The Green Forest tribune., 1917-09-07
UNCLE: SAM TAXES
 KEEN INTEREST IN
 l9l7 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 a consumer campaign of publicity | throughout the country.
 This years apple crop calls for in- | telligent handling. The latest govern ment reports indicate crop of about 190000,000 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 it does not pay to store second grades, but this year, despite the fact that we cannot | ship our usual 100000 barrels of ap- ples abroad, because shipping space is precious, We should be able to get fair prices for all good apples at home.
 Careless packing of poor qil;ility | 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 it necessary for the United | States government, through the food administration, to conduct consum- | CTS 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. It is good crop and calls for care.
 ?. The government will encourage | apple eating and apple storage and will discourage speculation that raises the price abnormally.
 3. 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 ,I T I T. fruit should not go into barrels or 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 gratifying im- provement in apple marketing the past two or three years. Western apples are boxed to strictly honest standards, by the great cooperative growers or ganizations in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Colorado. The eastern barrel apple has also been wonderfully improved in New York and other states. Because apples are honestly packed and give the best pos Sible value for the money, there is an 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 getting marketable values for their money. are now buying freely and in confi- dence. This good work makes it pos sible for the government to go further and encourage the use of apples as wartime food measure.
 Because the bulk of the crop will be picked by volunteer workers this year, and put into common storage until the grower can find time to grade and pack, there will be an opportunity to give closer personal attention to the grading and packing than might be the case if the crop were handled as in peace times. For the grower who de sires instructions in apple packing, the department of agriculture at Wash ington has information in bulletin form. These bulletins can be secured free by writing to the department. Growers will do well to obtain few copies for their pickers and packers.