106 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



good condition as it now is from Grand Rapids, thus greatly widening our 

 market. If our fruit production continues to increase as fast as it has of 

 late, some such system will have to be adopted. 



There are many other things that are very imperfect in our shipping 

 arrangements, that need our attention, but we have not time to mention 

 all in this paper — such as the way our fruit is trucked through the freight 

 houses, and the poor arrangement of Qur ventilated cars, so-called. All 

 these things need our attention, knowing that one careless handling along 

 the line may greatly lessen the value of a package of fruit to the owner 

 and its usefulness to the consumer. 



In conclusion, let me ask that we work together to bring about these 

 desirable methods in the transportation of our fruit, as they are not likely 

 to come of themselves. 



Mr. E. D. Graham : We do not send much fruit from Grand Eapids to 

 either Chicago or Milwaukee, but mainly to Cincinnati, St. Louis, and 

 other parts of the south and the southwest. Nine tenths of what we ship go 

 in open bushel baskets placed on shelves in refrigerator cars. This arrange- 

 ment has proved very satisfactory in all respects, and making the shelves 

 costs less than covers for the number of baskets the cars contain. Much of 

 my fruit went direct to the cars from the trees, and so handled but once, a 

 point of much value. Packing fancy fruit in fancy baskets may pay, but 

 only a few of us grow such fruit. When fruitgrowing becomes more our 

 business, the less trouble we will have about packages. We have done 

 ourselves touch good, within the past year or two, though paying atten- 

 tion only to packages and shipment rates. The cars are packed full, so 

 there can be no shifting about of baskets, and we have had no trouble from 

 meddling with fruit at point of delivery. My fruit went from the orchard 

 in ripe condition, and reached the consumer in the best possible order. I 

 got $1.35 net, one time, for two cars, sold in Grand Rapids. I used 

 neither tarletan nor any other covering. 



Mr. Mack said he believed the Detroit commission merchants would 

 co-operate with the Grand Rapids growers to secure night trains. 



Mr. Munson: The Grand Rapids and Indiana people said it would 

 have paid to run special fruit trains north as well as south. 



Mr. Kellogg: When all the trees in Ionia and Kent counties get into 

 full bearing, you will see trains loaded for Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louis- 

 ville, and other points. We can not overdo the business of growing 

 peaches. 



