TWENTY FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING. 85 



Now, what have been the lessons of the past year? We will touch 

 upon that a little first. I think that the spring of 1895 dawned with fully 

 the largest promise of fruit from ocean to ocean and from the gulf to the 

 great lakes, that any of us ever saw, and the commercial horticulturist 

 was placed in a position where he did not know exactly how the thing 

 was going to turn out. It looked as if there was going to be a deluge of 

 fruit, and the market swamped. Everything passed along favorably 

 until about the 20th of May, when the situation changed in a day and 

 the cry went over the land that everything was lost. We know every- 

 thing was not lost, but an immense amount of fruit was indeed destroyed. 

 Had this not been the case it would have been the worst year for horticul- 

 ture we have ever seen. But there is good in these things. They are not 

 unmixed evils. They may be a little hard on some people, they are hard 

 on some people, but there are opportunities in connection with them 

 whereby a trained horticulturist, one who posts himself, attends meet- 

 ings, reads the literature of the day on that subject, may in such a time 

 save himself by properly locating, cultivating, and protecting, by such 

 means as are at his command, his fruits and vegetables, in these trying 

 times. Then he comes out with flying colors — that is, with a bank 

 account, perhaps. Those who fail to avail themselves of these expe- 

 dients, unless extremely fortunate, are generally losers. 



We learned something by that extreme of cold; that is, we learned it if 

 our eyes were open. We learned many things of value. For instance, 

 we learned that it was not an unmixed evil. While it was destroying the 

 fruit, it very nearly destroyed some of our worst insects — reduced them 

 to such an exteut that we have gotten along very well this season without 

 fighting them, particularly the currant worm. The codlin moth, the first 

 crop, did not amount to much in this state. Later on, they did some 

 damage, but no man should argue from that that they will not be plenti- 

 ful again, with a favorable season. 



Following that, wo had an extreme drouth, probably the worst ever 

 seen in Michigan ; that had its lessons. Irrigation has become a prominent 

 topic at our meetings, fills the mind of each fruitgrower, more or less, 

 There is a wonder in his mind, if there is not some way he can irrigate. 

 Some never can, some may; much depends on location, the available 

 water supply, and the question of capital. It is an experiment yet in this 

 state. 



But there is one thing all men may do. I say "all men" because I think 

 there is no one here who has done all he can, and that is, given more thor- 

 ough culture; and as an offset to drouth I believe that today it is the 

 only thing that can save us. I do not believe that in .Michigan irrigation 

 is generally practicable. There may be isolated places where it is possi- 

 ble, but not generally. The question of thorough cultivation has cer- 

 tainly forced itself upon our notice this year, and those who cultivated 

 well reaped a reward. The market and transportation problem was a 

 prominent question this year. The large markets for a time were over- 

 stocked, while many small markets did not have their proper share. I 

 will not attempt to suggest much in regard to that, but it is essential that 

 we find means to equalize the supply in the hands of the consumer. We 

 must do it. Grand Rapids felt that for many years; they held meeting 

 after meeting, and finally they did effect an organization there, that 



