WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 455 



Eastern States? We can put up fruit that is better, and that looks as well on the 

 market. There are many things in favor of fruit growing here which do not prevail in 

 California. 



SPRAYING. 



The question of spraying has been pretty thoroughly gone over here. An exhibi- 

 tion of oranges was made at our State Pomological Society's meeting last week. 

 They were taken from a grove that had been thoroughly sprayed and cared for on 

 intelligent lines all through. Another display was from a different grove and where the 

 fruit had been ordinarily treated. One was magnificent and the other had the 

 ordinary appearance. 



FROST DRAINAGE DESIRABLE. 



In Conneticut the climatic conditions interfered seriously with the successful pro- 

 tection of all our fruits. The subject of frost drainage has been very interesting to 

 me. I have found that frost runs down hill almost as freely as water, and that it wants 

 some way to get off. I prefer elevated sites for peaches. Where such a site slopes off 

 into a basin at its foot, were neither frost nor water can run off, the frost kills the buds; 

 but if there is an opening into a valley, with a stream that is not blocked up with 

 weeds, etc., the frost will follow down and away, and the peach buds are saved. 

 Elevated land with abrupt slope in a valley, affords frost drainage. The protection 

 of our fruits as to soil conditions, climatic influences, cultivation, feeding and spraying, 

 have all had a great deal of thought and study by the most successful horticulturists; 

 but there, it seems to me, we have stopped, instead of pursuing the subject from a 

 business standpoint and studying the position further along. 



STUDY THE MARKETS. 



We must not complain if we produce certain things and the markets do not want 

 them. We should first find out what the market wants and then produce the article. 

 Study the demands of the markets and aim to supply them. Don't remain as you were 

 twenty years ago. Study the works of every successful and every unsuccessful horti- 

 culturist and profit by it. 



It is the duty of the Horticulturist to study the markets and the people. It is all 

 too true that the dealer in fruits knows much more about the business end of the matter 

 than the producer. Who should know so much about uihy and hoid and tvhen to place 

 fruit as the producer ? And yet, as a rule, I would rather go to the intelligent, honest 

 dealer for information than to the average producer. I will admit that the thoughts I 

 have advanced, of love and interest in the production of fruits, should be the first con- 

 sideration with the producer, and our greatest pleasure ; and if we are entirely absorbed 

 in that direction, we shall be sure of the financial returns we ought to have. Tne 

 tendency with us as producers is to stay too much among our trees and plants if we love 

 them, and forget the business end ; and the tendency with others of us is to be ever- 

 lastingly at work with our thoughts and our muscles until we are tired out, and do not 

 get away from home so as to study the markets and the people. Unless our fruit- 

 growers will take more interest in their work and in the markets they will be as 

 dead men. When I see much of our fruit going on the market I think, if the fruit- 

 grower is not already dead, he is mighty near it, or he would have his fruit on the 

 market in different form, or he would produce different fruit, or in a different manner. 

 The question of supplying the markets is a serious one to the small producer if he is 

 not close to a good market. The man who is so far away that he has to consign his 

 fruit to distant markets is at a disadvantage ; and he is going to remain there if he 

 keeps to himself. The tendency now is to cooperation. There are large orchards com- 

 ing along that are going to make their reputation on the markets of the world. Small 

 growers must get together. It may be a difficult thing to do, but they must. Tilling 

 the soil is the best business on God's green earth, always will be ; and because it is so 

 any blunderbuss can work at it. Railroad men combine; so do manufacturers and 

 professional men and mechanics and laborers. They have to get together. It is 

 because of the absolute independence of the fruitgrower and farmer that we have let 

 the pendulum swing the other way. But the fruitgrowers have got to get together, if 

 not in the dissemination of fruits, at least in the uiarketing of them. The tendency is 

 towards combinations, and our fruits will have to be sold in that way, and a name and 

 reputation made for a locality. The man who buys your small lot of fruit here or in 



