Milford chronicle., 1930-08-01
EARLY APPLE
SEASON WILL
END THIS WEEK
Shipments And Prices Re-
ceived Were Below The
Average.

The early apple season in Della
ware will practically close this
week and according to w. 7. Der
ickson, Director of the Bureau OF
Markets, of the State Board of Ag-
riculture, some growers report a
fair season while many other grow
ers report that both the total ship
ments and prices received were be-
low the average.
The season started about July 20,
which was two or three days later
than last year. The harvesting sea-
son was peculiar in that Transpar-
ent. EARLY Ripe, and Fourth of July
apples all came on practically at the
same time and, where there is usu-
ally a slack period between the ship
ment of Transparents and Williams
this year the Williams came on
about July 12, at which time the
Transparents were not more than
from one-half to twO-thirds shipped
The growers who were able to get
the bulk of their Transparents OIL
previous to July IL realized good
prices. The prices up to that time
ranged principally from $l.75 10
$2.10 per bushel for the best quail
ity fruit; however, on July IL there
was a sharp break in the Transpar-
ent market and it did not recover.
Williams started at good prices,
ranging for the first few days from
$1.75 to $3.50 per bushel for best
fruit; however, this price range was
not maintained for more than three
or four days and during the heaV-
lest shipping period, the prices
ranged from $50 to $1.0O per BUSH
ell.
Several carloads of Williams ap-
pies have been placed in cold stor-
age and will be sold during the next
month or six weeks.
The early apples in this State this
year were generally very clean ana
particularly free from disease or in
sect injury. Due to number OF rea-
sons, principally because of the dry
weather, the Delaware apples did
not get as large this year as tney
are during the average season.
Many growers were unable to PICK
all of their Transparents due TO the
fact that many of them Were small,
and thousands of bushels of slAall
apples were left on the trees. During
an ordinary season, Delaware grow
ers will begin shipping two inch
minimum Transparents and within
a few days later will not nave any
difficulty in making two and one
quarter inch minimum. This year
many growers had to pack all OF
their Transparents two inch mini
mum and many shipped as small as
one and three-quarter inch minimum
size. The Williams apples were not
as large as in an average year. In
most years, Delaware growers Will
have no trouble in grading their
William S on the basis of two and
one-ha inch minimum size; how
ever, this year there was very
small percentage of two and one
half inch minimum Williams ship
ped, and many growers experienced
considerable difficulty in meeting
the two and one-quarter inch mini
mum requirements. Practically all
of the apples were inspected and
certified the same as in previous
years. w. T. Derickson, who is in
charge of this work, advises that ap-
proximately six hundred 5eventy-five
cars were inspected; this includes
the shipments in both cars and
trucks. Practically all of the diff
Guilty in the inspection and certifi-
cation was confined to understood
apples. Naturally, this was true in
view of the difficulties that the
growers had in meeting the size re-
quirements. The growers generally
made every possible effort to meet
the size requirements as indicated
on the top of their packages, but in
spite of their efforts, much of the
fruit, when officially inspected, was
found to range from ten to thirty
five per cent under the minimum
size indicated. In cases of this kind
it was, of course, necessary for the
fruit to be marked according to the
actual minimum size.
The law requiring that all closed
packages of apples packed in this
State and sold or offered for sale
must be marked or branded with
the owners name and address, the
variety, grade, and the minimum
size or range of sizes was rigidly
enforced. There have been no ar
rests or fines in connection with the
enforcement of this law up to the
present time; however, there have
been many warnings and it was nec-
essary for many trucks to be un-
loaded and the baskets marked in
accordance with the law. OF course,
if the violations continue after
warning, arrest and fine will be
necessary. This law was sponsored
by the apple growers themselves
and they are insisting on strict en-
forcement. This marking law only
requires that the packages be mark
ed in accordance with the contents
thereof and Delaware growers are
perfectly willing for their apples to
be sold on their merit; thus in
creasing the confidence of buyers
and consumers and thereby Great
ing additional demand for apples
from this State.