218 State Horticultural Society. 



Being in this frame of mind, I wrote Mr. Goodman that I would 

 try to prepare a paper, and selected the subject given above. 



If the subject is to be considered from the standpoint of the 

 grower, as well as the dealer, and I think it should be, it would be 

 necessary to begin with early spring. 



First of all, when the proper time comes, spray your fruit; 

 cultivate your orchard thoroughly and keep down vegetation. 



The most essential thing is to raise the fruit of such quality 

 that it is deserving a market. 



As soon as your fruit crop is well set and apparently safe, you 

 should take up the subject of packages to be used. Get the best 

 package money will buy. It matters not which you use, barrels or 

 boxes, or both. They should be of first-class material and make an 

 attractive package when presented to the consumer for his ap- 

 proval. 



Did you ever go to a fruit stand to buy a basket of peaches and 

 notice that one basket was made of the best material and had a 

 neat, tidy appearance, showing care in the packing, while another 

 seemed to have a loose, slouchy look, as though it were only put to- 

 gether to reach the market? The fruit in the well-made basket may 

 not be quite as fine as the fruit in the other, but you will take it 

 every time, and if the quality of the fruit in both baskets is the 

 same, the slouchy looking package will have to take a back seat and 

 will not move until all the others have gone. 



So it is with apples : Make your package attractive — a mes- 

 sage to the buyer that you have used care in packing and handling 

 its contents. The extra cost of a first-class package is like bread 

 cast upon the waters. It will return to you after many days, in an 

 order for five or ten cars of fruit under your brand, it may be. 



After your packages are arranged for and well under way, so 

 that they will be ready when needed, you should select your fruit. 

 If you are a grower exclusively and have given your orchard the 

 "square deal," this is a simple matter; but with the buyer it is not 

 so easy. Orchard after orchard must be visited. Memorandums 

 should be made as to the different varieties, the quality, the per cent, 

 of No. 1 fruit, and the approximate number of barrels of each 

 variety in each orchard. Some orchards will have to be passed up 

 entirely, while in others only certain varieties can be packed. 



When you have gotten a line on the fruit in the section in 

 which you are operating, open up correspondence with buyers in 

 section of the country in which you expect to find a market. 



Let them know just what you expect to have to offer and when 



