214 State Horticultural Society. 



instead of a health-food supply, as it should be. Where one cus- 

 tomer would buy, at least three others would not be able to buy. 

 Hence, one barrel would be consumed where four would have been 

 had the retailers sold them at 25 cents per peck, which would have 

 given him 75 cents to $1.00 per barrel profit, and with which he 

 should be satisfied. Coming throagh Fort Scott yesterday morning, 

 I asked a railroad switchman how much he was paying for apples 

 at the stores, and he said 40 cents per peck, and good apples are be- 

 ing loaded on the cars today at $1.50 per barrel within 150 miles 

 of Fort Scott. My paper is already too long, and will say in con- 

 clusion, the three most important details in marketing apples are: 

 First, organization; second, bring producer and consumer closer 

 together; third, through organized capacity, or legislative enact- 

 ment, if necessary, require an honest package, with the name of 

 the grower or packer stamped upon it. 



DISCUSSION ON PACKING AND SELLING. 



Secretary Goodman — I would like to ask Mr. Graves how they 

 hold their members to their agreement to always consign their 

 fruit. Do you hold them by a fine or how? 



Mr. Graves — Have never imposed the fine for failure to turn 

 their fruit over to the association. But whenever a member fails 

 we refuse to ship his fruit afteiwards. Our members are gener- 

 ally loyal. Our's is not the only association at that point. There 

 is another one. Several of our members have gone to that, not 

 because it is any better, but because it was more convenient. Some 

 of these want to come back, but there is a little difficulty in taking 

 in backsliders. 



Mr. Darsche — How do you get help enough to pack in car- 

 loads? 



Mr. Graves — We have had s.ome difficulty in getting packers 

 this season. One of the chief reasons for this difficulty was the 

 very wet weather of the last two seasons. Pickers generally camp, 

 living in tents, and, if the weather is very wet, it keeps some of 

 them away. The small grower has some trouble in getting pickers. 

 The large grower can get help when the small grower cannot some- 

 times. People coming for work want to work for the largest 

 grower, expecting to have more work. On this account the small 

 grower has dropped out and the larger plantings have been in- 

 creased. We hope to get plenty of help by having this work thor- 

 oughly advertised, 



Mr. Sinnock — What is the price paid for picking? . 



