The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1913-02-20

Because my personal sympatnies
had always been strongly with the
grower and because had knowledge
OF many and fragrant abuses of the
growers confidence on the part Of
middlemen. this statement seemed not
only startling to me but decidedly
hard to accept Here was big grow
er. with a national reputation and \
trademark that sold his product at n
fancy price. who was apparently tell
ing tales out OF school. Were the facts
back of these charges2 accepted his
challenge and kept a weather eye op-
en- for facts that would bear directly
upon his Indictment
A little later, as was about to pass
one OF the best retail fruit stores IN
Chicago. / was stopped by a striking
display In its wIndow-an overturned
bushel basket. clean and white. spill
] ing toward the street. upon the leaf
! strewn floor of the window space. It's
load OF Duchess apples Instantly l
knew where the fruit had been grown.
for each apple bore upon its richly
striped cheek the sun-stenciied trade
mark OF the grower. Entering the
store, I made n purchase and said 10
the proprietor: That's a fine display
OF C-'s apples. Do you use gooi
many of thcm;"
-Yes.- he answered: they're fancy
always. OF oour.e they cost n lot
more than other Duchess apples from
Michigan. but I've never found n dis-
appointment in a single basket from
that man He's built up brand that
gets the money all right All want
to know is that his name is on the
basket and he gets my money
Il suppose you handle a great many
Michigan apples suggested his caller
winter apples rs well as this sum
mer fruit
Not on your life,- came the quick
response. And that isn't because
they don't grow good apples in Mschi-
gan: in fact. it's hard to beat MIchi-
gan apple for flavor anywhere in the
United States They're not far behind
the best in size or color either. There
isn't where the trouble comes in. Ma
ture has done about her level best
for the Michigan apple-but some
growers have done their level wors,
TO an extent that makes the retail buy
er having n high-ciass trade a little
shy. l don't mean by this that all
Michigan growers put up a crooked
pack or shoddy pack-they don't-but
do mean that some of them have
been doing one or the other for long
enough time. and consequently the
careful buyer who caters to a fancy
trade is apt to look with suspicion on
anything with the Michigan trade
mark.
There are carloads OF Duchess just
as fine as those In my window grown
In Michigsn-and | could buy them n
whole lot cheaper than C-'s apples.
But there are two reasons why don't
bother with them. haven't the time
to sort large quantities of apples. In
the first place: again. a customer oft
en- wants an unbroken package-jast
as II comes from the orchard. Either
reason Is sufficient to make me feel
that I can't AFFORD to fool with any
thing from over there. unless know
the Individual grower and have posi-
tive proof that he viii not let box.
q barrel or basket OF apples leave
his packing-housc II II h not up to
grade In every particular. came to
handle this growers stun because
fancy. early summer apples are hard
to get and easy to sell. Then this
man convinced me that he knew how
To grade and pack his stun. and that
he knew Il was worse than fooliah to
depart from that standard by : nair's
breadth After that - didat nssd =