Discussion on Strawberry Growing. 95 



Mr. 0. C. Gibbs, of the Chicago Tribune — It seems to me that 

 this discussion can be narrowed down to one or two points. One 

 is that with a cooling house such as our worthy President has, the 

 berries can be thoroughly cooled and then shipped in refrigerating 

 cars almost any distance and arrive at the market in a good condi- 

 tion. But few of the growers have their cooling arrangements; so 

 that if we were dependent upon fruit shipped under such conditions^ 

 we should not get a great deal of it. The practical question with 

 us in the city is to get fruit, and if we are to have strawberries at 

 ail we are to have those which will come to us under ordinary con- 

 ditions, and the Wilson is the berry that fulfills these conditions. 

 The Wilson is the berry that the laboring man will eat. I never 

 had my heart more touched than on one occasion in Chicago. I 

 found a very respectable woman locked up in jail. I asked her 

 how she came there. She said for stealing a basket of peaches.. 

 Said I, " did you steal them?" " Yes," she says, " I did." "What 

 did you steal them for?" "Well," she said, "I wanted them so 

 bad and hadn't the money to pay for them." I am glad the Wilson 

 strawberry is a berry that can be grown cheap enough for poor peo- 

 ple to eat. 



Mr. Lyon, of Michigan — I have a word for these gentlemen who 

 can't sell any thing but Wilsons. I recollect a few years ago when 

 a man could hardly sell a single berry. But people have got ac- 

 quainted with them and now they sell with any other berry in the 

 market. I am not at all disposed to question the merits of the 

 Wilson as a shipping berry, and if we can only induce our growers 

 to put it in the market ripe, the objection will be removed. 



Pending a motion to adjourn^ 



President Earle said : It is understood, I believe, that to-morrow 

 morning we proceed immediately to elect officers for this Society 

 for the coming year. Will you take any measures to-night prepar- 

 atory to this election in the morning ? 



Mr. Smith, of Wisconsin — I move that a committee of one from 

 each State represented here be appointed to suggest names for our 

 various officers. Motion carried. 



The President — Before putting the motion to adjourn, allow me to 

 express my own great pleasure that we have had such a very profit- 



