Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-06-28

here Is Luo Aaudl Auoldi
ment OF a series OF five ar
ticles written for the Jour
nal by J. #. Langner, CO.
operative marketing exper..
Apples grown in Oregon and
Washington are shipped all over
this country and to England
France, Germany and Scandina-
via. The Pacific Northwest box
ed apple. in all its varieties, is
known in every market where
apples are consumed
From 1906 to 1912 apples by
the thousands of acres were
planted until 100000 acres were
covered. Every train brought
more people from the East. Tho
rush for 'iapple land attained
the proportions OF Stampede.
Buyers came and camped all
summer bidding against zach
other for the producers patronage
Remarkable prices were secured
for prices made by
the farmers, not by the buyers.
In those days there were only
1000 carts of apples produced in
all the Northwest and Chicago
and New York absorbed all that
small quantity.
Later, the quantity of apples
increased as the new orchards be-
gan to bear, Soon the ter. ..Sry
was producing 10000 carloads.
and Chicago and New York beg
ged the growers to ship their ap-
pies elsewhere, But where?
Neither the grower nor any
one else could tell. Certainly
the buyer could not tell. Soon
the by-word became "over pro-
Tdnction." Too many apples; the
apple boom was wrecked. lxany
orchards had been bought at
fabulous prices. Mortgages in
some cases were more than the
sale value of the land. Even
banks and money lenders lost
faith in the apple industry. The
whole industry was ruined be.
cause of an overwhelming sur.
plus which broke prices to less
than cost of production. Thou
sands of growers gave up and
went through bankruptcy.
| Puinous Comnetitinn Stopped.
A From 1912 to 1915 there wer,
dark days in the apple industry
In. 1915 the Federal Government
suggested that the growers or
ganize tri-State co-operativ'
marketing association. including
Oregon. Washington and Idaho
The Fruit Growers Agency wal
formed as clearing hous'
through which all Northwestern
lapples should be sold. 1t eiimin
ated ruinous competition between
the growers; 1t helped develop
new markets. until by 1917, in
stead of sending apples 10 ,vss
York and Chicago the grower
: were sending apples to over LOO,
markets. The growers advertis
ed their brands-Skookum. Hoo
: River. Mistland. Big Y--ar
household words to the consume
to-day. But the Fruit Grower
: Agency. despite Government as
sistance, was ultimately disband
ed because growers, no. matte
how hard they NAV be hit. ar
: psvchnlogicaliv incapable o
sticking together unless they ar
: forced to do 20 by %tde-boun
' legal contracts such as are use
now by all the farmers assoeia
tions. Aaron Sapiro, of Cslifor
MIA. Is now acting as general ID
. gal counsel for the farmers ai
d sociations.
/ Pacific Northwest boxed al
! nles are the hi@hest graded al
l. plies on the market at this tim
e One Of the most stringent regul;
> tions OF that territory is that a
o boxes leaving the district sha
e be carefully graded. free fro
Is worms and other disease-in fa'
q shall be food which is fit 4
human consumption.
Graded by Machinery
These associations all adverti'
and market their apples und'
n well-known brands. No produe
d is trusted to pack his apples
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