The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-17
WEALTH IN APPLES
New Yorker Buys Up Crop in
the Northwest.
PAYS FIVE CENTS A POUND
JObber Reveals Interesting Facts
About the Fruit Trade in an In
terview mt Spokane - Product OF
Orchards Fails or and No Fear Is
Felt About Over-supDly.

Spokane. Wash, Oct. l6. - Contracts
have been closed by Joseph H. Stein
hardt, OF the firm OF Steinhardt & Kelly.
New York, for more than 100000 worth
Of Washington and Oregon apples for
Eastern and European trade. and he ex-
poets to reach the 100000 mark before
returning home after looking over the
orchards in Central Idaho and Western
Montana.
While in Spokane, Mr.. steinhardt
bought the entire output of first and sec
ond grades grown In the Meadow Lake
orchards, estimated at 10000 boxes, pre-
vious TO which he contracted for $4,000
boxes in the Hood River and Mosier dis
tricts, in Oregon. buying also $500 boxes
from the Dumas orchards at Walla Walla
Wash. and 1900 boxes from the orchards
at Garfield, wash,
Pays Five Cents n Pound.
Mr.. steinhardt said the prices received
by the growers in the Hood River district
were the highest ever paid for their fruit.
His purchases there aggregated more
than 5000 and he paid as high as $25O
box, or : cents pound. He also paid
$3.50, and in several instances S2.75. a box
for Washington apples Of the first grade.
He said
MY contract with the Dumas orchards
people specifies that one car. or $50 boxes,
OF Yellow Newtons shall be packed and
exhibited at the second national apple
show In Spokane. November Is to 20, for
the $500 prize, as the property of the
40 xrfn 10 T.
rect to New York afterward."
Referring 20 a report from Portland
that he Is attempting 10 corner the apple
supply OF tho Northwest. Mr. Steinhardt
said that this rumor probably grew out
OF the fact that he is contracting for the
entire output Of FIRST and seconds Of the
largest orchards in Washington and Ore
gon. adding:
so far my purchases have been solely
OF apples raised In the nonirrigated dis
tricts. 1 ind they keep better than those
grown on irrigated lands. though I adj
NIT that the fruit grown on lands sup
piled with water by artificial means is
larger and has equally good color and
flavor.
Apples Keep six Months.
Il bought Oregon apples last fall. and
shipment was sent 10 Europe in July OF
this year. after being in storage in New
York for nine months. and they stood the
Journey well and brought good prices.
The same is true OF Washington apples.
Much OF the superiority Of the west
ern apple over the product OF the New
York districts Is in the picking and pack
ing. Your growers fully understand these
advantages. and that Is where they are
wise Their fruit IS picked ripe and care
fully graded and honestly packed, the re-
suit being that buyers are pleased.
There is not the least danger that the
growers IN the Northwest will overdO the
apple industry. They could not do that
even by doubling and trebling the present
orchard area. The apple crop Of the
United States was about g., 600, 900 barrels
In 1896 and in no year since then has II
amounted to more than 100000 barrels
The present crop VIII not reach that
figure.
No Danger OF OveF-supTIy.
THE significance Of this Is clear. When
! K is considered that the population Of the
United States has increased probably by
20, 100000 since 1896 while the apple pro-
duction has fallen from 100000 10 5000, :
600 barrels. IT can be readily seen that II
is out OF the question to think that the
apple growers IN Washington, Oregon
Idaho. Montana, and Colorado can over
supply the ever-increasing market"
Mr.. Steinhardt has gone TO the Wenat-
chez Valley, IN Central Washington, where
he viii look over the irrigated orchards
for first and second grades. Growers
there report a 100000 apple crop, and
because Of the scarcity OF apples in other
parts of the country. they will hold their
fr,,ff Tor fnV, pvirpz