APPLE CROPS OF rue WORLD.
(Latest official returns and estimates). Equivalents employed: 1 bbl. = 2 1-2 bushels, each of 50 Ms.: 18 bbls. = 1 long ton; 16 bbls. = 1 short ton.
Country. Bushels.
United States of America, census, 1909 •146,122,318 Canada, 1900 18.626..186 1911 10,618,666 1915, average of three years t14,622,426 Australia, including Tasmania and New Zea land, combined crop, average of three years. 5.000,000 United Kingdom est 1,000,000 Prance. 1915, 206.361 met. tons. exclusive of cider and vinegar apples, and excluding colonies 3,714,498 Germany and Austro-Hungary, at 4.000.000 Luxemb 40.00 Holland Belgium, est Italy, average crop 7,000,000 and colonies, 1910 6.650,000 Russia, including Poland. Siberia, Caucasus, Crimea. 8,000.000 Turkish E in Europe and Asia 7.000,000 China (including Chinese, Turkestan and Thibet) and Ladakh 9.000.000 .1an. 1912. pounds 1,000.000 AB other countries, say 18, 498,108 Grand total 240,000,000 The average value of the apple crop of the United States of America, as shown in the last census, was about 66% cents per bushel.
Experience has demonstrated the necessity of extreme care and method in packing of apples for shipment, especially when intended for exportation; the California packers having exhibited such, superior devices that they have been invited to instal them in Australia and other apple-growing countries. As yet, however, no uniform system prevails throughout the 'United States. Apples for shipment are packed in baskets, crates, boxes and barrels; the last two containers for ex port. The Northwestern standard box is 10x11/x18 inches, equal to cubic inches; each apple being wrapped in unprinted paper and the box stuffed with paper, or fine shavings, to allovi for shrinkage and the effects of jolting in transit. The barrel is 17%8 inches in diameter at the head, 26 inches between heads, 64 inches in circumference at the bulge, with staves 28% inches long, being somewhat smaller than its Canadian compeer. The latter. the legal apple barrel of Canada, is of a size to contain 96 imperial quarts; the Canadian apple, box measuring 10x11x20 inches of space, in side, equal to Z200 cubic inches.
During the calendar year ended 31 Dec. 1915 the exportation of domestic apples from the United States was as follows: Apples, green or ripe, 2,176,948 barrels, valued at $7,086,094, such exports being chiefly to the United Kingdom. Of apples dried, the exports were 33,905,608 pounds, valued at $2,671,601. The average value of the green apples was about $3.50 per barrel, and of the dried apples about eight cents per pound. A large propor tion of the fruit exported to the United Kingdom was probably re-exported to other countries.
In addition to productiveness, an essential to the value of any food plant, the 12 points mentioned and explained below should be looked for in an apple variety. Of course all 12 of these qualities cannot be found greatly developed in a single variety because some are in a measure antagonistic, but by keeping these points in mind the prospective orchardist may avoid planting a variety that would not meet his own expectations or the market demands. (1) Richness, dependent upon the relative proportion of sugar to malic acid. When these are deficient in amount the
fruit is insipid, but each may be present in large amount without making the fruit pro nouncedly sweet or tart to the taste. Many tart apples contain more sugar than some of the so-called sweet apples. In ripe specimens of improved varieties the range of acid is from 0.19 to 1.11 per cent, and of sugar from 10 per cent or even less in poor sorts to 14 per cent or somewhat more, the usual range being from 11 to 13 per cent. (2) Flavor, a quality distinct from the taste of acid and sugar, and, like perfume, dependent upon minute quantities (seldom more than 0.5 per cent) of a volatile oil. A highly perfumed apple is, however, not necessarily highly fla vored. (3) Firmness not sponginess, crispness not hardness, tenderness not softness, melting ness not juiciness are dependent upon cell structure. (4) Color is often of more import ance in the uneducated market than form, size, richness and flavor combined. It is an unsafe index of the last two qualities, except that, as a rule, well-colored specimens are superior to poorly colored ones of the same variety. Color varies in all varieties with season, soil, man agement, etc. The favorite color in the general market is red. (5) Form: a nearly globular shape is most desirable because fruits of that form pack better without bruising than other forms. (6) Size and uniformity. In general, a diameter of about three inches and a weight of six or eight ounces is preferred, and a va riety producing such as the bulk of its crop will usually, on account of the lessened neces sity for grading, be more valuable than another variety of equal productiveness but with widely varying size of fruit. (7) Smooth, tough but thin skin resists insect and fungous attacks, in juries in handling and shipping, and is more economical with respect to waste. (8) Small core and few seeds save waste. (9) Maturity: The commercial variety should be ready to har vest all at once. (10) Firm adherence to the tree; self-evident. Defectiveness in this re spect may he due to attacks of enemies. (11) Culinary qualities: of prime importance in com mercial varieties because such are used mainly for cooking. Sweet varieties usually make in sipid pies but good baked apples; tart varieties make best pies and sauce. (12) Good-keeping is not dependent solely upon firmness but is usually associated with locality, climate, soil, etc., as well as with the variety and the stock upon which it is grown. Grafting and long do mestication have resulted in several hundred varieties, some say 1,000. Even in Pliny's time, nearly 2,000 years ago, there were 22 varieties known to the Romans, many of them taking the name of the cultivator, a custom which prevails to the present day. Those varieties which are held. in the highest esteem in the United States are the Baldwins, Newtown Pippins, Spitzen burgh Russets, Ben Davis, Gano, Black Gilli flower, Blue Permain, Grimes, Hubbardston, Yellow Newtown, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial, Rome Beauty, Wealthy, Stayman, Golden Russet, Oldenburg, Fameuse, Rails, Gravenstein, Jonathan, Tomp kins King, Missouri Pippin, Pennock, Peck, Twenty Ounce, WillOw, Wine Sap, Wolf River and McIntosh Red.