The daily sentinel., 1912-12-28

In some sections in the northwest
the growers have already adopted
something alonE this line. but they
have not received any more money
for their standard varieties of apples
than we of the Grand Valley this
year; the Wenatchie growers have
organized iron clad selling combine.
and have establi he'd agents i'm many
of the large cities or i'm enough to
enable them to dispose of 200 box
es of apples-the size of their crop.
and their averugo for three grades
of such appiesas JOuathans, Rome
Beauties and Wiupsaps was close to
one dollar. This has been about
the average for these varieties re-
ceived by the growers in the Grand
Junction association.
1t is now generally understood
that the larger part of the differ
ence between what the growers re-
ceive and the consumers pay for
the fruit finds its way into the tills
of the retail gruccrs. in many in
stances the rroiits being more than
80 per cent by the box and over 100
per cent by the piece or pouad. II
is claimed by these retail men that
there is a very large shrinkage in
fruit. and there is nothing made in
handling it. II might also be noted
that a good many people who are not
fully awake to the value of the fruit
as food produce, look upon it as a
luxury, and not as a necessity and
place it in the same category with
the daily paper. and when times are
hard it is the first thing to be cut off
the bill of fare.
Work by Women.
However. let me call attention
TO what is being done by the House
wives League OF Boston, the Wom-
ans League of Philadelphia, and the
Woman's Club OF Chicago. as well as
several other ORGANIZATIONS in other
cities The first article of COM
sumption to receive attention was
that of eggs, and in all of these
cities markets We're established and
thousands of dozens of eggs were
sold last week at 24c a dozen-a re-
duction of 10c per dozen; in most
places the retail dealers were com
PEELED to meet the cut and hundreds
of homes were supplied with this
product. The jobbers and farmers
have provided the eggs at about lSc
per dozen and the profit has been
&c, which the ladies' claim is ample
for any market The commission
combine had millions of dozens in
storage. holding for a higher price.
and this sale brought them out, else
they would have been in the hands
of the storage firms when the hens
began laying I'm The spring. The la
1iaC 1nf Ia, l.
on the high price of butter and other
items of food.
In Denver retail apple market
has been established by Paonia ap-
pie growers, and they are being sold
by the box, car or the single apple.
The representative from Delta coun-
ty, Hon. C. C. Hawkins, Is heavily
interested in his movement If sue
cessful in Denver they will establish
selling agencies in other cities. The
aim is to give the common people
plenty of fruit ut a price within reach
and yet leave a good margin for the
grower.
The situation is one of great sig
nifieance to The fruit grover, be-
cause of the TACT that there is going
to be very heavy increase in the
acreage of ha8ring orchards every
year-an incra use that will appalI
these who have not been readng
closely; then The eastern orchards
are being cared for q great deal bet
ter and this Is resulting in a larger
output of the best grades of apples.
so that we must get ready to meet
the heavy competition in the high
priced markets We must strive 10
reduce the o1st of production, cut
out the undaztarble varieties in our
orchards and aither use cur cheap
grade or lcr 4. go to waste in the
orchards. When the cost of handling
the fruit is nIualized by charge
for handling lat will make the cheap
stuff pay as much as the extra fancy
we shall not hn able to sell the poor
er grade at urofit, and the per cent
of this grade will be reduced as it
should he
VIII Use Agents.
If understood this proposed sell
ing plan, /, Is Intended to place
agents on tE0 Dad to sell the fruit di-
rect to-the re,ailers and in case none
can be induced to buy, then to ar
range for lOCa. men to establish sell
ing markets. There is also the in
tent 10 widcg the scope of organize
ton as rapidly as possible 50 as TO
include all hos growing districts 10
control the markets and prevent con-
petition by consignments Manifest
ly, to meet with the greatest degree
of success it must be extended a good
deal farther than to the Grand juno
tion association, although we might
organize a cling agency and place
agents in the field to sell our own
output, but that plan alone will not
appeal to the large mapority and we
must have the entire western slope
In srch a n,0Eemput inst nc unnadiIv