REPORTS OF DISTRICT AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. 501 



In case the above plan is not feasible in your locality, where you are engaged in 

 growing fruit, in case you are growing on a small scale, my advice is to depend on 

 home market. Sell direct to the consumer. On the other hand, if you are largely 

 raising fruit for the market, my advice is, if cooperation will not work in your locality, 

 by all means do as I did last year — strike out for yourself. Find a good market for 

 your products. There are at the present time hundreds of towns all over the great 

 northwest where good, fresh, first-class fruit is never seen — towns ranging in popula- 

 tion from five to twenty-five thousand inhabitants — towns in many cases largely engaged 

 in manufacturing an^d mining industries, consequently money is reasonably plenty, and 

 fruit sells well if fresh and good. 



Now, when you have found your market, go to Chicago or Milwaukee, as the case may 

 be, and look after your transportation rates. This is an important item. Look after it 

 well. If you have a good amount of fruit to ship, invariably you can get good rates. 

 At least this is my experience. 



Now, when all the above plans are perfected, be sure you have some one at your 

 place of raising fruit that can be depended upon to put up the fruit as I have recom- 

 mended it to be put up, and you at the other end of the line, see entirely to the mar- 

 keting, and I will guarantee, as soon as your brand is known well, you will have no 

 trouble in disposing of all the fruit, at good prices, you can raise. 



In conclusion, let me remind you that this is a day and age of competition and special- 

 izing in all industrial occupations, and in lines of general business, and none but those 

 who have special fitness and special training can hope to make a success. Therefore, let 

 us make our calling a specialty, and bring to bear upon it our 'best thoughts and 

 best industry as well." 



The paper was followed by an interesting and instructive discussion, in 

 which Messrs. Hamilton, Adams, Whitney, Lannin, and others took part, 

 all agreeing that organization was needed and that well-grown, properly- 

 packed fruit was seldom a drug upon the market. Some claimed that dis- 

 tribution must be made through the usual channels, by the aid of the com- 

 mission houses, while others held that the growers must seek the market 

 directly to the consumers. 



The question-box gave several important questions which were fully 

 discussed. 



"What size and kind of package should be used for shipping fruit?" 

 The Oceana and Mason county people claimed that the fifth-bushel climax 

 basket is now the best, while those of Allegan and South Haven thought 

 the full peck basket the best. 



" Can gooseberries be raised at a profit, and was there a market for 

 them?" was answered in the affirmative. 



At 9 o'clock Wednesday morning the society again convened, those from 

 abroad having been gathering lessons as well as fruit from the well-tilled 

 fields of their hosts. President Lannin opened the programme by a talk 

 upon pears. He considered the following varieties the most profitable for 

 planting: Madeleine, Clapp's Favorite, Bartlett, Louise Bonne, Sheldon, 

 Anjou, Bosc, Seckel, and Lawrence, and mentioned some of the new vari- 

 eties, giving the value and faults of each. Many questions were asked by 

 those present and answered by Mr. Lannin. 



The subject of the recent legislation in the interests of fruitgrowing 

 and bee-keeping were brought up and the several bills before the legisla- 

 ture were read and discussed. The policy of senate bill No. 78, file No. 

 30, was greatly questioned, yet it was thought the intelligent fruitgrower 

 would not spray his trees until the blossoms had fallen, notwithstanding 

 wise, theoretical teachers had instructed them and many others to spray 

 when the trees were in bloom. The bill for the suppression of yellows and 

 black-knot, now pending in the legislature was heartily endorsed. 



The afternoon session was given up to papers and discussion. The/first 

 was by A. A. Adams of Shelby, upon "Peach Culture and the Best Vari- 

 eties to Plant." 



