PROCEEDINGS OF KINDRED SOCIETIES. 273 



be built at other points in the state, as they are needed, for the fruit- 

 raisers to store their products. 



The evening session of Dec. 17, was opened by a paper by A. N. Wood- 

 ruff of Watervleit, on "The Educational Influence of Horticultural 

 Societies," which was followed by one upon "Floriculture" by Mrs. 

 Frank Ingrahm of Hartford. The third paper was by Roland Morrill 

 of Benton Harbor, upon 



NEEDED REFORM IN GROWING AND MARKETING FRUITS. 



Webster gives several definitions of the word "reform," the mildest one 

 being, "To form again, to create, or shape anew;" and another is, "The 

 amendment of that which is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved." 



Evidently your secretary has concluded that everything is not just as 

 it should be among fruitgrowers, and has assigned me this topic with a 

 view of getting an expression of the general sentiment regarding the mat- 

 ter. As we hardly know which definition should be adopted, it will per- 

 haps be best to treat the matter just as we find it, as we believe it is gener- 

 ally conceded that there is a chance for improvement in the business. 

 Without going into the details of varieties, soils, etc., we will point out 

 some defects in our work, and endeavor to indicate the remedies, and the 

 reason why they should be promptly applied. 



One of the great mistakes made by a majority of us, at the very outset, 

 is our manner of buying nursery stock. There is an everlasting hunt for 

 the cheapest stock; and how often we see farmers who would not plant 

 poor, trashy seed grain at any price, but will hound all the local nursery- 

 men for cheap trees and in the end, probably, some far-away nurseryman 

 will make him the prices he wants and fill his order with stock that a 

 smart commercial grower would not set if he could get a bonus for doing 

 so. And the nurseryman can not be blamed very much, as our farmer was 

 hunting for just such a deal. It is not necessary to go into details in this 

 matter, as all of us have seen numerous instances of this kind; and when 

 you find a man who is always hunting cheap stock, you always find cheap 

 orchards, and generally find a man who thinks everybody swindles him. 

 While it is laudable and honest to buy as cheaply as possible, we should 

 not expect to get stock for less than it is worth ; but how often we see men 

 buy cheap nursery stock and lose $10 to $100 for evei'y dollar they have 

 saved by the operation. It usually proves untrue to name, or injured in 

 some manner, or it may be culls, or worthless trash : but, as the buyer has 

 paid for it, he sets it only to receive disappointment in various ways. The 

 remedy is to buy only from reliable nurseries and get their best stock and 

 pay a fair price for it. By the best stock, I do not mean the largest or 

 oldest, but thrifty, young stock ; and in the case of small fruit, nothing but 

 thrifty, one-year-old plants should be used. 



In the matter of culture, some of our people could make great improve- 

 ment; in fact, very few of us are good cultivators. We are also very slack 

 in fighting insects and fungi, also in trimming and thinning fruit. 



After the above defects have been remedied, we get down to the very 

 worst features in our business, which are the lack of standard, either in the 

 package used or the manner of packing the fruit. The legislature of this 

 state has passed an act regulating the size of the apple barrel, making it 

 the same size as the flour barrel ; but, I will venture the assertion that not 

 one third of the farmers of this state who pack their own apples use that 



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