438 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



year. We must of necessity grow some wheat, corn, and peas; and I agree 

 with Mr. Tracy that if we can market squashes and sweet corn we had better 

 grow them, for they cost but little trouble to raise. Turnips and potatoes 

 succeed well ; but we have difficulty in marketing them. 



Mr. Parmelee. — Few turnips are grown in the vicinity of Chicago. If put 

 into the market there in May, when other vegetables are scarce, they command 

 a good price. 



Mr. Avery. — With regard to potatoes, I believe it would be more profitable 

 to raise more Early Rose and not so many Peachblows. The former are more 

 easily harvested than the latter, and, coming in earlier, might be made more 

 profitable. 



CO-OPERATION AMONG FRUIT GROWERS. 



Old Mission, Dec. 22, 1873. 



The club met at 6.30 P. M., Mr. J. E. Savage in the chair. 



E. H. McCallura, secretary. 



Subject for discussion : What arrangements can we make by co-operation 

 or other plan to prevent our fruit from being thrown on the market at unsuit- 

 able times and at ruinous prices. 



After the reading and adoption of the minutes of the last meeting, Mr. 

 Curtis opened the discussion of the evening by delivering the following ad- 

 dress: 



Mr. President and Gentlemen : — Fruit grown in the Grand Traverse 

 country costs more than that grown in old settled portions of the State, and 

 should sell for a higher price. We labor under the disadvantages incident to 

 a new country. In the main our land is new, we have to work among stumps, 

 roots and grubs. The use of machinery is out of the question that is easily 

 operated where these obstructions do not exist. Labor is high, we have to pay 

 outside prices for stock, with the expense of getting it here added. The same 

 is true of all our tools and agricultural implements. Little is manufactured 

 here. A small portion only of the stock needed is grown here. These and 

 other consideratious make fruit-growing and other agricultural operations ex- 

 pensive. While we labor under these disadvantages we are fairly entitled to 

 all incidental counter-balancing advantages. These are freight on imported 

 fruits, and the attendant losses of bringing it in, local scarcity and superior 

 quality of the home article. These are some of the conditions in our favor 

 which naturally make our fruits higher than the same kinds, but of inferior 

 quality, in the regions where grown. It is just that we should have higher 

 jDrices. We are not in any way wicked when we ask and secure such extra com- 

 pensation. There is danger of our losing this. Early ripening, perishable fruits 

 must be disposed of at about the time when they mature. They cannot be 

 held. If a surplus is produced it must go for what it will fetch, or it must be 

 preserved by canning or drying, or both. In this view we should heartily sec- 

 ond any enterprise for erecting such establishments among us. Again, we 

 are in danger of losing by too much being forced upon the market at a time, 

 and by putting upon the market such kinds as are not at that time in demand. 



