PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 211 



seems to be every man for himself, in tlie accumulation of the almighty 

 dollar; and the question of crop distribution, unless it can be made 

 co-operative, would not be a success. The second part of this question 

 that I wish to call your attention to is the markets, how and when to 

 ship. Post yourself on the different markets, their requirements and 

 advantages, select the markets you wish to ship to, and appoint a good 

 representative in each of these markets to represent you. This can be 

 done hj correspondence, but a much better way, and the one I would 

 recommend, is to visit each and become personally acquainted with 

 your representatives. Great care should be exercised in the selection of 

 your representatives, and because Mr. A has a high commercial rating 

 and is responsible and reliable, will not justify you in selecting him 

 without first inquiring into his ability and facilities for handling your 

 class of goods. A good commercial rating is commendable, but not 

 necessary. What you want is a firm that is reliable and responsible, 

 and at the same time knows how, where, and when to sell your goods 

 so that they will realize the most money. Most of the dissatisfaction 

 and unjust criticism of commission men arises from this source, and 

 can only be overcome by careful selection and personal acquaintance 

 with your representatives. Too many shippers are guided in their selec- 

 tion by high quotations, flattering letters, and high commercial rating, 

 and so long as shippers continue to use such loose measures they can 

 not expect good results, for it is impossible unless it be by mere accident. 



If you have made a wise selection in your representative, he will keep 

 you correctly and thoroughly advised, and I wish to impress upon you 

 right here the importance of having implicit confidence in his advice, 

 and accepting it at all times, and if you do this you will have solved one 

 of the most important points in fruit distribution. Of course, he may err 

 in his judgment occasionall}', which is human, but on the whole his 

 advice will be correct. 



The importance of the distribution of this luscious fruit, and the 

 methods employed, are not onh^ increasing in interest, but will be of 

 practical help for peachgrowers to understand and value. 



It is not more than two years since Michigan peaches were compara- 

 tively unknown east of Buffalo, yet during the past season there was 

 liardlj" a market in any city in the state of New York, in which our 

 peaches were not a part of the fruit handled by the wholesale and retail 

 trade. This superior fruit was also sold quite abundantly in Pennsyl- 

 vania, and on through the southeast and southwest, all of which proves- 

 that .Michigan jjeaches are taking a foremost place among kindred fruits 

 offered in various markets. At first the method of shipping in the bushel 

 basket excited some wonder, but as it was found that these same bushel 

 baskets were "handy to have in the house" (as the proverb of "Mrs. 

 Toodles" says in regard to everything from a piece of string to a cofiin), 

 many people bought our fruit to obtain so useful and substantial a 

 receptacle as comj)ared with Ihe frail Jersey and Delaware half-bushel 

 baskets, which can hardly be called baskets at all. Again, there were 

 customers who feared that there was some lack about the fruit put up 

 in such odd receptacles, and when basketmakers gave us bottoms of 

 baskets which were the shape of large inverted funnels, though, in 



