The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-10-05
Field and Farm.

While the commission men are al
ways accused Of double dealing In
handling Colorado products no one
outside the trade can imagine the
trouble every house has in securing
an honest pack from the growers.
We we're talking the other day with a
prominent commission merchant
when by way of illustration he unfold
ed few of his troubles. He said !:
much Of the fruit handled by our
house last fall was manifested to us
as fancy. Many of these cars we're
rejected two, three and even four
times and we're finally sold by our
men at what they would bring al
though at serious loss, not only to
the shippers but to ours elves as well,
as it is impossible to handle these
cars for the small commission which
we get. We sent some apples to Cali,
fornia aud with the exception of one
car, they we're all refused. One of
the firm went out to dispose of these
apples, and the sales we're made to
the very best advantage. He reported
that in every case there we're good
grounds for refusal or complaint.
ut was my misfortune to have to
dispose OF certain car load the last
of February that had been stored in
st. Louis. 1t was supposed to con-
tain all fancy fruit, excepting eighty
boxes of No. 2 Ben Davis. They were
assorted Genetons, Black Twigs, Ben
Davis and Greetings. The market
was in good condition Receipts we're
very light from the east and the price
for fancy apples was ruling at from
81. 20 to 81. 40 box. had succeeded
in getting four of the largest and best
fruit men to go down to look at these
apples In examining the fruit, they
found the pack absolutely irregular,
running from culls No 2, to fancy,
mis-marked and some of the fruit
wiited, evidently caused by being
frozen or frosted on trees before pick.
ing.
''They would not consider the car
at the price which | had quoted them
nor would any of them even make an
offer of freight and refrigerator
charges. | had this car of apples
drayed up town, repacked and de-
cided to sell it to best advantage, let
ting the desirable varieties like the
Genetons go first. Four men were in
the market for good Genetons at 81. 40
a box. They came back and looked
at the fruit after it was repacked. and
one of them. who was entirely out of
Colorado apples, after examining
eight or ten boxes, turned away in
disgust and said he did not come over
to look at or buy culls. AS 1t was i'm
possible to sell them at any price to
the legitimate trade, the only thing
left to do with these apples was to put
them through the auction. which was
attended by about one hundred ltal-
ians or peddlers. The car sold for
1915. 95.
"After deducting the charges of re-
packing, drayage, freight, storage and
Sl8.7 70 commission, which was only
one-fOurth of my expenses, tho net re-
turns left the shipper was $36 80.
must say that in my experience of
nearly thirty years in handling and |
selling fruit, this car of apples was
the hardest proposition to sell or
place of any car of fruit | ever hand
led and the principal reason for it |
was the irregular pack, mi>marks and |
fruit not up to grade Part of this
fruit was No. |, especially the Black
Twigs, but the buyers were afraid for
the reason that the fruit was not regu-
lar and they did not have time to
open up every Eox and examine it
to the bottom"