Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1913-09-04
Should North
Western Apple
GroUers Ship
In Barrels? ?
Rogue River Grower Proposes That
Plan, Northwestern Fruit Exchange
Approve 1t, and Fruit Distributors
Speak Up in Sharp Condemnation.

Resolved That the North Pacific
Fruit Distributors go on record as un-
alterably opposed to the marketing
of northwest apples in barrels"
This curt resolve, adopted at
bctFrd meeting Monday in Spokane,
is given emphatic expression as an
tndi-ft answer to well meaning, but
in the opinion of the managers of
the Fruit Distributors, none the less
unwise efforts of the Portland office
of the Northwestern Fruit Exchange
to encourage apple growers in the
movement to pack CO. grade fruit
for the eastern barrel trade.
The Northwestern Fruit Exchange,
privately controlled marketing ag-
ency, having offices in Portland, but
directed by it's chief stockholder from
Pittsburg, Pa, is given wide distribu-
tion in circular form to the views of
c. E. Wheeler of the Rogue River
valley of Oregon.
81 believe" says Mr.. Wheeler,
that the solution to the problem
would be to pack the avreage grade
of apples in barrels. This would
lessen the expense of getting it to
the customer to a considerable de-
gree"
Barrel expense about the same
,N as boxing.
,e) As matter of fact, however, it
would cost the northwest growers
substantially as much, if not more,
pound for pound, to market his ap-
ples in barrels as in boxes. The
freight rate would be the same, 81
per hundred, whether shipped in bcx
or barrel, and the cost of the pack
age would be more in the barrel
than in box.
New York growers pay 80 cents
for their barrels in quantities and
the price is based on large demand.
There are practically no barrel fac
tories in the Inland Empire and none
on the coast that could supply ap-
pie barrels with their present equip
ment. 1t is doubtful if barrels could
be had in the Inland Empire for less
than SIS. The price would be near
er 81 even if they could be had at
all.
A barrel holds the equivalent OF
three and a half boxes of apples, so
the cost to the grower if he could
obtain barrels at S.75, would be 21c
for the quantity of apples that now
goes into a box.
MANAGER Robbins Enters Vigorous
Protest.
Manager ]. H. Robbins of the Fruit
Distributors is emphatically Opposed
TO the suggestion that growers eX-
pertinent with the barrel package.
Use of the barrel, he believes would
be seized upon by those who seek
to avoid the high standard of grade
and pack, which in equal degree with
quality, has bee one of the prime
factors in popularizing and making
possible the great apple industry
of the Northwest.
''In view of the millions of capital
invested and the tens of thousands
of families wholly dependent upon
the fruit industry" said Manager
Robbins. "it would be next to Grim
inal to make available and invite
thrGHgh the use of barrel package
and substantial relaxation of the
best high standard of grade, pack
and package, which more than all
else combined, is responsible for the
prestige and popularity of the north
a, western boxed apple"
e ~ Manager Robbins points out that
the freight on barrel of apples from
the northwest would be s1.75, while
the average price of barreled apples
in the eastern markets is only $3.50
II is readily seen that if we deduct
the freight rate of S1.75, plus SIZE
for the barrel, plus the necessary ex
pense of marketing, the grower
would have little left for his three
and a half boxes of apples.
Dancer of Gravitatins to the Barre
Basis.
'Do the growers of the northwes
welcome this prospect?" asked Mr.
Robbins. l believe not. The introduc
tion of such a package, in my judg
ment. would cause the whole apple
industry of the northwest to gravi
tate to barrel basis. Even were
n otherwise desirable, the freigh
rates are against us and 1t woulC
he idle folly to attempt its introduc
ton.
"Barreled apples, as is generall'