256 STATE HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



markets of the world than they are. Oar leading product, apples, the 

 money maker, is more staple and is not effected in any market by any 

 quantity of their products. I am not urging the members of this 

 Society or the fruit-growers of Missouri to any definite line of action^ 

 but offer thesa suggestions to set them thinking. It is certainly well 

 known to every commercial fruit-grower in Missouri after the last year's 

 experience that we are more or less at the mercy of the transportation 

 companies, commission men, brokers and so on, and that a change in 

 the condition of things would be very welcome. Let us think about it» 



J. C. Enans, Harlem, Mo. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Iifelson spoke of the importance of the railroads in building 

 up the country. 



J. C. Evans — Some of the railroads are all right. We are getting 

 terms with our railroads, and I suppose Mr. Nelson is doing the same 

 thing. Some of them are willing to do what is right, but when we get 

 across the Mississippi river, I say we are at the mercy of the railroads. 

 For instance, $500 freight for a car-load of peaches to Boston ! Where 

 are the profits *? You had almost as well dump them. We are at the 

 mercy of the brokers, commission men and everybody else who wants 

 peaches. Missouri and her borders was about the only place where 

 peaches were to be had the past season, and every man came to make 

 something. One man actually stole a car-load of peaches and got 

 away with them. 



Question — Did the Osark Association do any good f 



Mr. Evans — I can't say tbat they did. They were not sufficiently 

 organized. 



O. C. Bell — I suggest that a guardian be appointed for the man 

 who lost that car load of peaches. We are sometimes to blame our- 

 selves that we do not get the treatment from the railroads, commission 

 men and others, that we think we ought to have. When I began to 

 ship I charged every little mishap to the railroads. If you can show 

 the railroad men that you have or can make business for them, they 

 will generally meet you half way and get that business, and so would 

 you if you were in their shoes. There are always two sides to a thing. 

 Let us be candid and fair in the matter. Millions of apples would have 

 rotted in the State had it not been for men like Mr. Nelson and myself, 

 who bought them and often shipped at a loss, but I do not complain. 

 We have to take the chances of the business in which we are engaged. 



