The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-10-09
A Foreign Apple Growers Views


THE JOURNAL states that Friedrich Os.
car Wannieck, OF Brunn, Austria, was
in Kansas City this week on his way 20
the famous apple region in the Ozark
valleys of southwest Missouri. Mr..
Wannieck is n leading landwowner and
horticultural in his own locality and
also has large holdings in Crotia, Sou Tia
Hungary, near the Mediterranean. He
is in this country to thoroughly investi-
gate American methods oi growing, pack.
ing, storing and shipping fruit, and to
learn the best modes OF pre- paring
his output for the American market.
That is something new, for he proposes
to reverse the usual order by shipping
fruit, particularly fine apples, to this
country, therefore what he said in re-.
gard to the apples of the two countries
will be interesting to all fruit growers (;
There is no good reason why, II Ameri-
cans can ship apples 10 Europe and
find the business profitable, that we
should not send them over here,
particularly when your crop is a com-
parative failure, as il is this year. We
raise everything that you do except
peaches, and in quality there IS little to
choose between the fruits of the two
countries. except that our grapes are
superior TO any that have 80 far seen
In Europe the Concord, your standard
variety, would not be used at all as a
table grape. There the demand is for
the large green or white grape, firm and
OF exquisite flavor. One reason why
American apples are not more popular
on the continent is that your exporters
send us comparatively few varieties
aside from the Ben Davis, which has
no virtues but its beautiful color
and shipping qualities. Our trade,
particularly in the German states, does
not care for the big red apple, and buys
in preference one that is green, but of
fine flavor and texture. We can pro-
duce fruit cheaper than You can in this
,ountry, becau0e labor costs MS but
about third as much, and the problem
OF profitable exporting resolves itself in
to a question OF transporting.
Prices with us are very unstable, be-
cause VIZ have no cold storage plants,
and when there is large crop il must
breaks the price. have examined the
leading plants Of this kind in the United
States an think that yours here in
Kansas City are equal II not superior TO
any have seen. shall install plants OF
this nature and also ice factories in my
own country and expect TO tind them a
very profitable Investment.
Mr.. Wannieck stated that the climate
1i northern MOrayia corresponds to that
of New York, and that Of Crotia is al
most like that of our Southern states,
.ad for that reason he is making a
thorough investigation Of all the fruit
growing regions Of United States. He has
,een in this country about four months,
las visited the apple, grape and peach
egions Of New York and Michigan the
,each country Of Georgia and, after his
our in the Ozarks, he will spend a
month ia Oregon and California before
eturning home. OF course, it is pos
ible that European fruit grow ers may
ie able to ship apples and some other
ruits to the Atlantic coast cities, be-
ause Of cheap water transportation, but
hat is the reason why the American
armers demand tbs continuation, Of
be protective tariff to maintain their
wn home markets. Mr.. Wannieck's
our is int eTesting, but we are inclined /
o think ia at il will be iruitless so far as
he American markets are concerned.