FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT. 57 



agreemeut, aud put up their stuff iu first-class coudition, and are will- 

 ing to be patient, aud will stick together, you will find that the fancy 

 grocer will be tumbling over himself to get wliat you have. 



I will be glad to try to auswer any questions you may ask. 



A Member: It is not that T care particularly to discuss this paper, 

 but I wish to say that our sales have increased hve times in three years. 

 We had to close our books on membership and are having all that we 

 can do. We have sold tens of thousands of bushels of apples. At first 

 we started out with certificates of stock at |100 each. I think there 

 were about 50 that agreed to come in, but when tliey showed up there 

 were only about 32. We closed our books and now we are selling for 

 |150. 



Question : How many members do you have now ? 



Answer: AVe have about 70. 



Question: Do you use bushel baskets? 



Answer : We have used 200,000 of them for peaches and apples. And 

 we find that they are quite possible and the fruit has sold well and has 

 brought us good returns, aud we feel that our Exchange is a very 

 strong institution. 



Question: Are these standard bushels? 



Answer: Yes, Ave calculate they are, however, we don't advertise 

 them as such, but we nay, "Here is the basket of apples." We do not 

 specify as to whether they weigh 47 or 50 lbs. We have two grades 

 of fruits — tills exhibited here is first — the other is similar, all perfect, 

 the same size all through, but a little smaller. It seems to me that when 

 you establish a reputation for putting out fruit true to name and ex- 

 actly what you say it is, there will be no need of further advertising. 

 We have had to refuse a good many orders, some of them by telegraph, 

 simply because we could not get the apples. 



Question: What about the prices? 



Answer: I don't know as I could give you the prices in all — but we 

 got a price sa that we made money. One thing is sure, you people 

 must get it out of your heads that you can sell apples to advantage iu 

 any other way than to export them. And it would be better if you 

 would pay a man |2,000 or even -f 5,000 to manage the business for you 

 and secure an opening for tlie sale of your fruit. This is the way the 

 very best and most successful organizations carry on their work aud 

 it is false economy to try to get along without utilizing the services 

 of some one who knows the business, — who can put out the fruit where 

 it will have a ready market and at a good price. It is not a good stroke 

 of business to try to manage an extensive exchange unless you are per- 

 fectly familiar with the best methods of getting the fruit on the market 

 and at points where it will be dis])osed of at the best price. 



A Voice: I would like to ask if the gentleman endorses the Grand 

 Traverse Fruit Growers ^co-operating with the Association? 



Answer: As I happen to be connected with that oi^anization, I 

 would say that I do endorse it. 



