Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-24
APPLES ARE PLENTIFUL.
Figures Show Storage on April I Held
Some For Every Family. II;

Some For Every Family. 4.
| Washington, April 24.--The condition
Of the apple market Is a matter of
grave concern to both growers and
dealers all over the country. The re-
| port of cold storage holdings Of apples
on April l., recently issued by the
United States department sof agricul-
, ture, gives some figures which probably
! will cause all5dealers interested In the
crop to speed up the movement OF this
! fruit in most vigorous way. This re-
| port, which was compiled in the office
of markets and rural organization,
shows that on the first of the present
month there We're approximately "A per
cent more apples in cold storage than
at the same date one year ago, and the
season OF 1914-15 was one Of unusually
! heavy production. Figures from AT
storages indicates that nearly 33 per
cent Of the apples which were placed in
cold storage by Dec. !, 1915, was still
there on April l waiting to be con-
sumed.
Hope that this will be a backward
spring is general among apple dealers.
for as long as cold days continue free
movement of the fruit is more certain.
However. let warm weather come 10
stay and judging by experiences Of the
past, apple sales are very likely to de-
crease rapidly.
Doubtless there are several reasons
for the present conditions. The fact
that the past seasons commercial crop
was considerably smaller than that of
year ago led to expectation on the
part Of growers and dealers alike last
fall, that the prospective market would
be much stronger than has actually
proven the case. AS a result, much
stock changed hands at values in eX-
cess of those which marketing condi-
tons since show were warranted. This
caused higher opening prices than in
1914 and naturally slowed up tho
movement. Neither growers nor deal
erS who hold the fruir seemed inclined
to push sales with the vigor that was
displayed the previous year. when they
mad an enormous crop to market. 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 a margin OF profit. In spite
Of the fact that last falls commercial
crop was estimated around 100000
barrels short of the previous one, the
amour: placed in cold storage exceeded
that stored in 1914 by about l3.5 per
cent.
a second explanation is found in the
fact tina, exports OF apples from the
ports of the United States alone up 10
March l, 1916. were 669,366 barrels less
than for a similar period last season.
and April reports are expected to show
a much larger difference. Had the nor
mai export traffic in apples prevailed.
the amount Of stock on hand in this
country would be considerably smaller.
In a recent brief survey Of apple
prices in several large markets the fol-
lowing facts We're evidenced: Present
wholesale PRICES on barreled stock are
very reasona Bile. In - Tact, lin many
places Wholesale dealers are selling be-
low cost when storage charges are con-
sidcred. Invest ga tiGfis made On the
same day in New York Chicago. Bos-
ton. Philadelphia. Pittsburgh. and But
falo showed that No. I cold storage
Baldwins and Greetings were ranging
from $3.50 TO SO per Barrel, while Ben
Davis were bringing from s1.75 TO $3.50
in practically every market. Last fall
buyers in New York state paid the
growers on an average OF $3 for NO.
Baldwins and GreeniFlgs and $2la5 for
Ben Davis.Hf: o. b. shipping point Add
ing to thesp prices a fair average SEA-
sonal storage charge Of As cents per
barrel and from % to 50 cents a barrel
for freight and handling, one can see
readily that dealers apparently are not
protiting at present on many OF their
apple sales.