Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-06-24

Recently Miles c. Shorey, repre-
ssrting the Manufacturers Record,
Baltimore, visited Martinsburg for
the purpose Of getting acquainted
with the Fruit Exchange. So impress
cd was he with its workings and the
benefits the fruit growers are deriv-
ing from it. that he sent the follow
ing article, under date of June TO-
to his paper:
3 securing in its first year of OPP
Grafton the best prices ever received
for apples in Berkeley county. West
Virginia. the Martinsburg Fruit Elk
change thoroughly demonstrated the
great value of Southern growers of
fruit and vegetables marketing their
products through cooperative central
selling organizations.
Before the organization Of the ex-
change, in June of last year, it was
the custom for buyers to go from or
chard to orchard, and naturally pay
ing for the fruit the lowest price
necessary. They also had to put their
own graders in charge of the pack
satisfactory method both for the buy
er and theg rover. When the ex-
mi inv Il To- nIt Oh -A
ed a system of standardizing and
classifying the packing of apples and
work. This standard packing has not
only enabled the growers to secure
better prices, but also has made it
possible for buyers to purchase large
quantities of apples of standard size
In discussing the features of the
exchange and its methods of opera
ton and in touching upon the subject
o. fruit growing in Berkeley county,
President H L. Alexander of the ex-
change said:
"a number of the prominent grow
ers decided in the summer Of 1915
to get together and organize AN ex.
change for the benefit of the fruit
growers. We realized that the fruit
industry was big thing in this
county, and was going to grow larger
with each season, inasmuch as the
bulk of the trees are comparatively
young. We also realized that the
growers did not have time to look
after the selling of their fruit dur
ing the picking season. In June, 1915,
the Martinsburg Fruit Exchange was
organized and it handled a large part
Of the apples during the past season,
and obtained for the apples as much
as S3,25 per barrel f. o. b. loading sta
ton in Berkeley county. This was
the best price that had ever been
received for apples, and we feel sure
that the exchange had a great deal
to do with bringing about this condi-
ton. Especially, as earlier in the
season, before the apples were pick
ed, buyers were around offering 81
barrel for apples, and later went up
to $3.50 before they could get any,
and in some instances paid more for
some varieties outside of the ex-
change. Had not the exchange been
started, we feel quite sure that the
puIk of the apples would have been
soid IN the fall of 1875 for 81 per
barrel.
The exchange inaugurated a sys
TEN Of sending out capable men, who
superintendent the packing of the
apples in the orchard, and thus the
exchange was able to guarantee the
pack and this helped a great deal to
get better price. We also found
mat the best class of buyers pre-
Ierred to deal through the exchange,
-or the reason that they could get
o'VoO or 10000 or even $4,000 barrels
ol certain variety and of similar
PACK and thereby save the expense
u sending agents from orchard to
orcisard, and also of having their
sraders in the orchard, which had
oeeh the custom in the past.
There has been a survey of the
oichards in Berkeley county by the
aerleultural department of the state,
.ocated at the university, and they
i0und that there were over 100000
apple trees in this county. This means
nat when these trees have obtained
,"elr null size it is possible for them
~ average five barrels to a tree
1'olne trees have had as many as Is
1a'rels) which will mean $500, 900
Daiieis OF apples. and putting the
p,ice low, say 50, means an income
" So'OOO,OOO to this county alone. This
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