The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25

Growing the big, red apple has passed
from the hands of the farmer and is
destined 10 become one of the leading
industries of the country in the hands
Of the commercial orchardists. The day
of the sour little, cider apple has gone
and the rich glow Of the king of fruits
adds its touch of color to the Christmas
decorations.
The apple region Of the Eastern States
is now producing a yield of fruit sec
ond TO none anywhere in the world The
export of American apples 10 Europe is
increasing every year, and boxes Of
choice fruit are 10 be seen in the mar
ket places Of London, Liverpool Leeds.
Paris. Berlin, Vienna, and all the COM
Riercial centers Of the old world.
All this has come about in a short time
through the greater care that the grow
ers are exercising in the picking. grad
ing. packing. and display Of the goods
Cooperation Of the fruit-growers has
done IL all and the work Of association
and systematic adoption of standards Of
packing aud the guaranty that is placed
upon each parcel Of goods that is signed
by the packer and is made worth
something BY being closely lived up TO
has given proof 10 the lover Of apples
that the supply to-day is better and
greater than ever.
Washington the Center.
The scene on the greatest activity IN
apple culture lies within a radius of 30
miles of the city of Washington. The
Capital viii soon be the center of the
greatest. apple-growing district in the
world Already companies are formed
that are shipping to the great markets
Of the world a quality Of fruit that If
unsurpassed in appearance. flavor. and
keeping qualities. These companies are
composed OF the business men, the bank
ers, and the professional men who buy
stock in an enterprise that has a board
of directors of eminently practical men,
who have had years Of experience as hor-
ticUlturists right in the locality in which
the company operates, who are able 10
make the investment Of capital that Is
needed for the proper conduct Of the
work. and who can avail themselves of
the highest skilled labor to work under
their direction.
land there are hundreds of weIl-estab-
lished companies that are operating
fully-bearing orchards i'm which not
share 81 stock can now be bought Or
ganiZation is complete. Standards OF
packing and grading are high; and the
day of haphazard methods has gone for
good. Cultivation, pruning, intertillage.
cover crops, spraying, and all that the
new science of horticulture has to teach
the apple grower, as well as all tina. ex-
perience teaches him, are put into daily
practice with the productive and profita-
bic results that are to be seen through
out all of this locality.
The idea that the East does not raise
as good apples as the far West is a ira
dition> and a fable The only thing that
the West has done 10 create this ides in
the minds of the Eastern consumer is 10
ship only the cream Of his crop, amount
ing TO about 80 per cent of the entire
product. in an attractive form, 10 guar
antee its quality. and to market the ship
ment with booming, boosting" and
shrewd advertising skill. The apples are
no better than tha best that the East
raises. But the Eastern grower is SO
close TO his markets that he can ship his
seconds and his culls and all his grades.
in fact so that there are to be found
some Eastern fruit on the market that
is al least as good as the best from the
West and a great deal that is inferior
The Western farmer uses his inferior
grades at home because he cannot stand
the high freight rates Of shipment to the
East SO the Eastern consumer who sees
only the very best that the West pro-
duces hastily draws an unfair inference
in favor of the Western product.