8 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OUR FAILINGS POINTED OUT. 



Thus it appears that localities hundreds and thousands of miles from the 

 great commercial centers of the northwest, are successfully competing with 

 the fruit growers of western Michigan. Yet we find many chronic grumblers 

 who depreciate the business and cry, ''more fruit will be grown than can be 

 profitably sold!" With our great advantages of suitable climate, soils, and 

 central location, we should be able to compete with fruits shipped from the 

 Atlantic and Pacific coasts. We grow the best peaches, pears, and apples, and 

 the only method whereby distant competition can be met is by growing more 

 fruit and the adoption of a system of marketing and distribution whereby 

 every man, woman, and child living in the vast region contiguous to us, and 

 where the fine fruits of western Michigan can not be successfully grown, may 

 have a constant supply at moderate prices. The time has come when the come 

 mercial interests of western Michigan demand a more direct and comprehensiv- 

 system for marketing our fruits. 



The immense and increasing demand for the supply of the city of Chicago 

 will continue to require the aid of the established dealers, but that the Chica- 

 go commission system has proved costly, inefficient, and unreliable for the 

 distribution of perishable Iruits to outside markets, has been fully proved. 

 But the fruits of Michigan are attracting dealers who buy directly from our 

 growers to supply the many towns outside of Chicago, where our fruits are 

 finding good markets. Heretofore very few inducements have been offered 

 fruit buyers at our large shipping points. The individual consignments of 

 fruits to Chicago houses has been so long in vogue, and the presistent solicit- 

 ing by the numerous representatives of the commission system having been so 

 long endured and paid by our fruit growers, it is hard to leave the old beaten 

 track and adopt newer and cheaper methods of marketing a large portion of 

 our fruits. If the cost of soliciting consignments is paid by the commission 

 houses, would it not be cheaper for them if their agents bought the fruits in 

 our orchards and on our docks? Before fruits can be sold on their merits it 

 will be found necessary to grade and stamp the relative quality upon each 

 package, but before buyers can be attracted a system of exchanges must be 

 established by combinations of growers at the largest fruit shipping points. 



A REMEDY PROPOSED. 



The Michigan fruit exchange has endeavored to inaugurate some reforms 

 in the grading and marketing of fruits in the vicinity of Benton Ilarbor, 

 but having been unfortunate in adopting some impracticable measures, has 

 failed to receive the unanimous support of our fruit growers. The fruit ex- 

 change still lives, however, and with the objects now in view should receive 

 the support of all progressive fruit growers at this and other jjoints of large 

 production in western Michigan. 



The pioneer fruit growers have made apparent the great possibilities of 

 commercial fruit growing in Michigan, in the future, and the intelligent 

 efforts now being made toward better systems of cultivation and the wider 

 dissemination of our fruits, must eventually attract more of the lovers of the 

 most ennobling of all occupations, to the fruit garden of the northwest, and 

 enable us to supply and control, during our season, the markets of the vast 

 region naturally tributary to western Michigan. 



Following this paper, discussion began on 



