The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-16
TIL II "a s. KIN LET 3 3
OUR APPLE CROP

The apple crop this year Is beiievSs
ltosexceed all others In its commercial
IEvalue. While In several former years
4 q large number Of bulk bushels have
been harFeated the commercial eeQ{
/ this yearsis Of higher quality Ths
apple growers were counting upoL
rich results for this year when ths ga!
I announcement OF the war ana tn e
consequent failure OF the European
market came upon them a. thun-
derboIt Last month it looked as
Enough the American apple indlstry
had received heavy setback. WIN
IN: the last two or three weeks. how
ever. the experts have had an op2or-
Etunity to readJust their views. 4
now looks as though the European
war may have the same ultimate hen-
edcial result upon the American ap-
pie growers as upon several other
classes OF producerS.
The reports of the failure of the
European markets had so wide an in
duence few weeks ago that IN some
localities apples were sold It hall
the price they brought last year.
Growers seemed panic stricken with
the wear Of having crops left ON their
hands. 1t has now become apparent
that this fear is practically ground
less As matter OF fsct. Loss than
flve per cent of the commercial apple
crop has ever been exported to Eu-
rope, and expectation Is not entirely
Erhnt on now, as has been feared IL
is estimated that fully half OF the
usual export of apples Will be:t&ken
this year. This will reduce the ex-
cess OF aples remaining in this coun-
try as result of the war to less
than one-fortieth. OF only two ana
sone-half per cent. So small an e1-
cess cannot seriously affect the APP
pie trade. The people Of the United
States could easily utilize an the ap-
pies harvested this year and still eat
less quantity per capita than IN
some preceding years.
1t Is the fall apple crop which was
Influenced by the fright given the
growers by the first war scare. II
is thought the later crops Will not De
affected since it is shown that no
great loss can result from the clos
Ing of the European trade. The
growers have suffered also from tho
general stringency of the money
market. The exaggerated Import
nnce of the European market tnuu-
enced many banks to refuse to lend
money upon apples in storage. Tnis
condition forced some growers TO
sacrifice their fall crop. 1t is now
generally agreed among apple grow
ers that an average price of seventy
FIVE cents per barrel less than last
year may. be found necessary, but as
apple prices have been inflated TOT
q number Of years this reduction can
be made and yet allow reasonable
profit The rumors in circulation
that the price for apples this year
would not pay for barreling ara abb
solutely untrue. except In the case
or very inferior varieties.
The distribution OF American Gp-
pies through Europe has been chiefly
through the agency Of British yes
sells which have supplied limited
quantities to Norway, Sweden. DEN
mark. Holland. Austria, Russia andc
France. Small quantities have been
taken by German vessels to Ham
burg, which is a great apple MARKET
of Central europe. The war has
ended the distribution Of American
apples through Europe, but 1t has not
interfered with the trade with Great
Britain which consumes fully half
the American exports each year and
will continue to do so. Difficulties
of transportation are of course being
encountered but will be overcome.
Every inch Of available space Wni lsn
the apple dealers could secure for
October in outgoing vessels is being
utilized. A larger space has been
contracted for November. Week be-
fore last $4,000 barrels were ship
ped on, English vessels In contrast TO
81. 900 barrels shipped during the
same week Of 1913. The fa1lacy OF
the fear that the Europspn market
would be entirely closed is thus
proved.
Two phases are apparent In the
present apple Situation in this coun !.
try. J. The first is that the European
trade is so unimportant a factor that
1t will cease TO cause any alarm
among the apple growers when all
the conditions are thoroughly. ur-
|derstood The second Is that the
best way to secure to the nation tie
real advantage OF its large apple
crop is to encourage all the people to
eat more apples.
As result OF the unsettled condt-
Itions of the other industries, the
American people are not buying the
usual apple supply this season, a fact
that has, much greater influence In
bringing about the slump in the ap-
pie market than the curtanment OF
the European exports. n factory dis
tricts even though the factories are
running full time. the operatives