Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-01-25

SeillnS Appitr'
At present the apple market is all in
favor of the seller. Any man who has
apples on hand now can turn them into
money at very liberal rates.
1t was not always thus. We can all of
us remember as far back as last Septem-
Der. At that time there were wise men
in the land who said that apples were
not worth more than fifty or seventy five
cents barrel. Some folks seemed to
think that at that price the growers
ought to furnish the barrel also, and
give chrome with each 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 it go to the first
buyer.
The Vermont experiment station regis
tered strenuous protest against this pol
Icy of hasty selling at the same time, and,
through the newspapers and by private
correspondence, did ali in its power to
help the growers to get better prices. A
few growers held their apples, but the
ma ority 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
81 so to So barrel ; and prices as high
as SO 10 to 81 barrel in considerable lots
have been reported for the holiday mar
ket. Fancy apples have sold as high as
S. barrel and even higher. Those who
have apples still in storage and keeping
in good condition my 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 dis
tinctly unders TODD that the station does
not pretend TO be bureau Of statistics
nor prophet of prices. 1t is not organ
lied 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 statistical in
quiry was necessary to predict the course
of the market. Prices we're bound TO 90
up. The indsputable facts underlying
the situation were pointed out by the
horticultural of the station In a circular
sent to the papers of Vermont and vicin-
ity on October IL, and we're so convinc-
ing 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 Il
dollar a bushel or less. Evidently, In
some cases, the apple buyers were be-
lieved in preference to disinterested
party like the experiment station.
The high prices which apples are bring
ing at present. compared with the low
prices which they were bringing at pick
ing time, has Il PLAIN moral for the apple
grower. 1t is that apples should be held
as late as they will keep well. And Yer
mont 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 buyers who
throng the country in the fall In order
to hold apples successfully it is necessary
to have some sort of storage house but a
very simple affair will do the work if it is
rightly planned and intelligently man
aged. This is another point often em-
phasized by the Vermont experiment
station in its various publications; and
more or less explicit directions have been
published for making and managing such
storage hOuses.-PIess Bulletin of VT.
Ag. Elk. Station.