HOW WE CAN GET THE CONSUMER TO. EAT MORE APPLES 103 



Discussion. 



Mr. Pollard: I do not know that I have anything particularly 

 to offer in regard to this subject at this time, excepting this. There 

 are a number of the members of the horticultural society, who have 

 formed within the last year, a marketing association for our fruit. 

 All kinds of fruit. Now then,* we have gone throus^ii one of ihese 

 experiences, and passed through one season. We have found that 

 right here at home, in Lincoln, in Omaha, and in t^ie towns and 

 cities along the river, and out in the state, the people, very largely 

 are eating apples., but not Nebraska apples. Now it seems to me ihat 

 this is a matter that probably might be taken up by the horticultural 

 society. The function of the Horticultural Societj , is educational in 

 its character. It must necessarily be so. We are told as a com- 

 mercial organization by the large buyers in the east who b'ly apples 

 all over the United States, that apples in this section aloiig the 

 Missouri river, on either side, — say fifty miles east and west, and 

 from. Council Bluffs on the north to St. Joseph on the soiith, produce 

 apples of finer texture and more delicious flavor, with a longer keep- 

 ing quality than any other section in the United States. Now these 

 men have reached that conclusion ,not on account of any fancy, 

 not because they live in this section, and have to brag about the 

 fruit grown in this region, for they don't live here. Men who are 

 looking at this question from a purely economic standpoint and men 

 who are desirous of getting apples on account of their quality, to sell 

 to people who demand quality. Those men are coming to this region 

 to get apples to sell to people, because they themselves demand quality. 

 It seems to me that as growers of fruit in this region, that we should 

 wake up and say something oi^rselves about the superiority of the 

 flavor and the texture of our own fruit, so that our own people, iiere 

 at home may know something about it, and may consume Nebraska 

 apples, and not permit outside apples to take their place, as has been 

 done for the last five or six years. 1 believe that we growers are to 

 blame for it more than anybody else. The facts are that we, with one 

 or two possible exceptions, every single one of the growers of fruit 

 in this state who are exercising care and patience in the handlin.? 

 of their orchards and packing of their fruit, have been shipping it 

 to points oi;tside of Nebraska, and our own people at home have been 

 eating the culls, and windfalls, and now then it seems to me that we 

 as members of this horticultural society, that this society might well 

 ifford to take up the question of advertising Nebraska apples, with 

 the object of getting the Nebraska people to eat Nebraska apples, and 

 point out the superiority of our fruit, and tell them why the people 

 down east come to Nebraska to buy our apples, on account of its 

 long keeping qualities and its fine flavor. 



