74 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



great section of country that should be using our fruit being largely 

 monopolized by California, as we have seen. 



A large proportion of useless expense may be cut off by making Michi- 

 gan a distributing center instead of Chicago. This may be accomplished 

 to a considerable extent by encouraging buyers to come among us, as 

 is done in some sections now. But I think a most important work 

 would be that of widening our market and commanding all of those 

 important points within our easy reach. This work will necessarily be 

 done through organized means, or it will have to be left to do itself, 

 as has been the case in the past, and in the face of outside competition. 

 The latter method will therefore be as slow of success in the future 

 as it has been heretofore. 



There is an abundant and growing need for organization. Even with 

 a general system of disposing of fruit to buyers, the grower is on an 

 unequal footing, as his information regarding the condition of the various 

 markets is only meager at best; and I may suggest that a very important 

 work would be the establishment of a bureau of information having a 

 line of communication with all the important markets, so that the grow- 

 ers could be advised of market conditions daily during the shipping 

 season. 



BY HON. R. D. GRAHAM OF GRAND RAPIDS. 



I will endeavor to give you a few facts and figures which may bring 

 out a discussion of the subject of transportation. For the purpose of 

 making a showing to the Joint Traffic association of the trunk lines, 

 we have obtained the following estimate of peaches shipped during 1895, 

 by counties: 



Bushels. 



Allegan County 1,250,000 



Kent County 695,000 



Oceana County 250,000 



Mason County 150,000 



Ionia County 60,000 



Van Buren County 80,000 



Barry County 15,000 



Total 2,500,000 



Of this amount, of course, a great many went across the lake by boat, 

 but the Chicago and Milwaukee markets are not giving our growers 

 satisfaction of late years, and in turning our attention to eastern mar- 

 kets we find that the traffic associations discriminate against our baskets, 

 carrying peaches in crates for about one half what is charged for peaches 

 in baskets. Two years ago, by making the proper showing to the Central 

 Traffic association, they were induced to classify peaches in baskets as 

 second class, and give them a correspondingly low rate; but their terri- 

 tory only extends eastward as far as Buffalo, N. Y., from which place we 

 have been obliged to pay a one and one half first-class rate on peaches in 



