PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 161 



Spraying I believe in, and luive seen tne benefits and realized that my 

 iipples last year were benefited, at a conservative estimate, |500, by my 

 spraying, using Bordeaux mixture. I have spra.yed twice this year, and 

 have been very thorough and particular that each entire tree was wet, 

 putting from two to three gallons per tree. I intend spraying again 

 later, in picking fruit I have always believed that it is poor policy to pile 

 apples on the ground, even if on straw, and let them be exposed to the 

 sun and rain. Last year I picked my apples and hauled them imme- 

 diately to my barn, putting them in bins, each variety separate, with 

 plenty of straw under them. They are then protected from the weather 

 and from dampness of the ground. We picked 1,000 bushels in one day 

 — sixteen pickers, two men with team hauling. I have a Farmers' 

 Hiindy wagon with platform 6-J-xl6 feet, which holds forty bushel-baskets 

 of apples. We christened it the " flat car." We hauled to the station, 

 2^ miles, forty-five barrels of apples on it, and hauled them easily. At 

 the same time of hauling our picked fruit, before the men commenced 

 upon a tree, we picked u\) all windfalls and hauled them to barn, where 

 they were packed and sliipi)ed immediately. I advocate the two bushel 

 and three peck barrels and have never found any difficulty in selling them, 

 provided the apples were of good quality. I sold my apples immediately 

 after picking, so we packed them as fast as we could, shipping the last 

 about December 1, and they were in fine condition. I have practiced all 

 kinds of methods of handling apples, but think this manner of storing 

 them the cheapest and gives the best results. • 



The marketing of our fruit is going to be more of a study than it has 

 been, and I am confident that the entire profits of a crop may be wasted 

 by not watching crop reports and markets. There is hardly any fruit you 

 can handle the same as apples; for, their keeping qualities being supe- 

 rior to all (I refer to winter apples), we can hold them as desired. I except, 

 however, the cider and windfall apples, as the quicker they are realized 

 on the larger the profits. It has always been a wonder to me wh}^ Cali- 

 fornia fruits sold for so much better i^rices than our own fruits, knowing 

 that we had everything in our favor, viz. : a superior article, and quick 

 access to market. Thej^ take pains in packing and making their fruit 

 attractive, and I believe we should learn that lesion thoroughly ourselves 

 before we ship any more fruit of any kind. We are the most favored, I 

 believe, everything considered, of all our fruitgrowing states. Not only 

 our climate and soil, but Michigan fruit has a reputation for flavor that 

 is acknowledged to be superior to other states. " Beauty is only skin 

 deep," admitting that Missouri has the preference for Ben Davis. Michi- 

 gan Baldwins and Greenings are usually quoted among the first on the 

 price list, and it is conceded that the flavor of our fruit has no equal. 



We are shipping larger quantities of apples every year to England, and 

 the demand for them is growing in other countries. If they can become 

 accustomed to apples instead of the tropical fruits, they will give them 

 the preference, as apples are more desirable and satisfactory. Our exports 

 of apples last year were 840,804 barrels, valued at over two million dol- 

 lars. The varieties most desired for exporting, according to our best 

 re])orts on the subject, are Baldwins, Kings, Spys, Ribston pippins, and 

 Kussets. I am of the opinion that this part of our apple market should 

 receive much of our attention and encouragement. I would suggest that 

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