The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-09-13
EASTERN BEN DAVIS
SELLS SOC BARREL

Kansas City, Sept. 1.--Dealers who
are preparing to get In the coming
apple deal extensively are having some
trouble already and expect to have
more before they get through. The
cause of the present trouble is the in
ability to contract storage room. 1t
10 said that most of the available
space in Kansas City cold storage
plants has already bsenIcontracted tor
by largest dealers. The rate up to
the present time has been 45c per bar
rel, but what space is still open is be-
ing held at 50o. People who expect
to store apples, either here or at
smaller storage points west of the
Mississippi river, and who have not
already contracted for their space,
are likely to lind themselves unable
TO get any large amount of room for
storing after the movement gets on
foot.
One dealer here who is figuring on
storing 5000 to 6,000 barrels of ap-
pies, said this week that he had been
offered 80, 900 barrels of apples re-
Gently, most Of which he could prob
ably have bought at his own price,
With the growers 80 far II apears to
be matter of securing buyers with
the price secondary consideration
The next TROUBLE that apple peo 10
are likely to encounter will be to get
sufficient ears to move their stock
from the orchards to the cold storage
rooms. A commercial agent OF one
of the railroads that handles large
Share Of the Ozark apples said in an
interview this week that his road was
already short 800 cars and that the
shortage Is likely to increase from
this on. Not only will there be
great many cars OF apples to mo,e out
Of the Ozark sction during September
and October, but the capacity of the
railroads will be taxed in order to
handle the grain movement through
out the West. This probable shortage
of cars combined with insufficient
storage room may prove serious
handicap to caring for the apple crop
in Kansas City territory this fall,
Some dealers are predicting that there
will be thousands of barrels of apples
60 to waste In the the orchards for
the lack OF proper facilities to handle
them. On this account 1t is likely
that smaller growers, at least, will
put away lots of apples in cellars,
caves and other home storage in or
der to prevent total losses on their
apples.
In discussing the apple situation
this week one Kansas City dealer
pointed out that even though there
should be Isrge demand for apples
at a moderate price during the late
fall and winter that buyers will nec-
essarlly have to get their fruit at q
low price in the orchards in order
TO insure them reasonable profit
He pointed out that barrels will cost
40 cents each, packing of the fruit
about 10 cents per barrel, and the
storage charge 45 or 90 cents per bar
rel, making dollar to be added to
the cost of the fruit in the o"card.
II 80 cents per barrel tor the fruit it.
self Is paid the cost to the dealer, eX-
elusive of freight, would be 81. 80 per
barrel and considering shrinkage and
handling this fruit would have to sell
at 81 to 81. so per barel to bring IA fair
profit to the buyer. The price of 50
cents per barrel, as dealers figure it,
Is for No. | Ben Davis apples. 9th
or varieties will bring more, Of
course. There appears to be pretty
fair inquiry for good Jon9than apples
and growers, it is probable, will not
experience any great difficulty in sell
ing this class of fruit. Packer.