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

demand was such as to surprise even
the most optimistic sellers. At times
elders have been practically worth
less. this year the inducement to
clean up the grounds was such that
it is safe to say there are very few
appels under trees in any of the or
chards. by hauling the picked apples
into protected and cooling houses,
without taking the time to sort and
grade in the field, it has been Dos
sible to take care of the drops and
the elders. The elders are loaded
just as grain is, in ventilated cars,
on Ehe floor, and shoveled from the
wagon to the car with scoops. The
stun goes into the big vinegar plants.
IA representative of II. ]. Heinz sent a
number of cars out of this section
this year.
The growers are figuring on q net
profit this year greater than in a full
year despite the increase in costs
generally. They argue that hhe in
crease in selling price has more than
kept pace with the increase In the
cost of labor, barrels, food, and so
forth. Ordinarily it costs about forty
cents to pick. pack, and load q barrel
of apples on the wagon in the or
chard; hauling costs have to be fig
ured in addition to that. The price
this year will probably run higher
because of the increase in price in
the things which are necessities TO
The grower.
Exchanges Growing in Popularity.
The bulk of the apples were sold
through the apple exchanges, the
Martinsburg Fruit Exchange handling
the most of the smaller crops and
the Cumberland Fruit Exchange sell
ing the John NJ. Miller and several
other of the larger crops. Fruit grow
putting their fruit more and more into
the hands of the exchanges, after
considerable campaigning on the part
of the latter. The big inducement, of
course, is an increase in price. A big
exchange, so it is claimed, Ia able to
keep in close touch with all the mar
kets; because of this it is able to
give the fruit a greater distribution,
and for that reason put the fruit on
the best markets at the BEST times.
Growers selling independently are
limited in their knowledge OF the
markets; and ii has been known to
happen that an Independent grower
has sold his fruit at a certain price
when the exchange was selling the
same grade of fruit on the same day
at a price more than fifty cents high
er. The variety of markets reached
by the exchanges is evidenced in the
case of one, which sold at different
times during 1.-The eason Berkeley
County fruit at Pensacola, Dallas,
New Orleans, st. Paul, Cedar Rapids,
in addition to covering the usual
eastern markets. The experience of
the growers who have used the ex-
changes, so it is being claimed. will
be likely to induce others 10 fail in
line another year; the wide distribu-
ton, together with a dependable
pack, quoted to good houses in sec.
tons where apples are not grown, has
proven a means of beeIering prices to
the extent of twenty-five tc fifty cents
per barrel.
Il compared with the other crops in
the county at present, the apple in
dustry. in a full year. would yield in
money an excess of several hundred
thousand dollars over wheat, reckon
ed as the nearest competitor. A full
wheat crop, so the millers claim, in
!, Berkeley County, would probably
amount to 100000 bushels. That
amount at two dollars a bushel would
!. make an income of $500 5000. A full
apple crop would give $4,000 bar
rels: at an average price OF two dol
} lars and a half a barrel.-which is
} regarded as a fair average in a full