Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-03-26
HOPTICUuPF
Disposing of Apples.

At the last meeting of the Illinois
state Horticultural Society good
deal OF attention was paid to the Ques-
ton of disposing of the apples that
fall below number one grade. 1t was
suggested that they should be made
into cider or sent to the evaporating
plant or fed to the hogs-anything
rather than have them go on to the
market to keep down the price OF
number one apples. One grower said
that if he could have his way, a num-
ber two apple would never come into
the market. The idea prevalent was
that if only number one apples were
marketed there would be such
scarcity of apples that the people
would have to pay big price for
them, and that the growers would get
a good deal of money out of a small
amount of fruit, as there would be a
great saving on packing, transporta-
ton and the like.
This seems just a little heartless.
The number two apples and even
poorer ar1 fairly good apples. Some
of them lack color, some are smSn
in size, and some have a worm hole
here and there. But they are in
reach of the common people in price,
and f the markets carried only num-
Der one apple. the great mass of the
American people would taste apples
but seldom. The best apples on the
Chicago market now retail at cents
apiece or at 55 cents per dozen. If
there were no other apples in the
market but number ones the apples
in our market might bring as fancy
prices as do those in Paris and some
of the other European capitals. A
few days ago the writer priced the
apples in some of the fruit stores in
Chicago. He found small Jonathans
selling at "three-for- or 40 cents
dozen. He found large, fine Jona-
thans from Colorado selling at 55
cents dozen. Grimes Golden and like
apples sold at little less price. In the
same store oranges were selling at a
less price than apples. A dozen Of
the finest bananas obtainable could
be bought for 25 cents and good ones
at 20 cents. How much higher would
some of our apple raisers like to have
apples? Fancy apples sell for a big
price now and the men that know
enough to produce them are making
fortunes out of them.
The best way to dispose of the lower
grades of marketable apples is to ar
moderate means that want them.
There are multitudes of people in the
cities that will be delighted to pur-
chase these apples, if they can only
get them. In fact, they are purchas-
ing them now. The peddlers hawk
them ebout the streets, and they pro-
vide the only means some of the poor
er people ever have of eating apples.
If all of the lower grades of apples
are driven out of the market, the
common people will be compelled to
eat bananas instead. Every man
should have at heart the interest of
the whole people No man should
desire to curtai1 the food supply OF
people for little temporary gain.
1t is great thing for apple growers
to realize good returns for their prod
uct. 1t is a greater thing to be able
to supply a whole nation with apples
at moderate cost 1t is this latter
thought that stimulates the formation
of horticultural societies, the mem bers
of which unselfishly give to the world
all they know on the science of plant,
fruit and flower observation-disclosures
Review.