The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-01-21
PUBLICATION GIVES
APPLE MEN ADVICE
lErom the PaekeT.l

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associations that returned such fancy
nrices 10 the growers on last year $
short crop? What's the matter with
ample holders who are making so little
effort to broaden the demand for the
large holdings of fancy quality stock
now 10 storage?
Last year when stocks were short and
the demand good there was no trouble
TO sell apples and the growers we're so
tiekIed over the prices they realized
that they just could not refrain from
Mating on the back their respective
marketing agencies, which distributed
the fruit. Ii certainly was a most
gratifying situation from the sellers
Standpoint to sit down and wait for the
buVers TO come around unbidden, hand
over the cash and say thank you for
being allowed to buy. This, OF course,
is looking at last year from the grow
ers' and sellers standpoint. Buyers
who got badly crippled financially by
paying too much for last years short
apples have another story.
But this year it Is different. All are
agreed that apples are not moving fast
enough. Ii is true that once IN awhile
an apple holder will be found who will
assert that the market is good and the
movement good; but in such cases the
desire fathers the thought and an apple
man who talks this way does not be-
lieve it but is merely whistling to keep
up courage. II is evident that the
present dragRy condition is due at
least in part to lack of energy and
broad. .Ruaged saesmanship on the part
of some Of the holders who, apparently,
got cold feet when they realized the
unusual task before them this year, of
hunting the buyer instead of the buyer
hunting for them. The situation de-
mands push and vim and steadfast
purpose to make the public eat four
cheap apples this season where one
high. priced apple was eaten last year.
There Is no time to lose in which to
create a demand among that great
army of consumers who. during periods
of high prices, lost the art of apple
eating.
Every once in a while one hears an
otherwise capable business man who
has so or 500 cars Of apples to dispose
of saying: al am not telling anyone
of my holdings, lest it have tendency
to bear the marke, but am gradually
working the fruit off in quiet and
confidential way and hope to complete
the operation before the season is
over" Is that kind OF an apple man
any good to the industry? Does he
create any demand or is he sort Of
apple chair warmer.
Unfortunately. there are lots of apple
holders who are pursuing this gum-shoe
method of slipping up on the buyers
unawares. They seem to be afraid to
let the world know that they have ap-
Piles to sell. Instead of using a power
full searchlight in their quest for buy
ers, they are going about with candle
stick. So far, the apple campaign this
season has been conducted just as If
the apple owners were afraid to let all
the world know that apples are cheap,
good and plentiful.
Ii farmer cOntemplates having a
public sale, what does he do? Did you
ever hear of him going around telling a
few neighbors of the sale in confidence,
stopping at that, and then waiting for
results on the day of the sale? Rather
doesn't he placard the cross roads and
the county papers and doesn't he shout
it from the housetop that sale is tc
be held and that buyers will be in de.
mand to grab the bargains? He is not
afraid that too many buyers will de.
press the sale.
There is nothing the matter with the
apple deal except that holders and dis.
tributors, to too large extent, have
taken to the woods and appear to be
ashamed or afraid to confess to buyers
that they have holdings to market
How many of our great apple associa
tions that crowed so long and loud last
year about returns to their growers
are turning a hand to create new de.
mand and increase the outlet? And OF
all years, isn't this the year when bic
holdings and cheap prices should be
preached through the mediums of sales
men and printers ink? If the world:
army of consumers once learns that ap
Piles are cheap, no power can stop THEN
clamorirg demand, and the price viii
take care of itself TO the entire salts
faction of both the grower and holder
Growers should find out now what il
any effort their agents, the associa
tions, are doing towards reaching ou
/ to find new and undiscovered possible
outlets. 1t argues bad for apples
| when all hands. while recognizing thu
necessity of push and energy, are con.
tent to let the other fellow do all the
needed work. In such cases there il
no other fellow, the work is left un
done and apple distributors become
mere order takers when orders are of
fered, rather than statesmen.
There are some live wires in the ap
pie deal and they are working hard anC
effectively to spread and broaden the
demand and they are doing everything
/ possible to "horn the consumer into
this great feed lot of plentiful apples. >
This thing of marketing apples, how
ever, is a big job and 1t cannot be done
/ by few men any more than the grea'
wheat or corn crops can be handled thai
way. The difficulty with apple market
ing is that there are far too many as
/ sociation managers who shout. "Set
what did," when they make high
! priced sales during seasons of scarcity
/ but who hide their lights under thu
bushel when there is year with a sur
plus. Such operators are not only al
worthless and useless to the apple dea
as the appendix is to the human body
but they are really detriment, in that
they stand in the way and occupy the
position that should be held by wide
awake statesmen.
1t is high time the apple grower.
should relegate to antiquity this gum
shoe method. How is the trade t.
know apples are cheap and how is the
consumer to be put wise without beinl
told? How can you tell them without
an apple preacher? Salesmanship EN-
braces a multitude of branches and i:
an ingenious element. 1t is high time
for an active selling campaign and thi:
should embla ace the assistance of ever,
known and undiscovered selling device
a word to the wise should be sufficient
The apple holder should know that the
fruit he does not place in the winter