The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-09-01

am confident that this fine display
Of apples is from the Northwest, fol
the best informed Canadian on fruits
l have met at the Fair said to me thai
when it comes to high color in ap
pies the East is not in it when com
pared with the Pacific Slope.
l am afraid that the apple growers
of the Pacific Coast are sleeping OF
their opportunity to save our apple
age. 1t is true that the Porter bill
is dead and is past resurrection. Bu1
we must not overlook the fact thai
another bill has been substituted fol
must learn to look up as well as dowr
when we are reckoning the factors
the defunct Porter bill. This is known
as the Lafean bill, because it was in
troduced by Congressman Lafean OF
Pennsylvania That bill is now before
the House and may be passed at the
next session of Congress. 1t is an i'm
provement on the Porter bill, but it is
by no means satisfactory to the fruit
growers who use the box instead OF
the barrel. l have pointed out the OBJ
jectionable features of this bill anC
need not now repeat what have said
1t was given out by the press oil
the country that the apple growers
of the Pacific Northwest were to have
meeting in Tacoma in September tc
discuss this proposed change, but
hear nothing of this contemplated
meeting. 1t is high time that we wake
up if such meeting is to be held
If the idea of such a meeting has been
abandoned, then let us take some
steps to register our protest in such
manner that we can be heard.
Our contention is, let the people
who use the box settle the question
of it's size and shape. We have worked
at the problem a long time and have
settled the matter to our liking and
to the satisfaction of those who handle
the box apples. The objection to the
box comes largely from those who
use the barrel. There is no deception
N our box. 1t contains more than the
Winchester bushel, which is and has
been the only standard United States
bushel ever recognized. Besides, oul
boxes are marked now so as to show
just how many apples are packed in
the trade in fancy apples. But it is
not the size of our boxes, but the
grade of our fruit and our methods OF
packing that has done that. This
lost supremacy in the fancy apple
trade can not be recovered by laying
a hardship on us who use the box.
What is the outlook for the apple
crop?
1t is not difficult to answer that
question in part. The apple crop is
not large-it is by no means a failure
1T is moderate crop. The country
is so prosperous that prices will not
rule low-may be high, possibly too
high. The man who has good clean
apples, we'll put up without any de-
ception about them, will get good
prices for his fruit and ought to be
happy and contented.
| could quote pages from our fruit
exchanges all over the United States
but they would simply sustain the
statement above made. I here insert
a circular recently sent out by a firm
of apple dealers. 1t is quite safe to
discount to a considerable extent any
statement sent out early in the season
by the apple dealers. The condition
of the apple crop as a whole has
materially changed for the worse since
this circular was issued. I make this
clipping from the Yakima Democrat:
English-American Dealers Publish
Ideas on Prospects for the
Season.
By a firm in the interests of which
Messrs. Simon and Shuttleworth, the
English-American apple dealers, were
in North Yakima some weeks ago q