10 Miiisitisippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



f;iil to establitih such stations as soon as possible in all newly acquired terri- 

 tory." A policy which long experience in many nations has found to be 

 wise, is surely worthy of the consideration of our several State govern- 

 ments. 



FRUIT PACKAGES AND MARKETING;. 



The growing commercial importance of a horticuHure which is having so 

 rajiid an evolution, is constantly bringing up new questions for settlement, 

 rerhaps as much fruit is now grown for shipment to distant markets as is 

 sold or used in the immediate neighborhood of its growth. The extension 

 of our gigantic railway system has revolutionized the commercial features of 

 Amerit'aii horticulture in all its branches. We not only now want strawber- 

 ries and peaches that are good in quality and beautiful in appearance, but 

 w-hich Avill endure a thousand miles of railway transportation, and still look 

 well, and taste well. This matter of distant shipment involves the questions 

 of packages and packing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. As this mat- 

 ter will be fully presented by one of our most experienced fruit growers and 

 gardeners, I will here only suggest that a proper thing for this Society to 

 do is to adopt certain standard measures for packages for each kind of fruit. 

 It has been often recommended that our legislatures should provide for the 

 selling of all fruits and vegetables by weight instead of by measure. This is 

 now done in California. But the practical result does not seem to difier 

 nuich from our own method. It is mostly a matter of terms. In California 

 a box of a certain size is called a fifty-pound box. Here a box of given di- 

 mensions is called a third-bushel, a half-bushel, or a bushel box, as the case 

 may be. There is no weighing in the one case, or measuring in the other. 

 But we need uniformity in our packages. When a friend speaks to you of 

 a bask-t of peaches, what idea of quantity does the expression carry to your 

 mind? 



TARIFF ON HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 



Speaking of the commercial aspects of our business, reminds me to call 

 your attention to the subject of the existing tariff on fruits and other horti- 

 cultural products. There seems to be no good reason why our government 

 should tax the importation of horticultural products, possibly excepting 

 fruits of a semi-tropical character. The tariff averages about 10 per cent, ad 

 valorem. The government does not need the small income which it brings, 

 as it is seeking ways of reducing the annual revenue. If the tax was im- 

 posed with the idea of " protecting " the horticulturists of these States against 

 the competition of producers in the British provinces, then it is not called 

 for, and, in fact, gives us no protection. The planters of orchards and gar- 

 dens have acted always with entire indifference to the effect of this tariff, if 

 not indeed in total ignorance of its existence. It is safe to say that not one 

 tree or plant, more or less, has been planted in these United States on ac- 

 count of the " protection " given by this Uiriff ; that not one day's work, more 

 or less, has been done or one dime been added to or subtracted from any 

 day's wages on account of this tariff This is certainly a case of "protection 



