152 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



could meet, consult, and so devise ways and means that would be of benefit 

 to all. Individuals, isolated, can do practically nothing, and, as in this case, 

 never work. To have any marked effect, the committee should be much 

 . larger, and not less than three at each large shipping point, or railroad cen- 

 ter, composed of men who have a direct interest in shipments, both to and 

 from such points ; the inclination would be greater to work, and the mem- 

 bers would have an influence upon transportation companies, that no individ- 

 ual could. These branches could correspond with each other, and frequently 

 be at work at both ends of the line at the same time. It would do 

 but little good for a committee in Chicago to work to benefit shippers in 

 New Orleans, but the branch there and in Chicago working in unison might 

 work to good eflfect. The country North, South, East and West, so far as 

 transportation is concerned, is divided into sections or centers, where rail- 

 road and express officials are located, who either have power to act, or have 

 influence enough to make their recommendations felt at headquarters. 

 These men are generally good men, well acquainted with the members of 

 whom such a local committee would be composed : would give them credit 

 for good intentions and good sense ; would desire to please, and recommend 

 such changes as would be consistent; such recommendations, going from 

 different points about the same time, would, I think, have an effect that noth- 

 ing else would. 



Railroads as a rule are wide awake to their own interests, and are ready 

 to adopt any and all means to enlarge their traffics They may not see the 

 necessities, as soon as those interested, in one particular branch, but show 

 them where they fail in proper accommodation for that branch, and that it 

 will pay them to furnish such accommodations, and they will provide them. 

 There is no doubt but that all the roads greatly lack in properly constructed 

 cars for fruit and vegetable carriage. My own opinion is they do not know 

 of it, and all the influence this S3ciety collectively possess will be needed to 

 make them j^roperly understand and supply the need. 



Refrigerator cars, as cared for by the railroad comjtanies, are not the thing 

 to carry tender fruits in hot weather, as remarked by your committee in 

 their report last year. Only one person has to my knowledge made it a suc- 

 cess. This I attribute to being under one man's control from beginning to 

 end, and he not allowing the temperature to run too low, so when the fruit 

 was removed the chmge was not too great. This care will not be given by 

 railroad companies' employes, nor must it be expected. To get the benefit of 

 it, in fact, not to do tender fruits a positive damage, the cooling must begin 

 iis soon as the fruit leaves the vine, to take out any heat that will cawse fer- 

 mentation in the smallest degree; my own theory being that fermentation 

 begins almost as soon (in berries) as the supply of sap is cut off If this be 

 80, for the general uses of the shipping trade, refrigerator cars are not only 

 not good, but are positively bad. Farts are better than theories: Last sum- 

 mer I concluded to give it a trial. The Chicago, Milwaukee it St. Paul liail- 

 road ran a refrigerator car daily to St. Taul ; ice and care were supplied by 



