224 MISSOUKI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In searching lor the cause of his misfortunes, it would be well to 

 commence at home and ask himself if he is certain that his goods are 

 in a merchantable condition when sent to market, and if they are 

 in such shape as to make them inviting to the eye and palate of the 

 purchaser, or such goods as he himself would select were he a pur- 

 chaser instead of a producer. 



It is a well known fact that fully three-fourths of the fruits sent to 

 market are packed in such a manner as to deceive the purchaser, and 

 to induce him to purchase a condsiderable quantity of worthless stuff to 

 get a small quantity of such an article as he wants; and the buyers 

 have become so accustomed to being imposed upon in this manner that 

 they look with suspicion upon all goods offered in the market, and 

 refuse to buy the honestly packed article, except at the price of the 

 "snide" packed goods, until after repeated trials they find a brand that 

 is always honestly packed, after which they always look for this brand 

 and willingly pay a better price for it than for other brands that look 

 equally as well upon the face ; but not as much as he would be willing 

 to pay were the market not full of the low priced goods with which he 

 is forced to compete. 



The universal disposition of the American people to accomplish 

 great things has caused a great many of them to do what is forcibly 

 expressed by the slang phrase " bite off more than they can chew," or^ 

 in other words, to plant more than they can properly cultivate and 

 reap, m.iking it impossible for him to properly cultivate and mulch 

 his berries, to prune his trees, thin out the fruit and protect it from its 

 insect enemies, things that are absolutely necessary to enable them to 

 produce such an article as will realize fancy prices when placed upon 

 the market, and when harvest time arrives he finds it impossible to 

 get a sufficient number of careful pickers to gather and pack his crop, 

 and, owing to his inability to personally see to the many details of 

 the business, almost every package goes to market with more or less 

 over-ripe or green and inferior fruit, making it unsalable except at a 

 greatly reduced price, much to the disgust and dissatisfaction of the 

 shipper. 



The remedy for this great evil is for every one to plant no more 

 than he can thoroughly cultivate and place upon the market in good 

 condition. 



If the crop is strawberries, pick the whole patch over seven days 

 in the week, neither picking them too green or allowing them to get 

 too ripe, and always leaving the sandy berries out of the box, which 

 should contain an honest measure of whatever sized package is used. 



If peaches, they should all be of the proper degree of maturity ta 



