The Republican journal., 1910-08-18
APPLE CROP AS SEEN BY DEALERS.

Every year the apple dealers, buyers
and spectators hold convention and
give out their ideas of the crop situate n.
These men as rule are liberal and give
more favorable view of the crop than
reports from other sources. The dealers
naturally wish to give an impression that
the supply will be large, thus justifying
them in offering the producers as low
prices as possible.
However, even the fond hopes Of the
dealers cannot make very f1attering
showing this year. They have a good
deal to say about the large yield of the
Pacific coast section, and it is no doubt
true that the yield in that locality will be
larger than that of last year It is prob
crop in the southern States is also some
what larger, but neither of these Sec
tons is straight competitor with the
apples of the east. The Pacific coast ap-
pies are class by themselves, are diff
ferently quoted, and go to special set
of consumers, willing to pay fancy prices
for the handsome waXy, but not high
favored fruit.
The apple dealers place the crop OF
New England States as about the same
as that of last year, but reports from
other sources indicate that the yield will
be less than that of last year The crop
OF New York State is exceedingly I'M
portant in deciding the conditions of the
apple markets of the East, the orchards
being of high class and of mature bear
ing age.
The crop of New England is, of course,
of Importance, as regards the markets
of Boston, and there is not likely to be
much competition here from other sec
tons as the apples of New York State
will probably find other markets for the
limited supply. The apple dealers claim
that every State in New England, except
Rhode Island, has larger crop than last
year, which is certainly an exaggeration,
although it is no doubt true of scattering
localities in these States. Orchards that
We're on hilltops are often loaded with
fruit, having escaped the spring frosts.
Lowland orchards are very uneven, some
trees being full of apples, while others
adjoining have no fruit at all. From
half to three-quarters of full crop is
all that can be fairly claimed for New
England, probably nearer half crop
than anything above that. Quality being
pretty good so far, New England apples
ought to bring good fair price this
year, notwithstanding that the edge of
the market may be somewhat dulled by
the unprosperous conditions of some lines
of industry.
The dealers are ready to admit that
the crop of Canada is short. Last year
our eastern markets were considerably
influenced by heavy shipments from On
10. %lpT ,%rn1
States and Middle West the dealers say
uneven in the several States, and decidt
like Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Nebras-
ka, where cold weather and drought
nearly destroyed the crop. The bes-
thing about the dealers report is the
statement that the quality of the crop is
decidedly better than one year ago
New England and New York, Pennsyl
vania and Ohio all promise much better
quality than year ago, as does all of
the southern crop, while the Pacific crop
promises exceptionally good quality and
yield, which will be the heaviest ever
harvested. The Middle West or Ben
Davis crop ranges from poor to good
quality, with a considerable portion of it
with only fair quality"
Without placing too much dependence
upon the usually Exaggerated figures of
the dealers, it may be fairly concluded
from the report that light to fair aver
age crop is expected by them, with a
good market for eastern apples, although
with somewhat more competition than
usual from the boxed apples from the
West but with the eastern apples able to
hold their own pretty well on account of
their better average quality over last
year. The American Cultivator.