SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. 261 



The shipping of fruit, heretofore, has been the greatest draw- 

 back to getting fruit properly on the market, but the railroad com- 

 panies, in the last few years, have come to recognize the importance 

 of furnishing suitable cars, made for the purpose of handling the 

 large and growing business. We can ship fruit from California 

 now, and have it arrive in as good condition as formerly in shipping 

 from Southern Illinois to Chicago. They have a line of fruit cars 

 adapted to the business, with a system of ventilation so perfect that 

 there is hardly room for improvement left. 



One of the greatest questions that the apple-growers have to 

 contend with is, how to dispose of their early apples, and it is one of 

 the easiest solved. Pack your fruit before it gets too ripe, ventilate 

 your barrels, but not too much, and ship your apples to the market 

 that you think you can do the best in, and ship them ofE promptly 

 before they get too ripe. Don't wait until you gei, enough to fill a 

 car, as part of them will be too ripe. 



A great many growers do nothing with their early apples, 

 because they have had too much bad luck in the past ; but in the 

 sections of the country where there is no fruit grown, early apples 

 are in good demand ; and good packing from the early varieties will 

 net you as a good a result as the later varieties, if properly packed 

 and handled. Don't always look to the larger markets for a profitable 

 return, as some of the smaller markets will net you more money, as 

 they are not so liable to be glutted as the large markets frequently 

 are. The most successful way is to get a line of customers started, 

 pack your fruit honestly, in bright, new packages; put your name 

 on the packages as packer — which is a guarantee to the buyer and 

 the consumer that the fruit is first class, — and you will find that the 

 marketing of your product is the easiest job that you have, and your 

 net returns cannot help but be satisfactory. 



GROWING AND MARKETING GRAPES xVND SMALL FRLTITS. 

 BY E. C. HATHAWAY, OTTAWA. 



Mr. President and Members of the 



Northern Illinois Horticultural Society: 



The growing and marketing of fruits have engaged the aiiten- 

 tion and closest thought of the horticulturist ever since fruits have 

 had a commercial value. Proper growing is consequent upon a great 

 many contingencies, among which are locations, soils, exposure, etc. 

 But the marketing, there's the rub. If all growers were honest, and 

 I am sorry to say that I cannot believe they are; and why they are 

 not, when it is to their own advantage to be so, is beyond my com- 

 prehension. If all commission or middle men, were possessed of such 

 consciences that they would return to the grower or shipper, what 



