Winter Meeting. 385 



from Arkansas. I have referred to these in connection because the 

 two territories are contiguous, and from parts of each the berries 

 are being marketed at the same time, making the question of how to 

 market one of common interest. In view of the fact that this great 

 quantity of berries must be marketed during a period of six weeks, 

 the question of distribution becomes a large part of our subject. Could 

 we always have favorable weather in which to car our berries in dry, 

 sound condition, then selling on the track solves the question of distri- 

 bution, as it is always possible under favorable conditions for those who 

 desire to sell to do so, and those who prefer to consign are protected in 

 the larger markets by the fact that competitors of their agents will 

 not buy more than they can handle at a profit. During unfavorable 

 weather conditions, when the berries are water-soaked and cannot be 

 sold on track, the risk is too great for the buyer to put his money into 

 them and the grower must assume the risk of transportation and con- 

 sign them to commission men. This being true, it becomes apparent 

 at once that there should exist at all times a proper business relation 

 between the shipper, either as an individual, association, or co-operation 

 of association, and their selling agents in the different markets, for the 

 shipper during such periods is not only at the mercy of the elements, 

 but the trade as well, and the stronger the confidential relations between 

 the seller and his or their selling agents during such conditions, ^^c. 

 stronger is the refuge in time of storm. 



FEEDING THE ORCHARD. 



(By H. J. Waters, Dean of the College of Agriculture aad Director of the Experiment Station.) 



Information on orchard fertilization gained from accurate ex- 

 perimental work or based upon long conducted observations is almost 

 entirely lacking. Moreover this phase of plant feeding presents many 

 very intricate and difficult problems. An orchard means a large outlay 

 of money, labor and time. If by improper or incorrect fertilization a 

 late or soft growth be induced, the dangers of winter-killing are largely 

 increased, the probabilities of serious attacks of fungous diseases are 

 greater, and if this process be continued long enough, and these dangers 

 even be eliminated, the time of coming into fruit is very much deferred 

 and the tree is made so large as to increase materially the expense of 

 spraying and harvesting. 



H— 25 



