The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-02

| eTs and consumers Of the state that
| u has been described by some as
| having already made Itself invaluable
| TO them.
! This is the division OF markets OF
! the department OF agriculture which
/ has now been In active operation bu,
/ q little more than year
| The bin creating the division was
prepared under the direction OF the
state department Of agriculture and
was, adopted by the legislature Of
lFIe. a SUM Of 5000 being oppro-
prlatsu for its maintenance. y. g..
NOomaw Jr, especially experienced
In the mark citing Of apples and hav-
ing good general grasp on market
ing problems and conditions. was
named director Of the division, enter
Ing upon the discharge OF the duties
Of tho Office on September 10, 1918.
The following IL brief resume Of
tho activities OF the department pre-
aented TO the commissioner OF sgri-
culture.
Apple Marketing work.
The first activity Of the division
was to undertake some active mar
keting work In apples, and report
Of the value OF the different varieties
~ the 1915 crop. The prices quoted
in our report were from 25 cents to
SO cents higher than the buyers were
then offering, but were realized by
the large majority Of growers who
held for these prices
For the 1917 apple crop, the work
OF the division was "EluCh more COM
plete and valuable. A comprehensive
plan Of marketing work was prepar ed.
which met with the hearty approval
81 the board OF directors of the State
Horticultural society. and was put
ltp effect A complete report on crop
aAd market conditions. including the
commercial apple producing sections
oil the United States and Canada, was
complied. This Information was OBJ
tanned from sn extensive list of COM
merciR} apple growers IN. these Soc
tions and was verified and brought up
m date by telegra phic Information Sc
cured just before the publication of
bis report, which was Issued on Au-
gust 10, 1917, and 2.000 copies mailed
10 the commercial apple growers of
Virginia, This report was based on
The commercial crop only ana show
ed a much shorter crop than WAS In
dicated In the government report OF
the same date. The market condi-
tons have aimee shown our report to
DO eminently correct.
Our growers, using the informa,
ton contained in this report. have Sc
cured from IS cent to so cent per bar
rel more for their apples than the
growers Of other states. and by hold.
ing their apples for the prices which
seemed to be justified by crop con
ditions, have been able to secure from
90 cents 20 81 90 more than they were
offered previous 10 the publication of
this Information.
enthusiastic In expressing their appre-
citation OF the value of this report and
large growers have personally In
formed the director of this division
that this information wBs the direct
means OF securing for them an addi-
tional price of from so cents TO rs
cents the barrel. This resulted in a
gain to our Virginia growers OF sew
aral hundred thousand dollars
we also complied a list OF com
mercial apple growers OF the state.
giving the name, postoffice shipping
point and the number of barrels of
each commercial variety OF apples
each grower had for sale. This list
was published by counties, with the
shipping points grouped together. and
LIFTED about $4,000 barrels of apples.
II was sent to a selected list OF deal
ers on the principal markets east OF
the Mississippi river and has been
used by the buyers as a directory OF
the fruit growers OF Virginia. a great
many of the growers informed the d.
rector that they have received numer
Gus inquiries for their apples from
entirely new sources, many OF whom
cite the list as the medium through
which dealers secured information as
20 the growers' holdings The deal
ers also have been enthusiastic in
their praise of what they term the
excellent work Of the division"
THE Virginia State Horticultural
society has also co-operated with US
fully In this work, and at their last
annual meeting unanimously adopt
ed resolution expressing tho belief
that the work OF this division WAS ca
pable OF profitable extension and urs-
ing Increased financial support for
the division from both the state and
federal governments
The Il. s. bureau of markets
'hrouph market news reporting sta.
tion ut Winchester, Va. is issuing
day market quotations on apples,
which are being mailed free. TO an ex~
tensiVe list OF our Virginia growers
furnished by this division. Informa-
the sale of culls and cider stock has
leen transmitted to the growers of
ton rs 10 storage, transportation, and
the state. enabling many farmers to
sell thor cuIls, which formerly were
II loss TO them. at profitable figure
Important Results of Wheat Market
ing Work.
zone Of he most important pieces
of work a., Jmplshcd by this division
has been our work in wheat market
ing II was brought 10 our attention
that Virginia wheat was bringing
lower price on Virginia markets than
western wheat. After thorough In
vest'Raton, II was found that the
practice of paying less for Virginia
wheat as was done by our larger
mills, was not justified as the wheat
grown in this state was admit eddy
Of better quality for the purposes OF
our mills and was cleaner and more
des' Table In every way than that pur
chased from outside A report OF our
findings was published in the July
bulletin OF the department Of agri- |
culture.
when however, the government
took over the control Of wheat and
fhA nrfCcs tha.y asfa hIiSlat !