The daily sentinel., 1912-01-19

OF Manager John +. Moore OF the
Grand Junction Fruit Growers asso-
citation, which was read this morning
at the informal session of the grow
ers. The Sentinel. is able to furnish
the complete report exclusively to its
reader
The report follows:
To the Members of the Grand juno
ton Fruit Growers Association:
As manager OF your association,
take pleasure in presenting my an
nual statement for the year 1911.
The secretary has read YOU the fl
nancial statement of your association
as compiled by Harry Mulnix. certi-
fled public accountant. and who was
employed to audit the books by your
board ut directors.
Peach Crop Light.
As you are aware, he peach crop
in the Palisade district was very
light Our carload shipments by
freigh amounted to i5 cars. The
prices realized however. believe
we're very satisfactory to the growers.
and were fully as good, if not bet
ter. than We expected to realize, con
sidering the general condition of the
country
I'uiN illNhIl ltiiItnS.
Referring to pears: tor some time
previous to the movement of our
Bartlett pears, the market was strong
and We fully believed, and also eX-
pressed this belief to some of our
growers. that We expected to open
with price of from 50 to S2.25 per
bcX. We came to thia conclusion
from the fact that California was
receiving very high prices for their
Bartlett pears on the eastern auction
for their first shipments out, but in
their anxiety to market as large a
portion of their crops at high prices
as possible. they rushed their pears
on 10 the market before they were
sufficiently matured and by the time
we we're ready to ship they had
completely demoraliZed the markets
of the country, and taking this in
connection with the fact that there
was an unusually large crop of Bart
lett pears in New York. Michigan
and other eastern states, all markets
were completely demoTalized during
the entire shipping season.
We were also unfortunate that
California came in later and we ear
Iicr than usual. thus forcing us into
the markets during their very heavy
shipments The bulk of our pears
we're handled through Denny & Com
pany by Howard G. Fletcher Of Oma-
ha. and / personally know that no
man ever worked harder to get re
suits than he did This Is shown by
the detailed number of cars handled
by him with only - cars going to
the auction. showing that he sold at
private sale practically the entire
crop. and while the private sale pri-
ces were low, believe they were 80
per cent better than the auctions.
Beat Rocky Ford.
Referring 10 CantalOupes: at all
times an uncertain proposition, but
this season more so ,han usual. Our
melons have always brought better
prices than Rocky Fords simply be-
cause in previous seasons they were
worth more: not so this season, for
am told and also know from my
own experience. that their melons
were as good, if not better than
ours. and consequently the results
obtained were far from being salts
factory. These cantaloupes were also
handled through Denny & Company
by Howard G. Fletcher at Omaha,
ent eastern markets under the eN-
elusive direction of Dr. B. C. Oyler,
who was located in the east, and was
the paid representative of the Clifton
Cantaloupe Growers association, and
while the results received were poor,
nevertheless there is no blame at
tached to either of these gentlemen,
as the deal was properly handled in
every detail 1t is simply question
of poor quality together with demor-
aliped market conditions in the large
eastern markets.
Best Apples Ever Raised.
Referring to apples: our crop this
season. while not over 80 per cent,
was nevertheless. | believe, in quail
itv and grade. the best that has ever
cone out OF this valley, and while
tbe prices were not high, consider
ing general conditions in all of the
markets caused by a general finan-
cial depression. together with the
largest and best crop of apples since
1896 in the barrel districts of the
United States and Canada, | believe,
taken as a whole, the prices received
were very satisfactory. and ! think
comparisons will show that YOU re-
ceivcd better prices than similar or
ganizations in Colorado have paid
their growers. At the beginning Of
the season we came to the conclu-
sion that there was very large
crop of apples in the country and for
that reason we were free sellers. and
out of the entire crop when the sea
son was over. we had but very few
cars in storage, while some other
shipping organizations still have a
good percentage of their apples stor-
ed. out of our entire shipments we
have paid our growers for all but
co cars and practically all of these
co cars have been disposed of, but
when our books were closed for the
year, the returns had not yet been
received. It is still my opinion that
,,.n nrl getting nnt much batter than