Winter Meeting. i95 



freight rates instead of taking part of one bird and part of the other, 

 they may conclude to take all turkey and leave us the buzzard. It there- 

 fore behooves us fruit growers to see to it that bright men are put at 

 the head of our organizations to champion our cause, so that v^e get 

 a fair deal. 



In nearly all the large cities the merchants and manufacturers have 

 found it to their advantage to organize freight bureaus to protect their 

 interests in all matters appertaining to transportation. They pay their 

 managers salaries ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 per annum, and con- 

 sider it money v^ell spent. All complaints such as excessive rates, dis- 

 criminations, car famines, poor service, etc., are referred to these bureaus 

 for adjustment. The managers of these bureaus then confer with the 

 managers of the railroad companies, and in nine cases out of ten, satis- 

 factory arrangements and adjustments are made. 



But if, as it sometimes happens, the railroad companies are un- 

 willing to comply with the reasonable demands that ^re made upon them, 

 these same freight bureaus appeal to the courts or the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission, and generally succeed in obtaining redress. 



As the interest of the horticulturists of Missouri is one of great im- 

 portance, and as their prosperity largely depends on reasonable and 

 proper transportation, in order to find markets for the product of their 

 labor, would it not be well to pattern after the merchants and manu- 

 facturers in the cities and establish freight bureaus, or such other or- 

 ganizations that would answer the same purpose? 



From what I know, the railroad companies, as a rule, are not antago- 

 nistic to these freight bureaus, but rather welcome them as a means of 

 adjusting all differences between the shippers and themselves, in an in- 

 telligent, fair and reasonable manner. 



In conclusion I will state that, while I may not have handled this 

 subject of transportation as well, or as satisfactorily as some one with 

 more ability and greater experience might have done, I trust that what 

 I have said, and the suggestions I have made, will be of some benefit 

 t^ the members of this society. 



IS THE CYCLE COMPLETE? 



(J. O. Evans, Harlem, Mo.) 



In the meaning of this question is there such a thing as a cycle? 

 We are told by the scientists that the movements and positions of the 

 planets cause disturbances on our earth such as extremes of heat and 



