PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 133 



demoralization of the various markets through the remainder of the season, 

 from having an extra amount thrown on them for sale after the strike was 

 declared "off." That should be considered. 



One thing should be kept in mind, and that is, in these days no section 

 has the monopoly of any market very long. Just as soon as a demand in 

 excess of the normal supply is developed, efforts to increase the supply, or 

 to procure substitutes, are at once put forth, and are usually successful. 



California is now a recognized factor in the fruit supply in all the prin- 

 cipal fruit markets in the country, and is taken into the calculations of 

 every careful fruitgrower. It will not do to fold hands and sit down in 

 fancied security, because two mountain ranges and a desert, besides a 

 thousand miles, intervene between her growers and your market. 



Rapid transit has annihilated space, when a train will travel 3,000 miles in 

 six days, and refrigeration laughs at time; when a carload of fruit, twenty- 

 eight days from the tree, sells for $1,800. A combination of the two fac- 

 tors makes California a very decided factor in the problem of fruit 

 marketing. 



When Debs declared the strike "off," a thousand carloads of over-ripe 

 fruit were hurriedly gathered and forwarded to market. This came too 

 rapidly for the trade to absorb, and an accumulation soon became appar- 

 ent, with disastrous effects. 



By the middle of August, Michigan peaches began to move, and then 

 actual "trouble" commenced. A fine crop of good fruit was grown, and 

 the conditions all seemed favorable for fair prices at least, when the west- 

 ern tide was met and disaster followed. The prices gradually sunk from 

 35 cents per basket (1-5 bushel) to 30, and so on down, until, September 

 4, the prices were the lowest on record. On that day the receipts from 

 Michigan were 115,000 packages, and there were sold 29 carloads of Cali- 

 fornia fruit, of 24,000 pounds each, equal to 70,000 baskets of Michigan 

 fruit. [See Figs. 1 and 2.] 



The asking prices ruling that day at 9 a. m., the best hour in the day, 

 were: Michigan, extra selected fruit, 35 cents per basket; standard grade, 

 25 cents, and inferior 10 cents. These figures were reduced, so that at 

 noon selling prices were 28 cents, 20 cents, and 8 cents, respectively. Cali- 

 fornia peaches, 20 pounds net, at the morning hour were 60 cents, which 

 later were reduced to 50 cents. The cut gives relative size of package and 

 fruit, and all were in sound condition. [Fig. 1.] 



The same day, Michigan Bartlett pears, fifty-pound box, were offered at 

 75 cents, while California Bartletts were offered at $1.25 per box, same 

 size. The cut shows but imperfectly the quality. Still, an idea may be 

 gained by it, and perhaps it may induce some one to improve in packing, 

 wrapping, etc. [Fig. 3.] 



For further illustration, I give a view of the standard peach packages in 

 general use, the baskets being the Michigan packages, and the box being 

 the standard California package. [Fig. 4.] 



But it was not peaches alone that suffered by the glut. 



A choice article of plums was on sale at this time, and for the Califor- 

 nia article, for which 75 cents was asked for the four-basket crate, contain- 

 ing about 24 pounds, and the Michigan basket, holding ten pounds (when 

 filled), was offered at 30 cents each. 



From these figures I think the situation can be understood by all, and 

 that the market was well supplied. Please remember that these prices 

 were for standard qualities and conditions. Nothing out of order could be 



