SUMMER MEETING. 81 



I have gathered them at Ghristmaa. It is a black grape and it is the 

 finest late grape I have had, but the vine must be well cared for or it 

 will not bear well. 



Mr. Murray— From the drift of this discussion it would eeem that 

 those present are about to come to the conclusion that we have noth- 

 ing either earlier or later than is grown east or west to take care of 

 ourselves with. Now, Mr. President, I wish to propound this question : 

 Now if the New York and Ohio people can grow the Concord grape 

 and ship them westward, and grow them on land worth $200 per acre, 

 and sell them out here as cheaply as they do, why is it that we can't 

 grow them just as well on laud that don't cost one-tenth so much, or 

 must we come to the conclusion that we cannot compete with the 

 Yankees in the east or the sharpers in the West? They have brought 

 it down to a system, and they have the most thorough system 

 of growing, picking and handling, and they send them down here by 

 the car-load, one car-load after another, and I have been told that 

 if they net 3 cents per basket for the S-pound baskets they are making 

 money. I think, gentlemen, if they can make money at 3 cents net on 

 an 8-pound basket, I think we can live and make money by growing 

 them here. 



Mr. Snodgrass— I would like to ask if they use cold storage, or if 

 it is cool storage without the use of ice ? 



A. I cannot answer that question, but they certainly do hold them 

 back nicely. 



Mr. Snodgrass — I have been told that grapes shipped in cold 

 storage cars, when taken off the car fall off their stems and are not 

 salable. I do not believe that it is practicable to put grapes in cold 

 storage. I know South Water street merchants carry their grapes in 

 the back part of their business houses for months, but there is no cold 

 storage and it is simply cool. 



Mr. Murray — That would be much nicer and more simple. 



Mr. Barnes— I think Mr. Snodgrass is about right about that mat- 

 ter ; I had a great many grapes in cold storage last fall, and there were 

 not more than three or four varieties when we took them out after from 

 three to six weeks ; that the loose grapes did not fall oft' and cover the 

 plate, and I do not think you can keep them in cold storage, but I have 

 seen them in stacks and stacks along Like Brie in cold storage ; they 

 were picked and put in the baskets and they were never taken out 

 from the time they were put in until the people out west here took 

 them out, and the baskets are packed up there all around the walls, 

 and I do not think there was anything there but atmospheric cold. I 



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