Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-12-31
Banner Apple Crop.

Banner Apple Crop.
Last year 100000 barrels of sslable
apples were grown in the orchards OF
the state of Maine. 1t was considered q
good crop. This year probably mil
lion barrels have been packed, the larg.
est apple harvest ever gathered in the
state, the farmers who grew them will
receive at the usual prices something
like 100000.
The Maine apple is rapidly assuming
an Importance of its own, and becoming
an industry of itself. Maine farmers are
realizing that in their orchards they
have a source of revenue, equal to, il
not exceeding, any other department OF
the farm.
During the past few years the con-
sumption of apples in foreign countries
and at home has shown a wonderful in
crease. Where barrels were consumed
10 or 10 years ago there are carloads
now. The increasing demand has Great
ed foreign market which must draw on
American apples, and so great is the de-
mand that to-day three quarters OF the
Maine apples go across the water to
England and the continent.
This has given rise to an industry
which is growing in rapid strides every
year, and it is about the shipping of
Maine apples abroad that this article is
written. Maine apples are among the
best in the world-and they command
the best prices and the readiest market
of any apples throughout the country.
rrho 60 ,arS ara ,uct hauipnin IN realiza
this, and year by year are paying more
attention to their orchards, and they are
finding the attention profitable. Within
the past few years especially is this true.
The big crop this year is not due so
much TO the fact that the old orchards
are yielding an immense harvest as that
new orchards are coming into maturity.
Thousands and thousands of young trees
are being planted every year for future
harvests.
Maine apple growers were fortunate
this season. They escaped the "cold
wave belt" Had the crop throughout
the country been up to the Maine crop
in quartity and quality there would
have been such a flood that the Maine
product would have stood little show OF
being sold at good prices.
Maine apples are being shipped west,
a thing that never happens in a year
when the western crop is a success, and
they are being shipped abroad to a
rapacious market.
Maine apples are shipped to Portland
and Boston, although more go through
Portland perhaps than through Boston.
At Boston the transatlantic steamers
sail every few days, and as a rule they
are faster vessels. Portland does not
have such good service, but probably
will have a steamer week very soon.
The steamship companies consider ap-
Piles one of their best freights and try to
give good facilities. One steamer has
carried $1,000 barrels of apples in her
cargo, but such large shipments at one
time have tendency to break the mar
ket, and are avoided if possible.
The apples are packed from lou TO
250 barrels in car and on their arrival
in the shipping port are transferred to
the docks, checked and receipted and
swung five at time into the hold of the
steamer.
Liverpool is the largest apple distrib-
uting port in the world, and large
percentage of Maine apples 60 to that
city. Every barrel when landed pays a
dock and town dues of cents per bar
rel and is stored in the dock warehouses,
some of them two stories high, and i'm
mense structures.
The system of selling and distributing
is interesting and unique. The apple
trade is practically under the control OF
six great firms who constitute, if not a
monopoly, a governing factor in the busi-
ness.
These firms have an auction room,
and here the apples are sold to the
wholesalers. The thousands of barrels
are arranged and catalogued in punches
in the warehouses, and the one in 20 is
taken as sample to the auction room,
where they are brought up for inspec-
tion on a dumb waiter arrangement.
Sometimes the barrel is simply opened,
and sometimes the apples are poured
out for inspection. All the selling is
done by a company which makes that a
business. This company draws the sam
pies to which the bunch is sold, neither
the seller nor buyer having the privilege.
The seller, of course knows very well
the quality of his apples, and il he
thinks the sample drawn is not a fair
Of the lot he may refuse
to sell, but in this case he cannot draw
another sample on that day.
The buyers-representatives OF whole
sale houses-must have license to
enter the auction room, for not every
man who thinks he wants to buy lot OF
apples can do so. The sale days are
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and
the firms sell in rotation, each having an
auctioneer. Each firm first has 40
minutes, then as the turn comes around
again, 20 minutes, and the third time 10.
The sales are made so fast that to one
inexperienced it is impossible to keep
track of them. In a single day 10000
barrels are sometimes sold.
Names crop this year is hardly up to
size, but the fruit is good and we'll color
ed. The apples that are the favorltes
for shipment are the Baldwins and Spies,
although very early in the season green
ings sell well, and late in the spring the
Ben Davis aud russets. The apple ship
ping season varies in length, but extends
we'll into the spring, sometimes through
March.
Last year, to show the number of ap-
Piles which go abroad, there were 3O4,-
92l barrels and 13S boxes shipped from
Portland, and from Boston $50, ,S9S bar.
rels. In that same year were received
in Liverpool 1,l30, ,220 barrels and IL, l54
boxes. So it will be seen that the ap-
pie business is big business.-Lewis'
ton Journal.
Heard at the County Fair.
IL Won would see a horse strapped,