REPORTS OP DISTRICT AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. 509 



probability of its suspension, for there are too many interested in it to allow it to die 

 just yet. But let us suppose that a meeting is called for the purpose of keeping this 

 body intact and in working order. The appointed day proves a fine one, and the members 

 of the association severally conclude that their absence will not amount to much, and 

 they have some little job that they can do on that day. Each thinks there will be 

 enough there without him. When the meeting takes place there is not a quorum pres- 

 ent. No business can be transacted. Suppose another meeting is appointed and turns 

 out the same. What is to be done? The association will go down, and its work will stop, 

 or a new organization must be formed with a less number of members. 



These latter will naturally argue that if the fruitgrowers did not have sufficient 

 interest in the old organization to keep it up, they are not especially entitled to any of 

 the benefits of the new one, and as it costs time and attention to keep up the work, 

 they will simply put the returns from any further concession they may gain into their 

 own pockets. The general grower will thus be deprived of any gain that he might 

 make by taking the personal interest in the matter that he should. Perhaps it may 

 not be very politic to say it; but this instance is not wholly imaginary. 



It seems necessary, therefore, to urge most earnestly the importance of all such 

 efforts. The individual benefit derived from attendance at such meetings may perhaps 

 be small, but still it is important. 



The pupil in the school only learns a little each day, and that, too, perchance, by the 

 hardest effort; but the total sum of those daily " littles " amount to an accretion of 

 inestimable value. We are none of us too old to go to school yet; and the little we 

 may pick up at the meetings of these various organizations may prove of far greater 

 value than we think, and we may be assured that the moral effect of our attendance 

 will not be without its influence upon others. 



Mr. Phillips : Organization moves the world. Some think they can, 

 single-handed, manage this business, but it can be better done by organiza- 

 tion. A better distribution of products brings better prices to the grow- 

 ers. First, plant for a succession for market; select good fruit and pack 

 nicely, and ship if possible direct to the consumer ; put your name on the 

 package and you will soon get a reputation. Chicago is the great market 

 center of the west, yet there are many places in the west where they never 

 saw a good Crawford peach. At Duluth, peaches sold this year from 40 to 

 55 cents per fifth basket ; grapes, 25 cents. During the hot weather thou- 

 sands of bushels of peaches in bushels and half bushels rotted. They 

 should all be shipped in fifth baskets. If you can not organize for co-oper- 

 ation, strike out for yourself. 



This is a day and age of competition and specialty, and requires special 

 fitness for a successful outcome. 



Mr. A. Hamilton of Ganges : My impression is that we can control 

 transportation. "We can build a boat for what we pay in a single season 

 for freight. I think if the whole shore had dumped their peaches in Chi- 

 cago this season we would not have had the prices we received, which on 

 the whole were satisfactory. 



Mr. D. W. Wiley of Douglas : It is said nothing succeeds like success. 

 We have talked this matter over, with no satisfactory results, because we 

 are not united. We in past years have paid too much for freights. I 

 understand that they have shipped fifth baskets of grapes from New York 

 state to Chicago for two cents, while it is to us five cents. I have shipped 

 to outside places but have not made a success of it. These places demand 

 first-class fruit and no one has yet been able to make his whole crop of 

 that quality. In Chicago and Milwaukee they can handle our seconds. I 

 think, however, if we could unite we could handle our own fruits or estab- 

 lish a house in Chicago. We have done well, but not as well as we ought. 

 The commission houses in Chicago have unusual advantages in knowing 

 the best markets, but by the time our fruits arrive at points beyond Chi- 

 cago, they have filled them with fruit and the prices fall. 



