166 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETy. 



COMMISSION MERCHANTS DISCUSSED — HONEST METHODS DEFENDED. 



Mr. Lawton: These papers have answered the prayer of the poet, so 

 far as it applies to the fruitgrowers of Lawton, "O wad some power the 

 giftie gie us to see oursels as ithers see us." They are admirable letters 

 and depict correctly the condition of things in this vicinity. And I hope, 

 too, that these gentlemen are honest (I believe they are so), and do 

 themselves as they recornmend others to do, and that they make their 

 influence felt all up and down South Water-st. (Laughter.) 



Mr. A. S. Packaed: During the last two years I have shipped from 

 7,000 to 8,000 bushels of peaches, and only 500 of the whole went to Chi- 

 cago. I pack my fruit honestly, as I would have fruit for myself if I were 

 to buy, and send constantly to the same houses. If we do not pack fruit 

 honestly, we ought not to be successful. I have obtained from 46 cents to 

 $1.31 net per bushel for my fruit, but am not going to tell how I worked 

 up my trade. One commission man once asked me not to put " No. 2 " on 

 my baskets, because he " only had to scratch it off." I am confident that 

 there will continuously be money in peaches if we only put them into the 

 right markets. 



Mr. Van Fliet: They talk of honest packing, but an honest fruitgrower 

 is a rare quantity. (Laughter.) I have sent my best and my lowest 

 grade of grapes to the same commission merchant, and got as much for the 

 one as the other. T hope there are honest commission merchants; doubt- 

 less there are, but if they are no more numerous than honest fruitgrowers, 

 there are not enough to do much harm in the world. Here in Lawton, 

 "snide" packages of grapes have sold direct to buyers for as much as the 

 best. If there is no way but honesty to remedy this, I fear the efforts will 

 be a total failure. 



Mr. Lawton: All peaches grown here are sold direct to wagons. 



Mr. Packard: I last year sold $3,000 worth in that way. 



Mr. J. A. Edmonds of Schoolcraft: I notice that when we come to 

 Lawton to buy peaches we have to pay fully as much as the selling price 

 in Chicago. 



Mr. Atwell: It is right that the peddlers should do so. They make a 

 profit on their retail sales, and take only our very best fruit, such as sells 

 for $2.50 and $3.00 per bushel in Chicago. 



Mr. Morrill: Honesty will sell fruit anywhere and command a 

 market. The man who does not observe honesty in his methods of mar- 

 keting must go to the wall; and the shrewd growers are seeing this. The 

 wagon trade is a good one, but it will not take any of the lower grades of 

 fruit, while Chicago will take and dispose of everything. Therefore the 



