White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-11-12

in bushel baskets sold at country ship
ping points in mid October at $l.1O
to $1.30. In the far West the range
was 75c-$l.00. Boxed Jonathans fancy
at extra fancy ranged at the same time
85c-$1.l5 'at northwestern shipping
points.
Low prices at the beginning often
start the public to using fruit freely
so much so that some seasons of large
crops and low prices in the fall have
ended with comparatively high prices
This was the outcome in the l914-15
season when production was greater
than it is this yeag. Much fruit went
to waste but couufFy apples in storage
went up about $500 per barrel over
winter, selling fairly high in the spring.
About the same thing happened after
the heavy crop of 1904. On the other
hand, prices have failed to go up after
some of the light crops because of
over-confidence and high opening
prices. Low prices in the fall afford
room for advance if anything develops
favorable to rise in the market.
Something always depends on business
conditions and on buying capacity of
consumers the rest of the season. Fruit
OF good storage qta'ity should not be
neglected nor sholld the fruit grower
feel discouraged if the present market
season turns out rather unsatisfactory.
The long range otit,ook for apples is
rather hopeful because average pro-
duction over long term of years
has not increased; but the population
gains about IA millions a year and
the export trade has doubled the past
few seasons.
The supply of some varieties was
not heavy in the first place. Most
fall kinds were in great abundance
except the eastern Mcintosh which
was comparatively scarce and high.
The Northern Spy in the East and
the Delicious in the Northwest were
reported comparatively light crop
and have tended. to command even
more than the usual premium over
most other varities. The Baldwin, the
leading eastern apple, Seems to be a
lighter crop than last season and the
Rhode Island Greening leads in
yield and production in some strong
holds of tine Baldwin. Perhaps the
greatest variety problem has been the
heavy production of Oldenburgs,
Wealthy and Rhode Island Greening
in the Northeast, the abundance of
under er-colored, over sized fruit in the
southeast and the weather damaged
apples in parts of the Northwest, and,
finaly, the difficulty in selling the
little known or unpopular varieties in
all sections. Waste occurred to some
extent on all these lines,. se.
IT, re is some prospect of anottif
active season in the export trade. The
apple crop is reported light in Eng
land and the, supply of good fruit in
Continental Europe appears very
moderate. Business has been poor in
the United Kingdom, which takes
"a of our apple exports, but general
conditions there seem to be improving
gradually. Sales of fruit in British
markets it is asserted have been in
creased greatly the past few years by
advertising methods. The large and
widely distributed volume of American
apple exports the past four years sug-
gests increasing demand throughout
Europe. Conditions of supply and de-
mand affecting the probable sale Of
American apples are reported much
improved in Germany, good in Hol-
land, fair in Sweden and about the
same as last season in Canada and
Mexico. These countries together
take the great bulk of apple exports
from the United States. The most
uncertain feature is the effect of hard
times in England and on apple sales
and prices in British markets. If the
foreign trade should repeat the per-
formance of last season and dispose
of about ond-eighth pf our market
crop the effect would be helpful.
Canada's competition, while always
strong, in British markets, is not like
ly to increase this season, owing to the
lighter crop reported for the eastern
Provinces.
Early receipts of American apples
sold at high levels this season but
high prices the first month or two
are nothing unusual. Lowest prices
in British markets are often seen in
late October and the first part of No
venber because of heavy receipts.
Often there is recovery the last
part of November and in early Decem-
Der. Then slump sometimes occures
after the holiday sales. Finally, a
rising tendency is frequently seen late
in the season because of idecreas'C
supplies.
Exports of boxed apples from the
United States in August were heavy,
amounting to 272, 1877 boxes and there
were also 1862 barrels. In Septcm-
ber the barrel shipments increased
rapidly. Combined exports from the
United States and Canada to October
2 were unofficially reported at $780,
234 barrels and l,020,6l9 boxes COM
pared with 1874 barrels and 672,.
245 boxes year ago. Prices the FIRST
week of October were still about 50 1o
above the level of domestic markets.
Sales of Virginia Yorks were re-
ported at $5.35-S6.08 per barrel in
Liverpool, which is still the leading
market for American barreled apples.
The decline, as usual, has been quite
rapid over the seasons opening price
levels.
The monthly report of the Bureau
of Agricultural Economics, United
States Department Of Agriculture,
shows the following cold storage hold
;voO ne aVoIar m nrtober 1O16.