REPORTS OF DISTRICT AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. 511 



them as an organization they would listen to us ; and I think we must 

 organize for best effects ; there is a power in united action. 



0. L. Whitney: This theme has been gone over very fully, but there 

 are but two stages in fruit matters: first, to get it; then, to dispose of it. 

 When the fruit is well grown the work is half done. The question of dis- 

 posal then comes. The matter is then in the hands of two parties. ' The 

 question of bad handling is sometimes called lack of judgment, but we call 

 it dishonesty. This matter of gathering in the right condition is the first 

 requisite, then sorting sizes, averaging sizes, color, and quality, and cool- 

 ing the fruit — these are all important points ; for heating in transporting 

 often happens, and spoils the fruit ; be prepared for all conditions of fruit 

 and market by cooling-houses, with ice gathered in its season. Then, the 

 package itself should be neat and appropriate — the better the package the 

 better will sell the contents; good, spring, covered wagons, good enough 

 to ride in, are none too good for fruit for market, and in such conveyances 

 it does not become heated by the sun. Time is money to fruitgrowers, 

 and they should have good smooth roads to get their fruit to market quickly. 

 Organization should be created not only to get better rates, but to let peo- 

 ple know that we have something to sell. 



R. Moreill of Benton Harbor: My experience is that lack of confi- 

 dence is the greatest drawback to organization among fruitgrowers. You 

 must have a fund and a good business management, to succeed, and I find 

 that individuals succeed by personal effort in opening new markets. 



Mr. Monroe : You have stated your experience in the direction of 

 organization, and I have listened with great interest, for we need all the 

 experience we can get on this head. We have made special efforts in our 

 vicinity, in the preparation of the fruit for shipment, and we hear much 

 less about "snide" packages ; and some California peaches, I learn, are 

 repacked and sold for Michigan peaches. While we we did not have such 

 a choice of routes, we were interested in getting good boats ; and, as has 

 been remarked here, the rate is of less consequence to us than is the get- 

 ting of good service ; and the experiences related here today I think we 

 will be glad to make use of hereafter. 



Mr. E. Hutchins: I think it has been brought out here today, that 

 there are two points that are of the utmost consequence to us. One is 

 growing the fruit and another the marketing of it; and shall we not gain 

 more by giving our attention to growing fruit than we shall by looking 

 after the marketing? We can not all make good commission men, and it 

 is doubtful if we can combine both with satisfactory results. 



" Canning, drying, and other methods of disposing of surplus," was next 

 considered. 



Mr. C. Sheffer of Casso: I think we would do well to dry seconds, or 

 even feed them to the hogs (for they like peaches) to take them out of the 

 market. Now, if California people can pay $9 per cord for wood with which 

 to dry peaches, and then ship them across the country, I think then, with 

 unlimited wood, we could dry them and keep them off the market. Pare 

 those that can be pared. There are machines that will pare twenty bushels 

 per day. About seven or eight pounds of dried peaches can be made from 

 one bushel of fresh. 



I certainly think that seconds are valuable for drying, and perhaps by 

 better thinning we would have less of the second quality, but by drying 

 we should remove a considerable portion of this class of fruit. Flooding 

 the market with poor fruit injures the price of good. 



