The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-10-01

associations east OF the mountains
which have been taking place within
the last few weeks. The association
at Granger opened bids on the 14th Of
September, Wenatchee growers
opened bids on September oath; and
various other important and heavy
sales of apples have been made. OF
course, big buyers were all represent
ed by bids, but at the time this paper
goes to press it is too early to find
how to whom the fruit has been
awarded One thing that commission
men and buyers commented on, an
impression which they received from
their representatives who were keep
ing in touch with the situation before
the tenders of prices were made, was
what they called the Exaggerated
idea" of the farmers regarding the prl-
ces they should receive for their apples
this year. This has been commented
on both by eastern and coast buyers,
who do not seem to feel that the
growers have been justified in de-
handing the prices they have been
asking. This, however, is largely to
fault of the buyers, who go from one
district to another, and for some rea-
son or other give out impressions that
serve to bull the market beyond any
reason. There is good, healthy mar
ket for apples this year, but no alb
normal one, and the growers will,
therefore. find it necessary to get
down to normal prices if they desire
to make ready sales. For instance,
in some districts, the growers are ask
ing as much for box of Ben Davlses
as they are for heavier packed box
of Jonathans. They seem to think
that anything which is an apple should
bring a good price, this season, IT.
respective of grade and quality. The
choicer varieties of apples will, OF
course bring the choicer prices this
year, just as they have in other
years.
There have been some very heavy
purchases made of the choice var1e-
ties of Washington and Oregon apples
by eastern buyers. Several New York
and Chicago concerns have had rep
resentatives in the northwest this sea-
son, and as a consequence an unusual
number of our apples will find a mar
ket in New York and London. Seat
tie brokers claim, however, that not
all of the eastern buyers have been
sincere. While they acknowledge
that several reliable concerns have
had agents who have made good pur-
chases, they state that on the other
hand too much talk through the varl-
GUS fruit growing regions of the high
priced eastern markets have had the
result of bulling the prices among the
farmers, without any resultant bene-
fits. AS one dealer on the coast points
out, while there have been many east
ern agents circulating throughout the
northwestern fruit growing sections
and talking high prices for apples, yet
only a few of these have made pur-
chases. The others have dealt princi-
pally in hot air, and when the time
came, were not there with the bids for
the fruit This is supposed to be an
effort to get prices high here in order
to get northwestern farmers to hold
their apples, so that in the meantime,
the eastern people who are specializing
on eastern apples, will have chance
to unload at a heavy profit.
There is no doubt that the apple
growers in Washington have been in
clined to hold off to the last minute
in naming prices on their produce
Several coast concerns who deal
heavily with the Alaska markets have
been unable to get favorable deal
as yet from Yakima and Wenatchee,
and as consequence have had to
buy their apples elsewhere. The last
vessel has sailed for Nome and the
last sailing for the Tanana occurred
several weeks ago, and consequently
these firms could not fill their orders
with Yakima or Wenatchee apples, as
these growers were not willing to
m AXE anV sales so early.