The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-01-16
FREEZE in SOUTH
AIDS FRUIT MARKET

(By Hyman NJ. Cohen. in the Port
land JournaD
The i'll wind that caused the destruc-
tion of great portion of the citrus
crop of California was not without its
aid TO general fruit conditions.
The destruction of the orange crop
means greater demand for apples and
with the greatest crop in the history
of the United States awaiting a mar
ket, the results would indicate more
benefits to the general trade than the
| loss Of the California crop.
With a great crop of oranges TO com
pete for trade. there was but little
hope OF marketing a great per cent of
| this seasons apple crop at any price.
| Since the season started the trade
generally has been stagnant. Com
pared with the total output, sales to
date have been remarkably small and
The prices obtained have in no measure
made up for the loss of demand.
Values in the apple trade to date this
season have been remarkably low and
even then the trade has insisted upon
getting better quality than ever be-
fore.
Perhaps the worst feature of the ap.
pie trade this season has been the
great output of small sized fruit. When
apples are cheap there is always a
greater demand for the large sizes.
When they are high the small fruit
suffices.
Apples have run to smaller size this
year than ever before known. The
entire worlds market is filled with
small fruit and everywhere values are
the lowest in decade.
Now with the big orange crop out of
the way and fear expressed by the
trade that much of the stock that will
| indications point to hetterment Of
apple market trading.
There are more apples held in storae
e at various points in the east 1T th
r present time than the total crop OF th
j country during normal years. This
/. a condition that has acted against th
I trade to a very considerable degree
With so much fruit in sight 1t was bu
. natural that buyers should purchase
only their immediate requirements be
e cause of the expectation of lower prices
, to come. The situation had beer
$ greatly aggravated by the reports o.
the greatest orange crop, but with thii
r out of the way the situation brightens
To the minds of the trade generally
e the apple business has been hurt mucl
by the greater abundance of yellow
s fruit. While there is always gooC
Y call from American points for red ap
e Piles, it is only in Europe that consid
e cradle portion of the yellow stock Il
D consumed. Ibis years offerings abroad
0 have been so great that the trade there
e has been greatly handicapped and con
e trary to general former conditions, the
e red fruit has shown an inclination tC
lead even the yellow stock in England
e There is no doubt that some other
q means must be secured to dispose oil
$ the yearly increasing output of apples
at Pacific northwest points. The ori-
e ent is probably the point to which the
v trade must turn for relief. Up to this
Z time the business there has beer
y scarcely7scratched'and more aggressive
methods would certainly bring out
: much heavier orders.
d Apple market prices are at such low
r basis that the orient could be induced
to purchase literally if proper connec.
tions we're made b, American associa.
! tions with native interests in China anC
] Japan. Russia has always been par
e tiaI to American apples, but little heec
has as yet been paid to the trade there
. outside of small orders for the best
5 quality.