The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-11-14
Nood River Glacier
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER IA, 1902.
A Defense of the Ben Davis Apple by
Handler.
Chicago Packer

To The Packer-ln a recent issue ol
your valuable paper the writer was
Somewhat amused but very much sur
prised to read an article written by my
old and personal friend, p. NJ. kiely,. Of
St. Louis, on the apple situation, but
more especially his remarks on Ben
Davis, the standard commercial apple
OF the country, especially of the West
which is now acknowledged as the apple
producing center OF the country.
Mr.. Kiely says the Ben Davis i
doomed and is already a 'has been.
Now Mr.. Kiely you and / are both
young men, but neither OF us Will ever
see the day when the Ben Davis will bC
relegated to the rear. | will predict that
after we both have made our entry in
the apple orchards of the other world
we will look down on our brother mer
chants left behind and will see then
handling apples just the same and three
fourths OF them will be Ben Davis. We
will see the horticulturists planting out
new orchards and three-fourths OF them
will be Ben Davis.
| can't understand why my friend
has taken such sudden and decided
stand against this very popular CONNER
cial apple. In previous article, Mr.
Kiely made the statement that he never
packed or bought barrel OF apples il
all his career as produce dealer, that
he was strictly commission merchant
this may in part explain why he took
this position not being familiar with the
demands OF the leading apple markets
of the country, he was not posted.
In my experience as a commission
merchant, especially of late years, have
realized that the commission merchant
seldom receives anything that the ship
per could sell himself. Mr.. Kiely stated
that on October IL, 10000 barrels of ap
pies we're unloaded at Saint Louis, and
that nine .enths Of them were Ben Davis
and that the best stock of this variety
sold for 81. so per barrel. Now il this
was the casa( which | do not doubt
something was radically wrong, either
the fruit was no good or Saint Louis il
no apple market. We as firm are moi
apple kings by no means (please excuse
the personality, but our mail on Octo
ber 26 and 27 contained 81 letters from
IL different states, all from leading
apple dealers OF their respective
markets and nine-tenths of their inqui
ries were for Ben Davis apples. / mere
ly mention this to show the drift of the
feeling for this fayorite apple which my
friend says is doomed.
One of these inquiries was from Bos
ton asking quotation on 5000 barrels ol
our fine Western Ben Davis suitable fol
export. This was about the tone of al
the other inquiries.
Please compare the sales in foreign
markets OF Ben Davis with New York
Baldwins and it don't take blind mar
to see that they trot in the same class
Last week we sold % cars of straight Ber
Davis and could have sold more if we
could have got cars to load them in.
Don't understand me to say that Ber
Davis is the only apple or the best eating
or Gooking apple, but do say that tits tC
the West what the Baldwin is to the East
it is the best commercial apple of the
country, and just as long as it fills these
requirements just so long will it suit the
grower, the packer and the seller.
Mr.. Kiely advises the agricultural
journals to give timely warming to theii
readers, to the fruit growers, to the
nursery trade and to all others inter,
ested, that public taste is improving,
that Ben Davis is doomed. Now friend
Kelly this is an injustice to our old
friend Ben. | don't think that you OF
the agricultural journals should do any,
thing of the kind, until by actual ex'
perience you find some other variety
that will take the place of this favorite
commercial apple.
This advice would certainly be very
discouraging to large apple growers who
have already planted and are still plant.
ing 500 and 5000 acres to apples and
three-fourths of them Ben Davis. Give
the devil his dues and predict that the
Ben Davis is not doomed.-C. G. Glenn
OnR.