Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-09-14
WON'T YOU help
DEFEAT KAISER?
Then Use More Apples This Fall
So Meat and Wheat May
Be Sent Abroad.
Federal Food Administration plans
to Aid Hortleulturists Market
Great Fruit Crop Among
American People,

Word has gone forth that America
must use all of her great apple crop
this year in order to save wheat and
meat for the support of our allies In
war against Germany. Uncle Sam Is
taking keen interest I'm the fruit har"
vest OF 1917, because 1t is vital to vic
tory, and through the food administra-
tiOn Is planning a vast consumer cam
paign" that will create an UMPIRE
cedented demand for apples for home
use.
This years apple crop calls for In
telllgent handling. The latest govern
ment reports indicate a crop of about
1901 600, 1000 bushels. That is a 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 APP
plies abroad, because shipping space is
precious, we should be able to get fair
prices for all good apples at home.
Careless packing of poor quality
fruit has always been n of the chief
causes Of market instability and I'M
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 n is going to
be. Growers have V been able to
get together and engage and finance
a national educational campaign
among consumers to increase apple
consumption. This year the situation
makes it necessary for the United
States government, through the food
administration, to conduct a 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.
l. 1t is a good crop and calls for
care.
3. The government will encourage
apple eating and apple storage and
will discourage speculation that raises
the price abnOrmally.
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 it must be
picked carefully at the time of ma
turity and promptly cooled in tenn
porary storage, and then skillfully
graded and packed. S%econd-grade
fruit should not go into barrels OF
boxes. If it cannot be marketed In
bulk in nearby consuming centers
then it should be worked up into by.
products along with the culls.
There has been a gratifying i'm
provement in apple marketing the pas
two or three years. Western apples
are boxed to strictly honest standards
by the great cooperative growers or
CARNATIONS in Washington, Oregon
California, Idaho and Colorado. The
eastern barrel apple has also beer
wonderfully improved in New Yorl
and other states. Because apples are
honestly packed and give the best pos
sible value for the money, there Is al
increase in the consumer demand. Re
tail merchants who were formerly al
most afraid to buy apples in barrels
because they were not sure of gettini
marketable values for their money
, are now buying freely and in conf
dence. This good work makes 1t pos
sible for the government to go furthe
and encourage the use Of apples as
wartime food measure.
Because the bulk of the crop will b
picked by volunteer workers this yeaI
and put into common storage until tn
! grower can find time TO grade an
pack, there will be an opportunity t
give closer personal attention to IN
grading and packing than might be TIA
? case If the crop were handled as Il
> peace times. For the grower who dc
, slres instructions in apple packing, tn
: department of agriculture at Wash
b ingtOn has information in bulletl
form. These bulletins can be secure
y free by writing to the department.
Growers will do well to obtain Il FEY
+ copies for their pickers and packers.
i ikelv TaIe-