The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-08-08
MANY APPLE BUYERS
IN WFNATCHEF VALLEY
Orchard Run Basis of Buying Said to
Be DemOralizing To Industry
Sales Running High

More than twenty five concerns 10
Gated in the district are actively en-
gagged in making contracts for this
falls apple crop.
The Wenatchee World in comment
ing on the situation says: When firms
like the Wenatchee Produce Co., Wells
E. Wade Fruit Co., and the Wenat-
chez Northern Warehouse and Mar
keting Co., throw their hats into the
ring, it is signal that the lid is off
and the campaign for corralling the
Wenatchee district crop is open.
Two methods have been followed in
making contracts for apples this sea
son. One is the established plan of
quoting prices according to grades
and the other is that of buying the
entire crop of an orchard at a fixed
price per box, called "orchard rum"
The former method is still en-
ployed by many of the buyers who be
lieve this the only fair and honorable
basis for handling the deal. BY the
grade system all extra fancy winesaps
are worth fixed price, all fancy ap-
pies of that variety another price, and
all "C' grades still another price
about which there is no question.
Under the grade system it is to the
growers interest to maintain high
standard and produce as many extra
fancy apples as possible.
Under the "Orchard Run" system
after the grower has contracted his
apples, it makes no difference to him
whether his crop runs so per cent ex-
ira fancy, or 20 per cent extra fancy.
eff the orchard run" system is al
lowed to prevail in the Wenatchee
district said one buyer, who is also
grower, we will be shipping our crop
out of here in barrels before many
years. You can estimate for your
self what prices these barreled apples
will bring when we get to that point.
The Wenatchee Valleys high standard
and reputation as an apple PRODUCING
district has been built up on quality
color and reliability. If the orchard
run basis is generally adopted all in
centive to maintain these high stand
ards will be removed.
Some orchard run contracts have
been made for as high as $3.50 per
box, these being in the case of or
chards where only the best varieties
are grown and where the percentage
of extra fancy fruit has always been
high.
Those buyers who are regulating
their prices by grades are offering
the following prices: For extra
fancy apples, winesaps, $3.50; Jona-
than, S2.25; Rome Beauty, 1925;
Black Ben, SO; Ben Davis 81 85; De
licious and Winter Banana, SO to 1925
Summer apples are bringing about
S1.75 per box.
Last years grade price on winesaps,
the leading variety was $1.75 for ex-
ira fancy early in the fall. This
represents an advance of rs cents per
box over that price and the same in
crease holds good on other varieties.
Many eastern firms, who have rep
resentatives here as well as some 10
cal buyers, are optomistic as to the
future and believe prices will go still
higher and this optomism is shared
by many growers.
But there are also many buyers and
growers who believe the grade prices
and orchard run prices quoted now are
as high as the market will justify
under present conditions. They feel
that this is the time to sell, in spite of
the predictions of growers and buyers
alike who expect higher prices later.