16 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



We will suppose you have done everything right to date — why not 

 finish right. Did you ever stop to think that you could lie a thousand 

 times a day with a iiibber stamp, if you pack that many baskets and 

 they are not what your stamp says they are. Getting money under false 

 pretenses is a serious charge, but, for instance, here is my package. I 

 have dyed the handle red and I say on the label, "Fancy Table Grapes." 

 If they are not, — and you should buy a basket and pay a fancy price — 

 I would get a few cents of your money imder false pretense. Did you 

 ever l)uy a snide j»ackage? I have and you have nnd you know how the 

 fellow feels who buys one of yours, if you put one up. And that fellow 

 is one of the million customers that makes your vineyard a profit or 

 a debit proposition. How many of us have tunked the old goose on the 

 lunid that laid the golden egg? 



We instruct our ])ackers to never put anything in a red-handled 

 basket that would make that label a falsifier and we endeavor to see 

 that they follow our instructions. We never put a broken handle in our 

 car. Not even a basket with a flapping label. Try treating the other 

 fellow fair and see if he does not give you better treatment. Out of 

 nearly 100 cars that we have put on the market in the last five 3'ears we 

 have never received a complaint of quality or packing. 



We have had several cars go to Boise City, Idaho, and three to Seattle, 

 Washington. 



On the contrary, we have received many letters from entire strangers 

 commending our pack. One that is fresh in my memory, from a lady in 

 Cliicago, to the effect that she was glad to find a basket of grapes that 

 they could rely upon and she hoped that we would make it possible in 

 the future to get the red handled basket. This sounds like brag but it 

 is not. It is our religion and I believe that the future of the grape busi- 

 ness of Michigan depends on better packing. 



Marketing- — The marketing problem is in exact proportion to the pains 

 YOU have taken in care, culture and packing. Good goods are easily sold. 

 We have sold some of our grapes through both the Fruit Growers Union 

 of Paw Paw and the Fruit Growers Exchange of Lawton, and a ])art 

 direct ourselves, but the price is always agreed upon before car is moved. 

 Tliat is, if Ave have a car to offer we say to the manager of the Union or 

 Exchange: I will have a car of "Red Handle" grapes today. See what 

 30U can do! If the price suits, the shipment is made. If not it is held 

 over or sold direct. We have some selling ideas that we shall i)ut into 

 practice this coming season, if we are favored Avith a crop. 



I Avill say in conclusion that the association idea is correct. 



It is the only solution of the selling problem, but as it now stands 

 it is mighty crude. 



Seven or eight associations in Southern Michigan, with practically 

 no co-operation between them. 



Each manager thinks he is endowed by the Divine Creator with infinite 

 wisdom like Moses t(j lead the poor grape groAvers out of the Avilderness 

 and at the same time save for himself a nice salvage out of the Avreck 

 caused by the blind snags in the paths of the other associations. 



The managers are like politicians — they never do much for you, the 

 dear people, until you make them. But don't use a crooked stick to make 

 them Avalk straight with. 



