72 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



extending eastward from twenty to sixty miles; and the adaptability of 

 our soil and climate for the production of fruit in all this vast territory 

 is not a matter of theory, but is being demonstrated every year by the 

 • thrifty and progressive farmers in every county and nearly every town- 

 ship in the region named, who have planted and are now planting exten- 

 sive orchards and vineyards, many of which are yielding bountiful crops 

 of fine fruit. 



With the knowledge of these facts, the question presents itself with a 

 good deal of force, what shall we do with all this great amount of perish- 

 able fruit — where is it wanted at a profitable price, and how shall we get 

 it there? A few years ago the answer would have been, Chicago by boat ; 

 but this is a thing of the past. Chicago can do nearly everything, but she 

 can not consume one tenth part of our fruit. We must seek a more direct 

 market, and in so doing we get beyond the reach of water transportation. 

 There may be, and I am of the opinion that there is, a difference in the 

 keeping qualities of our fruits and the fruits of California, a difference 

 in favor of the latter; but, so far as I have observed, its keeping qualities 

 is all there is to recommend it, as it is usually dry and tasteless, while 

 the Michigan fruit is of the finest flavor and full of juice, and for that 

 very reason does not "hold up" as well. So, what we lack in one respect 

 is more than made up in the other. On the other hand, the California 

 fruit is picked and packed with greater care than ours, and the whole 

 process conducted in a more business-like manner, and I believe our 

 growers and dealers could with profit take lessons from our western 

 brothers in this matter. 



At the same time, there is a very large proportion of our fruit (and I 

 speak now more particularly of peaches), that is not what could be called 

 fancy, but just good, common stock, which it would not pay to put up in 

 fancy packages, and I think perhaps this is also true of apples, pears, and 

 plums. This class of fruit must be put in the hands of the consumers 

 with as little expense as possible, be they near or distant, and I believe the 

 demand is increasing for larger packages; for, as fruit becomes more plen- 

 tiful, the demand increases — every family uses more of it, consequently 

 buys in large quantities. As to the package, a bushel basket costs very 

 little if any more than one half its size, while the same quantity of fruit 

 can be handled much cheaper and easier in bushels than in smaller 

 packages. 



Now, as to the means of transportation, where very large quantities of 

 fruit are marketed. As is now and will be to a much greater extent the 

 case in nearly all towns in western Michigan, it is a question not of bar- 

 rels, bushels, or baskets, but of carloads; and this I believe to be the 

 future method of fruit transportation. The refrigerator car, built with 

 an icing capacity of four or five tons, when properly packed, will, in any 

 ordinary weather, carry our most tender and perishable fruit in good con- 

 dition for from three to five days without re-icing. Of course, where 

 fruit is shipped south in very warm weather, it is often necessary to refill 

 the ice chests. I believe the fruit should be placed in the car in open 

 packages, so far as possible, using a shelved car, which insures a free and 

 perfect circulation of cold air over every package. Our Michigan fruit, 

 properly picked and packed in this manner, can be placed upon any mar- 

 ket in the United States east of the Rocky mountains, in good condition, 



