White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-06-14
Two APPLES GROW NOW
WHERE ONE ONCE GREW

While the total apple crop of the
Country today is about the same size
! as twenty-five years ago, it is pro-
duced with about one-half as many
trees. In other words, the average
annual yield per tree has increased
$3.50 per cent for tho country as a
whole in the last quarter century.
In the industrial East the increase
was 1873 per cent; in the Central
States east of the Mississippi the
advance was so per cent; in the cen
trail territory west of the Mississippi
the gain was $50 per cent; in the
Rocky Mountain States the increase
was 275 per cent, and in the Pacific
Coast region the increase was 3l2.5
per cent, says the New York Times.
The decrease in the number of trees
has been mainly in the less favored
producing areas and in the family
orchards, while concentration of
orchards in the more favored dis
tricts together with improved cul-
tural methods has increased COM
mercial production and the yield per
tree These facts are taken from a
study just completed by the Bureau
of Railway Economics, covering ap-
pie production and the relationship
of farm, wholesale and retail prices
to transportation costs.
During the crop years 1924 to
1927" the bureau explains, "the an
nual production Of apples in the
United States averaged 178,600,O00
bushels, of which 94,800,0O0 bushels,
or about So per cent, entered COM
mercial channels as fresh fruit. APP
pies from the United States were
distributed to all parts of the world,
those for the year ended July /, 1928.
reaching seventy-two different coun-
tries. The United Kingdom fur
nisheda the largest market for fresh
and canned apples exported from
this country, while Germany provided
the largest market for dried apples.
More than $4,000 cars, of apples
were shipped by rail from the pro-
duction areas to markets in the
United States during the year ended
July 1, 1923. Distribution within the
United States was widespread, APP
plies from the Northwest reaching all
of the States, while those from the
Eastern and Central States entered
practically all States east Of the
Rocky Mountains. Rail hauls OF $500
miles and over are common
prices of apples at all phases OF
the marketing process fluctuated
continuously during the past three
years. Fluctuations were often pro-
nounccd, with wide daily, weekly,
monthly and seasonal ranges in the
price paid to the growers and in the
wholesale and retail markets.
"The spread or difference between
the low and high prices was often
several times the freight rate on a
box, bushel or barrel of apples from
producing areas to market. The
difference between the low ard high
price at New York City for apples
reduced in the State of Washing
ton during the 1oz7-1o2S season was
$500 per box, and at Chicago there
was difference OF S2.S3 per box.
This spread at New York in the
daily average prices of Washington
apples was about two and three
fourths times the freight rate on a
Lox of apples shipped from any point
in Washington, while the spread of
$3.50 per box at Chicago was about
three and three-fourths times the
freight rate. The ratio to freight
rates of the spread in prices of in
.dividual sales was still greater. AS
freight rates were practically un-
changed throughout the periods COW
cred, they were in no way RESPONSE
BILE for the ever-changing price sit
uation." 6-aar
Washington State, according to the
survey, ranks first as an apple-pro-
ducing State, production there in
1927 having been 25,343,oo bushels,
Of which SB per cent was raised for
commercial purposes. New York
State ranked second, the total crop
in 1927 amounting to 100000 bush
els, of which co per cent was COM
mercial. California was third, with
Virginia, fourth; Pennsylvania, fifth,
and Idaho, sixth.