No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 525 



PROF. STEWART: In reference to tbis apple question, I have 

 been for a long time somewhat undecided in reference to apples of 

 the Ben Davis type. As Prof. Surface has said, the Ben Davis has 

 been receiving 25 cents per barrel more on the Philadelphia market 

 than any other kind, but if you v^'ill loojc at the New York markets, 

 3^ou will find that the Ben Davis brings from |3 to |3.25 a barrel, 

 while the last quotation for Baldwins is |5. You see the New York 

 market is becoming educated. Then, again, I see the Jonathan 

 being quoted at |5, while the Ben Davis is only |3. Now, there are 

 oth(a' things against the Ben Davis in this State, and one of these is 

 its susceptibility to the San Josd Scale. I don't know of any other 

 single variety that has seemed to be so susceptible, and so have one 

 or two others, but on the whole, the Ben Davis seems to be the 

 worst and for this, if for no other reason, I think it should be re- 

 placed by a better variety. 



MR. YOUNGS: In taking up this question of education, we must 

 take into consideration several things. In appearance the Ben Davis 

 is large and red, and a good bearer, but in quaility it is a different 

 thing. The Ben Davis is poor as regards quality. It is something 

 like the Elberta peach; it is large, and, as the saying is, "hand- 

 painted," and the people take to it because of its pretty appearance. 

 Just like the Ben Davis, they buy it by the eye. Now, you take Red 

 Raspberries. There is the Marlboro', for instance; the Guthbert is 

 far superior in quality but the market wants a berry that is large 

 and red. and looks fine, and the Marlboro' goes to the market in bet- 

 te\r shape than the other, and eo the market calls for it, so that 

 there are really two sides to the question — the demand of the eye, 

 which rs for appearance, and the demand of the palate, which is 

 for ovnlity, and unfovtunatoly the demand of the eye, in the aver- 

 age buyer, is still too prominent a factor for us to ignore. 



MR. JAMISON: Mr. Youngs is striking the key-note. Now, the 

 marfvot for our apples is made in Europe and they want a red 

 apple. Of all our red apples, of course the Baldwin is the favorite 

 in this country, but there is no doubt tliat for shipment to Eng- 

 land or across the sea, the Ben Davis carries well, it looks well, and 

 remains firm, and is therefore a good export apple. A friend of 

 mine asked me recently what I thought of the Ben Davis apple, and 

 I told him it beats none all to pieces. He wanted to know why, 

 and I said because we can raise them when we can't raise anything 

 else. Now, the market is usually not discriminating, because the 

 buyer of the apples does not eat them, as n rule; he sells them. 

 Once in a while, they get to know a little something about the qual- 

 ity, but as a rule, the dealer buys them only to sell them. A dealer 

 who had been buying apples from the West the last few years came 

 Ho my place last fall, and wanted to see our orchards and asked 

 whether we had any apples; I was not at home, but my son told him 

 we had, and asked him what kind he wanted; he said "I want any 

 kind but Ben Davis and the Belleflower." My son said: "We have 

 not got the Bo\\ Davis, we have the Gano. "Well," he said, "that is 

 what I want." 



MR. HALE: May I, a stranger, say a word? 



The PRESIDENT: You ore not a stranger. Mr. Hale, and we are 

 always glad to hear from you. 



MR. HALE: The San Jos<^ Scale has been the cause of a great 

 deal of expense in our orchards and it is the public, in the end, who 



