Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-12-01

ably run a little ahead of the apple
value: the millers are reckoning on
a full crop this year,-or 400. 900 bush
eis,-and are paying about 2.10 per
bushel, putting the total up TO some.
thing over $500 900.
Improvements Necessary.
The necessity for reaping the ap-
pie crop in a hurry, together with the
scarcity of labor during Ghe season,
and the ever present danger of bad
weather to spoil the fruit, led to the
introduction on one of the orchards
this year of the bonus or piece
plan" for picking fruit. whereby the
grower paid so much per barrel in
stead of paying a daily wage. He Of
fered ten cents per barrel: with that
inducement some of the men Just
doubled their working capacity. The
grower also found It a means of dis.
tinguishing between THE worker and
the drone; he was able, so he claim
ed, to work all days because wet
weather only drove him from the field
to the packing shed where his fruit
was being stored. and he saved food
costs by finishing up early. The sue
cess Of the plan. so 1t is unders God,
will probably induce a more general
application of it another year.
Another modern help to the fruit
grower in the interest of the quick
movement of fruil has been the in
PRODUCTION of the truck for hauling
the fruit from the orchards to the
stations. One truck, it is claimed, can
do the work Of three four.horse
wagons. in addition to being no ex-
pense while not working.
The demand for apples in the first
part Of the season brought a great
number of buyers 10 this seetion,-
many of them entirely new ITO the
Berkeley County field. Most of the
early sales We're done on a. cash basis,
to buyers on the ground or to I'll
orders taken earlier in the summer.
The fruit-growers, when counting up
their contribution to the wealth of the
county, do not overlook the fact that
their products have been a means of
bringing these outsiders into the coun-
ty, and thereby adding to the income
of otnpr hnainaccac
A Future Apple Center.
Basing their claims on the produc-
ton this year, those acquainted with
apple conditions generally make the
statemenp that Berkeley County,
along with the territory Immediately
around ii, is destined to be, within
the next ten years. The greatest apple
center OF the country, New York not
being excepted, The one condition put
On the statement is that the industry
here will market all the fruit instead
of raising fine fruit only. as is done
in the western orchards.
Frederick County, Virginia, outranks
Berkeley in outpul of apples, and in
acreage of apples will probably con
tinue to take the lead. The other coun-
ties in the apple belt running along
the Cumberland Valley and thence
down through the valley of Virginia
constitute the section from which the
growers are expecting to get this lead
in the industry OF the country.
Most OF the apple crop is moved
over the Cumberland Valley railroad
because practically all the big or
chards are along nhat line. Inwood is
the loading point for the most of the
orchards on the C. "; North Noun
tain usually takes second place in
point OF quantity moved, and Martins
burg third. Tablers, where John IN.
Miller's cooling and packing plant is
located. takes fourth although con
fined almost 10 one grower.
Reports recently indicated that a
great part OF the apple crop of the
SOuhty WOuiu DC put lHtu storage,
waiting for higher prices in the win.
ter. Investigation discloses the fact
that not more than ten per cen OF
the crop is put into storage by the
growers,-or not more, in this year,
than $4,000 barrels at the outside.
Some growers haul to cooling houses
where they grade and pack at their
leisure, sometimes running the work
up until the first OF the year; but
such methods are not storage" in
the strict sense of the word, it is
said.
The Larger Growers.
A list of the crops for this year,
estimated in round numbers only. is
given below; the bulk apples are bar,
relied in the estimate.
john Miller ...t..... .l7OOt