STATi: HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 141 



Prrsit/cnf of Sf((fe norticnltund Society: 



The topic assijj^ned nie for yonr meeting at Blooiiiington was so 

 fully discussed at a former meeting of your Society that hut little 

 more can be said without repeating the main points relating to 

 "Gathering and Marketing Fruits and Vegetables."' It is with a 

 great deal ut hesitatiou I attempt to add any words of mine. But as 

 I was •• called," will briefly respond. 



In the first place we are supposed to have crops to gather and 

 market, and as profit is the main point of our effort we should so 

 organize and systematize our plans as to produce the largest returns. 

 I leave the details as to the mode of gathering, style of package, or 

 stage of ri])ening, to the judgment of each grower, as much depends 

 on distance from market, mode of transit, and the weather. Would 

 always insist on keeping well up Avith the gathering of perishable 

 fruits, and also on the careful and thorough and clean picking, and 

 honest and uniform packing, of whatever we send to market. We 

 find it is good i)olicy to make two or more grades, indicating, by full 

 name of shipper, with ■"choice," or '^ selected," or some word by 

 which our commission man will know the quality of the goods and 

 can safely warrant them to his customers as No. 1. The second 

 grade should also be distinctly designated by an understood sign of 

 some sort, and if a third grade is shipped let it be only marked with 

 name of consignee and number of stencil. By doing this the best 

 brand Avill always find the best customers and best prices, while the 

 others must take their chances with the average stock and be sold on 

 their merits. 



The vegetable interest may be more local than general, but as it 

 is on the programme I will l)riefly allude to some of the leading 

 varieties. 



Lettuce, grown under glass, is one of the first in this line, which, 

 with spinach, is shipped in large quantities in strawberry crates. 

 Asparagus is one of the green things that find ready sale. This re- 

 quires constant attention, and should be cut at surface of ground 

 when six to ten inches in height, washed, sorted, and bunched so 

 that two dozen bunches will fill a third-l)ushel box. The bunches 

 should l)e even at l)()th eiuls. tied twice, and closely ]iacked. 



Khubarl> is birgely grown in Southern Illinois for distant north- 

 ern rnarkets, and shi})ped by car loads. It is sliipi)ed in barrels or 

 boxes. 



Tomatoes come in the line of perishable goods, and are gathered 

 as soon as they indicate the first a|)))roach to rijteniiig, carried to the 

 packing house, assorted, and carefully ])acked in third-bushel boxes 

 — the riper oiu-s by themselves for near markets, the greener ones 

 for a longer travel, and the greenest for the most distant markets — 

 Buffalo, and even Boston. 



Gathering sweet potatoes requires much care in handling to in- 

 sure long keeping. It should Ije done here during the first half of 



