Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-27
FEDERAL BUREAU EXPLAINS
PEACH WASTE IN ORCHARDS
AND HIGH PRICES IN CITIES

ton, at a price that will pay for
handling.
Culls Mostly Wasted
'It is obvious that in a sea son
when the crop is large these cu1ls
must be allowed to rot, for no one
will handle them when only loss Is
in sight. The cost of packages, pack
ing, transportation, and handling a
bushel of Gull peaches is as much
as for the same quantity of standard
grade. Since culls are a losing prOpo-
sition wherever found, it is better
to remove them at the point of pro-
duction, thus saving the cost of ma
keting, than to place them on the
market and have the cost of han
ding added to the cost of the mar
Ietable fruit with which they were
packed. Small sizes have formed Il
large part of the so-called waste in
the Georgia peach orchards. The to-
tai crop in that state for the season
was estimated at $4,000 cars, wher--
VAS only about IS, 600 cars were finally
marketed.
1.-The loss of one variety, Hilev
Bellies, was especially large. When
these peaches came on prices were
so low that had the producer da-
livered his peaches to the packer
free of cost the fruit would not
have paid the marketing charges.
Many cars of early peaches were
put on the market without being
thoroughly culled and because thay
were unsatisfactory to the trade the
market became demoraliZed Later
varieties, as a result of grading an
elimination of poor fruit. sold better
The different cost items which
enter into the expense of marketing
peaches show convincingly why it
pays to handle only the best fruit
during season of large production.
The approximate cost of six basket
GA quartz peach carrier, together
with the cost of packing and loading
into cars, is 80 cents. The freight
and icing charge on a X-basket car
rier from Georgia to New York is
about 20 cents. This is a total of
$l.22 delivered in New York. From
the net sales price received for the
fruit these charges are deducted and
the balance is received by the pro
Queer for his labor and fruit.
Range of Prices
ION August 4 the range of
peaches was from $1.75 to $3.50.
These prices were to jobbers of car
lots and represent the initial cost of
peaches at the first point in the line
OF marketing distribution III the city.
"On the date the previously quoted
letter was written from New York
July 90, the highest price reported
at that city on sale to iobbers of
Georgia peaches was $2.75 for a six
basket carrier. The approximate
weight of the fruit in such a carrier
is 81 IL pounds. If this were sold
az 20 cents per pound, the retail
price mentioned by the writer, the
carrier brought a total OF $3.50 This
represents the total amount paid by
the consumer out of which must
come the following items: The pro-
dUcers returns, package cost, pack
ing and loading expense, freight and
icing charges, and the wholesalers
gross profit Or commission, making
a total of $2.75, and the cost profits
and waste of city distribution which
amounted to $4.75. Were the peaches
delivered to piers in New York free
OF charge and distributed to the con-
sumner through the present channels
VI - o'NC anu dl IIOI maj CHAR SeS ana
profits only, the consumer would
have to pay approximately 60 per
cent Of the price he did pay.
The distribution of fruits and
vegetables III New York City is
costly operation at best and this cost
is greatly increased by the ungraded
condition Of much of the stock
which is delivered to this market. In
order that buyers may inspect the
fruit, it is necessary that it be moved
to a central point where work may
be done as quickly as possible Each
step in this distribution is an added