PROCEEDINGS OF KINDRED SOCIETIES. 275 



they would get abundant evidence that it pays to be honest in fruitgrow- 

 ing and packing, for the slightest trickery is detected instantly by the 

 shrewd buyer, and he promptly knocks off enough from the j)rice to pro- 

 tect himself, and the grower has to stand it. It seems that the x3eoi)le of 

 Chicago have stood about all they can of such business, and at last have 

 passed an ordinance prohibiting dealers from offering for sale any green 

 fruit or berries in any package except the standard barrel, bushel, or ali- 

 quot j)art of a bushel, according to the table of dry measure, and another 

 section provides that all x)ackages of green, dried, or preserved fruit shall be 

 of uniform quality throughout. It also provides a fine of from $5 to $25 

 Jor each offense. I am also informed that the state of Indiana has passed 

 stringent laws regarding the packages and packing of fruit, and it is hoped 

 that our legislature will pass laws that will regulate the traffic. 



While some of the above laws are faulty, it is hoped that they will be 

 amended from time to time until they force every man in the trade to be 

 honest. When that is done it will prove the salvation of Michigan fruit- 

 growers by protecting us from ourselves, as we are hurrying along to our 

 own destruction as fast as possible. I presume very few people know to 

 what extent our trade could be extended under the rigid enforcement of 

 such laws, but every man at all familiar with the fruit trade in Chicago 

 must know something of the distrust and disgust which consumers have 

 for fruit from certain localities, on account of the frauds practiced in 

 packages and packing. If that element of uncertainty can be replaced by 

 the confidence and certainty of absolute municipal control of the business, 

 the sale of our fruits would be far more satisfactory and would rapidly 

 increase, the trash would be left at home where it belongs, prices would be 

 far better, the percentage of expenses would be less, and the trade much 

 more satisfactory all around. 



It is a sad commentary on the intelligence and honesty of our fruitgrow- 

 ers, that laws and ordinances have to be passed to protect our customers 

 and compel us to do that which is evidently to our interest to do without 

 comijulsion. But it seems to be the oidy way, and we would suggest that, 

 as we have all the winter before us, we lay our plans to conform with the 

 ordinance and call the attention of the package manufacturers and local 

 papers to the same, and let us hope that not a single man will go from 

 here and attempt, by any means, to evade such a just ordinance; but if any 

 man does, and is caught, he should not have the sympathy nor aid of any 

 decent grower on the shore. 



We presume a great many of us have become tired of the advice to 

 (Organize for mutual benefit in selling our products, but, sooner or later, we 

 will be forced to do so as a matter of self-preservation, unless some radical 

 changes are made. 



We are aware that the lack of some standard in package, and of i^ackingj 

 has been an obstacle that appelired insurmountable in attemjjts to organ- 

 ize; but, as Chicago is our main market, the above ordinance may help us 

 to overcome that obstacle. However that may be, it has been evident to 

 our best informed men for a long time that there is a great need of some 

 strong organization among growers for the purpose of marketing our 

 immense crops judiciously and economically, and unless we soon reach a 

 point where we can combine harmoniously and intelligently we will cer- 

 tainly find ourselves growing fruit without profit. . 



J. G. Ramsdell: Mr. Moekill's paper was a good lesson for us in the 



