Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1913 — “HANDLING” FRUIT FOR THE MARKET [ARTICLE]

“HANDLING” FRUIT FOR THE MARKET

By James Troop,

Entomology Depart-

ment, Purdue University Experiment Station, Purdue University Agricultural Extension.

At the recent annual meeting of the Indiana Horticultural society, several subjects of Importance to the fruit growers were discussed, but in my opinion, not one of them is of more importance at the present time than the question of getting the fruit to market in the best possible condition. It was pointed out at that meeting that the programs at the annual meetings of this society for the last 50 years have been confined largely to the production side —how to produce more and better fruit, but that now the tide has begun to set in in that direction; large orchards, consisting of hundreds of acres, are being planted especially in southern Indiana, the greater portion of which are being cared for according to up-to-date, scientific methods, whereas 25 years ago it was a rare occurrence to find a well kept orchard of any size. Some of these orchards are already beginning to bear, so that the problem of finding a profitable market for the fruit is already before us. As yet we have no well organized fruit association in Indiana, such as they have in the apple sections of the northwest. There, all the grower has to do is to produce the goods, the association does the rest. Here, every grower does his own harvesting, grading, packing and marketing, and as a result, there Is no uniformity- about It, If there Is one fact more certain than another concerning the future commercial fruit growing business in.lndiana, it is the fact that something mus» be done to compel our growers to grade and pack their fruit property before ft is put upon the markdt. At present, not one grower in • twenty-five knows how to do this in order to get the most out of hit crop, not only this year, but In

the years to come. While in Indianapolis recently I saw in the window of one of the large department stores a very fine display of Idaho apples. These apples were selling for two dollars per box. The president of the recent Indiana Apple show stated that he made arrangements with another department store to put in a similar show of Indiana apples, as there were hundreds of barrels there in Indianapolis storage houses, but when he went after the apples he was unable to find a sufficient quantity that had had been properly graded to warrant him in putting on the show; so, while the Idaho growers are getting two dollars per bushel box for their apples, our growers will probably take 32.50 or |3 per barrel. This state of affairs should not exist any longer. The western apples are no better, in, fact, not as good in quality, as our Indiana grown fruit, but those people have a reputation for careful grading, so that when a man buys a box of their apples, he knows Just what he is getting. There will be no little, knotty or wormy specimens in the middle of the box or barrel. A reputation for square dealing is a great asset in any kind of business. I recently purchased a pair of shoes at one of our shoe stores. I said to the dealer: “Are these shoes guaranteed?” He said: "No, they are not, this is a shoe, and it doesn't need a guarantee; the name is sufficient.' What we need and what we must have in this state, is a reputation for grading and packing fruit, so that it will need no guarantee except the words "Indiana Apples” on each box or barrel. When that time comes, our growers need not be afraid to go into the markets in competition with the world, and they will experience no difficulty in finding a market for all tot the No. 1 and fancy apples they can raise.