The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-02-03
SPROAT TELLS OF
MARKET CONDITIONS

CHI. Sproat, secretary of the Apple
Growers Union, returned last week
from trip through the East where he
came In lose toduh with the apple
market conditions In speaking OF his
trip, Mr. Sproat said
"In Denver, which was the first
place | visited on my trip. attended
the Colorado National Apple Snow.
1t was fair display entirely of Colo
rado apples with the exception of
few boxes from Wenatchee. These
Washington apples we're packed accord
ingt to our northwestern methods and
we're in striking contrast to the jun
BILE pack of the Colorado grover,
which is in fact no pack at all. There
were many 1ne apples which would
have made beautiful exhibition II
put up in better style. They face the
bottom layer of the box and pour In
the remainder with little regard for
size. For reasons known best to
tbemsel yes they seem welded to that
method.
81 took al ong ten boxes OF Spitzen-
bergs, Newtowns and Ortleys which
placed in the assembly room where
the Western Fruit Jobbers' Associa,
tion was meeting. The apples we're
compliments of the Hood River Apple
Growers Union and the representa-
tives of the 100 commission houses
we're pleased with them. Few OF the
jobbers recognized the varieties and
many had never seen these varieties
before, which shows that we have
other worlds to conquer besides New
York. W. Q. Iidwell, secretary OF
the jobhers' association, gave me every
courtesy in his power and aided me
In many ways to bring our apples to
The attention of the members OF his
organization.
"The main varieties at the Denver
show we're Jonathans, Winesaps, Rome
beauties aud Stayman Winesaps.
These four kinds Constitute the main
production of Colorado, New Mexico,
Utah, Idaho and Washington. An ex.
hibit in these states never contains
the three varieties which | took to
Denver with the possible exception OF
Wenatchee and Yakima where they
are grown on limited scale.
wherever | went Ia the east tried
to investigate the selling end and
came In touch with many OF the east.
ern apple men. When | was intro
duced from Hood River was given
q hearty welcome and heard with
pleasure Hood River always mention
ed as being the most prominent fancy
apple section in the world. Dealers
everywhere acknowledged that no
other locality on earth could grow
superior SpitZen bergs and NeWtowns.
Ibey al ways spoke of the Hood River
packing and grading and said that
other sections would do we'll to imi.
tate our methods. l WAS proud to
come from Hood River and was more
than ever impressed with the absol ute
necessity on the part OF our growers
OF keeping our quality up to the usual
high standard. | am satisfied that the
minute we lower our standard one
iota we make the mistake OF our lives.
"We must continue to specialize In
Spitzenbergs and Newtowns tor the
market in the future will be literally
supplied with box apples OF other va
rietias. The tendency everywhere IL
for the box package to crowd out the
barrel There are still hundreds OF
ocslities in the central and eastern
states which do not know the box sp-
pies, but the smaller package is the
favorite of all the dealers.
"l found there we're two sides to
the price question. Some Hood. River
growers have imagined that prices
could not be too high and that the
dealers must have our apples at any
price. That is one side sll right, but
! found that there is INIT beyond
which even the best eastern fancy
trade will permit the buyer of our
apples to keep them or sell ct loss.
The man who pays an exorbitant price
for apples must keep them 10 storage
and await hismHrket In order to come
not even. While the buyers feel
that II is a compliment to handle
Hood River apples thy do not feel
like losing on them just for that
privilege. In my judgment 1t is
better to sell at a somewhat lower
price and have them move to the con-
sumer while they have their highest
quality rather than to adopt policy
OF forcing the buyer to hold them In
the storage until they deteriorste in
condition In order that he may get
out without loss. "
The buyer who puts up tens Of thou
sands of dollars In cash for perish
able product should have fair chance
to make at least small profit on this
investment and be able to sell at his
end to the trade at prices that will
permit The goods to quickly go out to
the consumer"
D. l.. Walters was ia this city from