STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 93 



shipped to a distant market with much profit, if sold within the 

 reach of poor men. 



I cannot grow a choice quality of peaches without a choice 

 price; a price that can only be paid by a rich man, and that class of 

 rich men are only found in large cities. If the small places would 

 take a lower grade of fruit at a medium })rice it would greatly sim- 

 plify matters. 



Trade is secured in dry goods and groceries by traveling men 

 and the goods follow. But dry goods can be sold all the year round, 

 strawberries can not ; yet, if we could adopt some modification 

 of the system, it would greatly relieve our crowded markets, and 

 place the fruit in the hands of consumers quicker and in better con- 

 dition. 



Large brewing firms load their kegs of beer in their own 

 refrigerator cars, the envoy in charge travels over a certain route, 

 meeting his customers at the depots, who buy as many kegs as their 

 business requires. Possibly fruit can be shipped in the same way. 

 Quite as satisfactory fruit distribution as we have in Southern Illi- 

 nois, is when carloads of apples are sent to Iowa and Minnesota, and 

 carloads of Irish potatoes received in return. At Cobden we 

 have discussed many plans, and tried many experiments, both collec- 

 tively and individually, but none have been entirely satisfactory. 



By the aid of fast and slow freight, fruit trains, express and 

 refrigerator cars, we reach Omaha, St. Paul, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, 

 and sometimes Boston and New York. We scatter a large amount 

 of fruit, but have not reached all the towns in the State. Many 

 buyers come to us from other points, and deal very satisfactorily 

 with our growers, but enough do not come to entirely relieve us. 



The subject is one of vast importance. Not more than two- 

 thirds of the fruit markets of Illinois are adequately supplied; and 

 we will obtain better prices and more satisfactory results when we 

 have a more complete system of fruit distribution. 



REPORT OF AD-INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR SOUTHERN 



ILLINOIS. 



BY J. S. BKOWNE, ALTON. 



Mr. President : Owing to the rainy weather and bad roads at 

 the time I went on the ad-interim trip through Southern Illinois, 

 which was the week following November 17th, I was not able to get 

 over as much ground as I should have liked to, and, therefore, will 

 have to make this report a short one. The past season's grape crop 

 at Villa Ridge was very fine, almost entirely free from rot and mil- 

 dew. One of the largest growers said that he could have carried all 

 the rotten grapes on his place in his hat. Varieties that have never 

 done anything before were perfect this year. Something over four 



