Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-01-09
Law of Supply and Demand.
THE LATTER NAY BE INDEFINITELY
EXPANDED BY WISE EFFORTS OF
FRUIT GROWERS.

Political economy tells US that prioeI
are regulated by the laws Of supply and
demand. 1t is not our intention to deny
this law. On the contrary, we admit 1t
So far so good. Invariably growers
hear OF this or that fruit glutting the
market, which is equivalent to hollerine
overproduction or supply is greater thar
demand. What we want to show 10 that
such conditions do not actually exist a
often as claimed; secondly, when they
do methods will and can be devised to
overcome them. A few years ago cleo.
tricity on streetcar service called forth
the prediction "horses would be worth
nothing" but good team costs more
money to-day than then. Just an illus
tration to show predictions are not al
ways true. A few years ago the prune
grower got the cart before the horse by
setting out very large acreages without
established demand or business princi-
pies for marketing. The story OF the
prune grower should be familiar to all.
While it must be admitted many Or
chards were dug up, the pruue grower
with sense went after market, and to-
day prune growers are making big
profits aud the business has been on a
steady increase, and not enough prunes
are raised to meet consumption.
At the National Apple Show at Spo-
kane commercial man who had been
travelling through the northwest said
fruit growers complained of the low
prices, ETC., and added that he had been
in dozens of small towns in eastern Ore
gon and Washington and could not get a
peach to eat.
A few years ago, when the editor
first took charge of the Hood River
Fruit Growers Union, the business by
express was doubled the next year,
and doubled again the following year.
Seattle was not consuming a single car
load of Hood River strawberries in
year; neither was Spokane. In less than
two years each of these cities was con-
suming large quantities. The first year
the editor was manager of the berry
union the average price of straw wberries
was SIPS a crate; during the last six
years the average price for the season
has been somewhere between 1925 and
$3.50 net.
These facts illustrate the importance
to the fruit business of developing local
markets. A wide and thorough dis
tributing system must and will be work.
ed ont, so that all markets, however
small, will be supplied, realizing good
prices. 1t is all nonsense to say that
little towns won't pay fair prices when
it is known that bananas sell at 80 cents
dozen and Florida grapefruit sells
readily in the little town of Hood River,
about three thousand population, at Is
cents each. Then, too, the supply Of
green fruits can be decreased to equalize
the demand and create q sale at fair
prices by canneries, evaporators, cider
and vinegar factories. The output Of
the canneries, evaporstors and dryers In
California In 1911 amounted to s2S,-
OO0, 100.
So let us be up and doing to open up
new markets, increase old ones aud
establish a wider distribution. Let US
save the waste by canneries, evaporators,
cider and vinegar factories. The prob
lens Of to-day are to market the fruit
on business principles, create greater
demand as well as q wider demand
save the by. products; and last, but not
least, study the economic side of pro-
duction and marketing.-E. II. Shepard
editorial, in January Better Fruit"