Winter Meeting. 169 



referred to have a good deal to do with widening the gap between 

 the producer and consumer. We are not saying that freight rates are 

 too high, but, we cannot pay them. We are not saying that cooperage peo- 

 ple are charging too much for stock, but, we can't pay it. We are not 

 saying that coopers charge too much, but, we can't pay it, and we will have 

 to make our own cases, boxes and baskets. It does seem just to us as 

 producers that a barrel of i6o lbs. of apples produced on one side of our 

 farm should be hauled as cheap as a barrel of 200 lbs. of flour produced 

 on' the other side of the farm, but the 200 lbs. of flour is hauled for less 

 money than 160 lbs. of apples. The gap between the producer and the 

 consumer m'ust be narrowed some way so that the producer may re- 

 ceive a little profit without putting the selling price above the reach 

 of the masses who consume our products. This is the great work to 

 be accomplished, and when accomplished will enure to the good of all 

 concerned, 



DISCUSSION ON PACKAGES AND SHIPPING. 



C. B. Green. — Could we not procure a plant and manufacture our 

 own packages? 



M. Butterfield. — One year when I could not get barrels I rented 

 a room about as big as this and piled the apples in it about five feet deep. 

 I did not loose five per cent, of them. I just poured them upon the 

 floor. This may help some one out a little sometime. 



Mr. Gladdis. — I do not pretend to be able to solve this question, but 

 it is appalling the way we are wasting our lumber. There is room for 

 economy in this direction. Just look how the barrels are destroyed, when 

 empty! It is the same way with boxes. Some one has suggested that 

 we might ship apples in flaring crates that could be nested and returned. 

 The boxes I used this season cost fifteen cents. We ought to encourage 

 the return of the boxes. 



Mr. Richardson. — I think fruit growers should get together and 

 tell the railroads they want lower rates. It costs five times as much to 

 send a load of strawberries to Kansas City as it does to send a lead of 

 live stock. We may have to pay more for a car of strawberries than 

 stock, but it ought not to be five times as much. 



DISCUSSIOxV ON PRUNING. 



G. B. Lamm.— T find in my low headed orchard many dead and 

 dying limbs which I have to take oft'. I prune out the limbs that are 

 dying in the under part of the tree. 



N. R Murray.— It is impossible for a man to prune an apple orchard 

 when it is young in such a way that it will not need more or less pnm- 



