130 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and members are packing their own fruit, and we have had only a very 

 few real complaints. Not 5% of the fruit has been complained of. We 

 have been so successful with our fruit in the north part has won for us 

 many favorable comments, and repeat orders. The correspondence that 

 has come to us is of a very satisfactory character and already we have 

 had a good many inquiries and requests for doing business with us 

 another year. One man bought apples 600 miles away, and then he came 

 back and bought 3 carloads, so friends, this. idea of cooperation can 

 be carried out, and with us I am confident that we will easily be able 

 to handle all the output of our district this coming year, in the manner 

 indicated. 



While some are a little skeptical at the same time the majority of 

 our members, and those directly interested in the work, are heart and 

 soul in the enterprise, and have taken shares of stock in the association. 

 The packing has come up from 10c to 20c. I do not feel that the farmers 

 are a bit more to blame for many of the troubles that are complained 

 of, than the men who come out to buy. I could go into details on this 

 matter, but I will not. 



There are many places throughout the country where they will pay 

 more than the Chicago market will give at the same time. The first 

 four carloads of Duchess that we sent out were settled for in such a 

 way that it netted our growers $1.85 per barrel at Northport. 



A Member — Does each member park his own fruit? 



Mr. Thompson — In some cases they do, but these apples are inspected. 

 Every barrel of apples packed in Canada must conform to No. 1 or No. 

 2. Growers are liable to inspection from the day the fruit is put on 

 the market until it reaches the consumer. 



A member — What do you pay your help? 



Mr. Thompson — 12y 2 to 15 cents per hour to the girls. 



A Member — Do you personally value vour Canadian fruit market 

 law? 



Mr. Thompson — We certainly do. Indeed, the law that we had had 

 been asked for by the fruit growers. The government in any country 

 will do almost anything that incorporated bodies ask them to do. They 

 will pretty nearly appoint the men who are satisfactory to the associa- 

 tion. We have a new set of inspectors, but so far as I know, they do 

 just as good work as the men who were there before. In every case, 

 we look on these men as our friends. Take for instance, in the north- 

 west, where we are sending our boxes, where the western fruit has been 

 forced upon the people and these people have really looked right after 

 the fruit growers interest. They will not stand for snide stuff. The 

 result of it is that it has put our apple business on a better footing 

 than it was ever before. At first, we had only No. 1. These were de- 

 fined to correspond with your standard grade. We did not put the 

 size on. Five years ago -we defined No. 2, a smaller size, a little off 

 in color, but free from anv blemish that could in any wav cause waste 

 or decay. 



It is a question in my mind whether you are ready for cooperation 

 here. Cooperation does not take very readily until you are up against 

 it good and hard. When you are, then you can get men to come in. 

 When you are doing pretty well, it is hard to get men to come in, but 



