this years
apple market, the director says that
it should be distinctly understood
that the station does not pretend to
be bureau OF statistics nor prophet
of prices. 1t is not organized with
any such purpose in view. But in
the case OF this years apple crop it
was so perfectly evident to anyone
who could see the situation that prices
were abnormally low, that no statis-
tical inquiry was Necessary to predict
the course OF the market. Prices
were bound to go up. The indis-
putable facts underlying the situation
were pointed out by the horticul-
turist OF the station in a circular sent
to the papers of Vermont and vicinity
on October Land were so convincing
in themselves that they did not need
any official authority to add to their
cogency. The wonder is that anyone
after having these facts pointed out,
could still have sold good apples at a
81 a bushel or less. Evidently,in some
cases, the apple buyers were believed
in preference to disinterested party
| like the experiment station.
The high prices which apples are
bringing at present, compared with
the low prices which they were bring
ing at picking time, has plain moral
for the apple grower. 1t is that APP
pies should be held as late as they
will keep well. And Vermont apples
are specially good keepers. January,
February and March are the best
months in which to sell; and the man
who is compelled to sell from the
trees or from the orchard is always
more or less at the mercy of the buy
ers who throng the country in the
fall. In order to hold apples success
fully il is necessary to have some sort
of storage house; but very simple af-
fair will do the work il il is rightly
planned and intelligently managed.
This is another point often emphasiz-
ed by the Vermont experiment sta
ton in its various publications; and
more or less explicit directions have
been published for making and man.
aging such storage houses Expert
ment Station Bulletin.