Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-04-29
APPLES ARE STILL
VERY plentiful
Figures Show That the Storaaes ,-
April First We're Well
Filled

FRf'a a'SA ~lN wei
Filled.
The condition of the apple marie.
is a matter of grave concern to t..-
growers and dealers all over the conn.,
try. The report OF cold storage t.-5
ings of apples on April /, recent
sued by the U. S. department 70. ~.
riculture, gives some figures eh-.
probably will cause all dealers ir.a-.
ested in the crop to speed DID ,.
movement of this fruit in a mos ...
orous way. This report. which NO..
compiled in the Office Of Markets arF
Rural Organization. shows that OH t.s
first of the present month there H.~.
approximately Al per cent more aap,..
in cold storage than at the same data
one year ago, and the season OF 1s1l
Is was one Of unusually heavy praa.a.
ton. Figures from APT storages #..f
cate that nearly 80 per cent of ra
apples which were placed in cold -,.-
age by December l, 1915, were sim
there on April l waiting to be con.
sumed.
Hope that this Will be back4arI
spring is general among apple d.a
ers, for as long as cold days cousn.a
free movement of the fruit is moro
certain. However. let warm Wcaf..-
come to stay and, judging by e<a.-
fences of the past, apple sales a..
very likely to decrease rapidly.
Doubtless there are several reason.
FOR the present conditions. The far.
that the past seasons CONNER
commercial crop was considerably
smaller than that of year ago lol
to expectation on the part Of grower.
and dealers alike, last fall that the
prospective market would be much
stronger than has actually proven rae
case. AS a result, much stock cham
ed hands at values in excess Of those
which marketing conditions since
show were warranted. This caused
higher opening prices than in 1914
and naturally slowed up the moga.
ment. Neither growers nor dealers
who held the fruit seemed inclined To-
push sales with the vigor that vas
displayed the previous year. when
they had an enormous crop to mar.
liet, and the result was that large
quantities OF apples were put into
cold storage with the hope that the
winter and spring markets would
strengthen sufficiently to allow mar,
gin of profit. In spite of the fact that
asst falls commercial crop was est.
mated around ten million barrels
short of the previous one, the amount
placed in cold storage exceeded that
stored in 1914 by about 1875 per cent.
A second explanation is found in the
fact that exports of apples from the
ports of the United States alone uD
to March /, 1916, We're 669,566 bar
'els less than for similar period lasl
season, and April reports are expect
I'd to show a much larger difference.
Had the normal export traffic in al
lles prevailed, the amount of stock on
land in this country would be con.
siderabiy smaller.
Ia recent brief survey Of apple
oriees in several large markets the
sollowing facts were evidenced.
Present wholesale prices on barfelcd
stock are very reasonable. Iii fact.
N many places wholesale dealers are
selling below cost when storage
charges are considered. Investigal
Ilons made on the same day in New
York, Chicago, Boston, PHILADELPHIA.
Pittsburgh, and Buffalo showed that
No. cold storage Baldwins ana
6renings were ranging from $3.50 10
$500 per barrel, while Ben DAVIS
we're bringing from $1.75 to $3.50 in
practically every market. Last fall
ouyers in New York state paid the
growers on an average of $500 for
No BaldWins and Greetings. and
" IN for Ron Davis /,
point. Adding to these prices a fair
average seasonal storage charge of
10 cents per barrel, and from % to
20 cents barrel for freight and hand
ing, one can see readily that dealers
apparently are not prohting at pres
INT on many of their apple sales.
The inquiry into retail prices on ap,
9les which was made at the same
grades and varieties, indicates that
while they are not unduly high OK.
cept in very few instances. still they
10 not seem to have decreased pro.
oortionately with wholesale quota.
tions.
Since the wholesale apple dealers
IRE in daily touch, as a rule, with the
'etailers to whom they sell, they APP
year to be the logical factors to Until
tte an apple campaign and stimulate
ne interest Of the grocers, fruit
stand dealers, hucksters. and other
'etall agencies. The wholesalers in
.wo large markets have organized al.
1eady and raised fund to secure de.
alrable publicity. If the dealers in
other markets would follow their "a,
ample and carry out an adequate adj.
yertlsing campaign in the press and
n all stores handling apples, the re-
suits should be very helpful to all
eoncerned-grower, dealer and con
sumer.