The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-25
TRADE APPLES FOR COTTON;
VIRGINIA FRUIT IN DIXIE
Swapping One Product for Another
Helps Two Sections and Beats
Begging.
MOVEMENT GETTING STARTED
Virginia Orchardist's Idea Approved
by Georgia Cotton Makers-Busi-
ness Already in Operation, and
May Reach Immense Proportions.

The ..buy-a- bale" movement Is still
being discussed all over the country
and action has been taken In numerous
cities OF the country. notably Richmond.
So far tho buy -hogshead PROPOSE
ton, referring to dark shipping tobac-
cos that have been knocked almost
completely out by the European war.
j has. made no Roadway. However. the
tobacco has not been cured and pack ed
In the hogsheads yet and the move
ment may not be dead by good deal.
The buy barrel suggestion. re-
ferring. OF course. to the Virginia ap-
plo crop, which has received a severe
blow from the war. seems to be meet
Ing with responses. Now comes a propo-
sition that looks more like business and
certainly has none of the charity taste
about 1t. 1t is n proposition to swap
apples for cotton. The down-South cot
ton growers are extensive consumers Of
the Virginia winesaps and Albermarle
pippins. but this year their orders are
necessarily small and the fruit growers
are already feeling the effects of this
condition.
G. c. Starcher, assistant Horticulture
LIST of the Virginia Polytechnic Insti-
tute and the owner OF orchards In AL
bemarle County, Is the originator Of this
swapping and trading idea and not only
originated It but has set the bail to
rolling. Mr.. Starcher writes the In
dustria1 Section:
For month past 1 have been in
vestigating the feasibility of trading
Virginia apples for Southern cotton.
have written n number OF business
firms. private citizens. chambers Of COM
merce and others In the South. telling
them OF the difficulty the Virginia fruit
growers are having I'm disposing of our
: apple crop. due largely to the inability
Of the Southerners to convert their cot
ton into the necessary cash to buy our
apples. 1 suggested that our fruit
growers would doubtless be glad to de-
liver good sound apples at reasonable
! figures. taking in exchange, warehouse
receipts for cotton. The plan met with
instant approval and i have made my
! initial shipment OF Virginia apples to
! be exchanged for Georgia cotton. This
shipment went to a firm In Millen, Ga.
and my next Will go to Columbus. Ga"
The Cham Der of commerce of Columbus
has taken most enthusiastically to Mr..
Starcher's idea and will doubtless get
| many Georgia houses interested in this
swapping proposition.
RICHMOND GETS INTERESTING
IN SWAPPING IDEA
Mayor Ainsiie and the cold storage
warehouse people of. Richmond hearth
~ approve the plan and are doing all
In their power to push 1t along. The
mayor. has suggested to. Mr.. Starcher,
and through him to the apple growers
generally. that n part of this business
might be co-ordinated with the work
of the buy "a bale" committee of this
city. The chambers OF commerce or
boards of trade of Lynchburg. Stanton
charlottesville, Harrisonburg. Roanoke
and Winchester will doubtless take a
| hand .-iHs the eInovenent and .they-scan
help the, thing along wonderfully il
they will go at Il right tits very cer-
tain that unless some plan Is worked
/ out for disposing, of the apple crop. SO
much OF which is usually shipped to
i Europe. many thousands of the apples
will go to the rot pilo" before the
winter Is over. No better plan to get
this surplus fruit to the consumer could
! be suggested than this swapping. and
, trading OF the same. 1t might possibly
he carried to other things than cotton.
Certain II is that the proposition strikes
the average Southerner as something
better than begging Uncle Sam and
everybody else to come TO the nelp or
the distressed. Padding ones own
canoe by the trade and barter method
beats begging all hollow.