Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-09-07
UNCLE SAM TAKES
KEEN INTEREST IN
1877 APPLE CROP
Our Big Fruit Harvest Must Be
Used to Help Save Wheat
and Meat for Allies.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION PLANS
"consumer Campaign" Throughout the
Land to Aid In Home Consumption
During Autumn, Winter and
Spring Of Next Year.

Uncle Sam takes the keenest inter-
est In this years apple crop For the
fruit must be used to help save wheat
and meats for our allies.
The food administration Is planning
consumer campaign Of publicity
throughout the country.
This years apple crop calls for In
telllgent handling. The latest govern
ment reports indicate a crop Of about
1900O0,000 bushels. That is little
below normal. Good prices are assured
for all honestly packed, first quality
apples, and also for honestly packed.
selected second grades, which govern
ment experts say can be put into stor-
age. When the crop is big 1t does not
pay to store second grades, but this
year, despite the fact that We cannot
ship our usual 100000 barrels of ap-
pies abroad, because shipping space is
precious, we should be able to get fair
prices for all good apples at home.
Careless packing Of poor q1dllty
fruit has always been one Of the chief
causes Of market instability and un-
satisfactory prices to the growers.
This year the whole apple Industry Is
cooperating to remove this market
handicap. There has never been an
apple year such as this one is going to
be. Growers have never been able to
get together and engage and finance
national educational campaign
among consumers to increase apple
consumption. This year the situation
makes II necessary for the United
States government, through the food
administration, to conduct consum-
er's campaign Of publicity on behalf Of
the apple. This campaign will begin
while the crop Is being sent to market,
and will probably continue until the
last apple Is eaten up late next spring.
SO the grower has three great incen-
tives for grading, packing and storing
this crop with especial care.
!. 1t is a good crop and calls for
care.
2. The government will encourage
apple eating and apple storage and
will discourage speculation that raises
the price abnormaily.
8. We must eat up at home more
than two million barrels Of apples,
which would ordinarily be exported.
To get the best of the crop to the
market in prime condition 1t must be
picked carefully at the time OF ma.
iurlty and promptly cooled In tenn
pofary storage, and then sklllfully
graded and packed. Second-grade
fruit should not go into barrels or
boxes. II II cannot be marketed in
bulk In nearby consuming centers,
hen 1t should be worked up into by
PRODUCTS along with the culls.
There has been gratifying i'm.
'rovement In apple marketing the past
wo or three years. Western apples
re boxed to strictly honest standards.
y the great cooperative growers or
anizations In Washington, Oregon,
'allfornia, Idaho and Colorado. The
astern barrel apple has also been
improved In New York
nd other states. Because apples are
onestly packed and give the best pos
ible value for the money, there is an
lcrease In the consumer demand. Re-
nil merchants who were formerly al.
lost afraid to buy apples In barrels
ecause they were not sure of getting
values for their money
re now buying freely and In conf
ence. This good work makes 1t pos
bile for the government to 90 further
nd encourage the use OF apples as
ar-time food measure.
Because the bulk of the crop will be
Icked by volunteer workers this year.
I'D put into common storage until the
rover can find time to grade and
ack. there will be an opportunity to
We closer personal attention to the
aiding and packing than might be the
Use If the crop were handled as in
sace times. For the grower who de-
res instructions in apple packing, the
'partment Of agriculture at Wash.
gton has Information In bulletin
rm. These bulletins can be secured
zee by writing to the department.
towers will do well to obtain few
pies for their pickers and packers.