The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-12-18

l over $50. 900 barrels less than in 1919.
apple men are patiently waiting for q
period Of stesdy selling. The percent
age Of cost for selling on Pier II since
Sept !. has never been 50 high per bar
rel as this year, nor has there ever
been such long period in which fruit
has been sold at so close margin as
has been the case this season. SO far
as the trade lis concerned il has been
mainly a matter Of swapping dollars,
with the buyer having all the advan-
tage. The weather, general business
conditions and the general indifference
in all lines have all combined to main
tain this condition. Statesmen say il
Will only break up with the advent of
stiff, freezing weather.
Generally speaking there has never
been a more optimistic feeling in the
apple trade than today. Not that there
are many who expect to make big
money, but all who have any appreei-
able amount of fruit in cold storage
expect fair profit insspite of the early
predictions Of experienced operators
who have been certain all along that
the orchard price was entirely too
high. There has been unquestionably
much more fruit put away in western
New York that cost over So than under
that figure, so that those who are sell.
ing around 81 and S4.2 25 today are sim.
ply flirting with chance. Until this
fruit gets above S5 there is no safe
margin. Under the most highly organ.
lied distributing system, fruit deliy-
cred to the western New York storage
house costs practically 81 on the cars,
or S4.25 on Pier IL. IL it is handled
once or twice through the store an
other quarter in cost is added, 80 that
the cost price of S4.25 and 81. so is eas.
lily proven even by an amateur.
No matter what the first or even the
inal cost OF the fruit may be. sales
men say Il is now largely matter of
educating the buyer up TO paying the
price. So far any attempt to talk
I.b0 and So on anything under extra
fancy grade has resulted in the most
limited sale, 1t is only when fruit gets
down to a price which the public con.
siders fair that jobbers or retailers can
do any large volume of business. so
that 1t looks like that the apple men
will have their hands full from now on
waging campaign of education d.
rectly among the consumers if thev
expect to get rid of their fruit. The
advertising committee may find their
hands full to wsrk out the 1918 prob
lem. Pne season is not over yet by
long sight. o
Where there were 5000. 600 barrels
IN storage on Dec. l.l9ll, and 5000, 600
on Dec. ]. 1912, experienced apple men
not in the deal this season but who
have followed conditions closely. saw
that the Dec. 10. 1918, report will
probably show holdings equal to at
least go per cent of the 1912 storage.
This woald make about 1880, 900 bar
rels. There are some operators who
believe there are 5000, 900 barrels nut
away. The most extreme low view is
$500. 000o The lightest year in the
past IYe years was 1910. when around
1000, goo barrels were put away, while
The five-year average shows 4, 200, 900.
1t will be recalled that the increase
in common and cold storage of boxed
fruit last year was about 425 per cent
over 1911 on common and rs per cent
on cold. On this basis II the western
fruit is anywhere near 60 per cent of
the 1912 storage, II would naturally be
200 per cent greater than that of 1911
on common storage. All of the west
ern reports. however. show that there
has been a steady selling and that the
movement into consnmptive channels
has been far heavier for the same peri.
cd than any previous season. All
western reports hold that there is not
SO per cent today of the Dee. |. 1912.
storage of boxed goolls.
Western New York apple men are
equally as certain that there is still a
greater shortage in barreaed fruit.
York state shippers claim that they
have moved more cars of apples for the
same period than for any previous
year, but that the fruit has gone did
rectly to buyers In the south. southeast
and middle west, hence it has not made
an appearance in the larger markets
so that there will be general surprise
when the December. report gets out.
These shippers expect the first report
to give the apple market big boost.
They agree the reaction will hurt all
hands. hence the largest Operators are
advising steady selling even where the
profit is small.