40 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



stood in that luurket and seen peaches sold at GO to 70 cents, and others very 

 little if any better, sell at 11.00; now ^vhy is this? Tlie former were put up in 

 poor rough baskets, — some say it makes no difference about the basket being 

 full, consequently rolling and getting bruised, — while the 81.00 peaches were in 

 smooth, neat, clean, full packages. Those GO cent peaches netted about 24: 

 cents, and the &1.00 peaches about GO cents. So that one basket at 81.00 netted 

 as much as 2^ baskets at 60 cents. The difference in cash was about as follows : 



Cents. 



Good basket more than poor 1 J 



Additional jieaches to lill tlie basket full 5 



Additional time to pack them nice 1-^ 



Additional commission for selling at $1.00 4 



AVliole additional cost l'-3 



Additional amount sold for 40 



Cost, deducted 12 



Net gain 28 



Net gain, per cent - IIG 



It may be claimed that this is an extreme case. 1 admit it; but it is never- 

 theless fairly stated and not exaggerated in the least. The GO-cent peaches 

 referred to were put up by a farmer of my acquaintance, the fruit was honestly 

 sorted, but the baskets were not filled, and in fact there is not one basket in 

 ten put up by that class of growers that is properly filled. The simple matter 

 of filling the baskets ])roperly would add to the selling price from 10 to 25 cents. 

 After the foregoing illustrations of the net receipts from the different qualities 

 of fruit, it will surprise no one when I claim that we raise too much fruit from 

 a given number of trees. A fruit tree tliat is allowed to overbear is injured, 

 and the fruit is of inferior size, fiavor and general ai)pearance. When a tree is 

 overloaded more net money may be realized by })icking off half or three-quar- 

 ters, or even more, when the fruit is small, thereby making the balance extra 

 fine, than by allowing the -whole crop to mature. And that is not all, your 

 tree will be in much better condition for future usefulness. 



There is a great deal said about raising more fruit ; but I believe our interest 

 lies more in the improvement of quality than the increase in quantity. It is 

 an admitted fact that our fruit enemies are rapidly increasing, especially of the 

 a])plcs, and under our present mismanagement, we have no right to expect any 

 other result. About one-half of our apple crop is now ruined annually, and 

 only a few years longer will be required to have the whole crop in the same 

 condition if we pursue the same course in the future as in the })ast. 



To meet it is a matter of decj) regret to sec men enlarging their orchards 

 •when they do not take care of what they have; it simply increases their power 

 of doing harm to the community by increasing their establishments for breed- 

 ing all kinds of noxious insects. Every orchard that is not properly cared for 

 is an injury to successful fruit growing. 



My principle hope of a remedy for these evils lies in the direction of improved 

 instead of enlarged crops as a means of making fruit growing a success. This 

 has Ix'en kept well in view as far as improved varieties are concerned; but 



