18 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



same men have had opportunity to observe these things and been told by 

 others some facts in relation to the adaptability of fruits of different kinds to 

 their soil, yet they failed to profit by what they had learned. 



THE CONDITIONS WE HEAR OF AND THOSE WE SEE. 



Much has been said on different occasions in relation to the farmer's gar- 

 den, and many valuable suggestions offered. When we listen to these state- 

 ments it seems an easy matter to have a good garden, with plenty of vege- 

 tables and berries on the table. I have no doubt that a thousand resolves have 

 been made that we would go home and commence from that day to have and 

 enjoy the luxuries so graphically pictured to us. These resolves are no doubt 

 made in sincerity, and we picture to ourselves something in the garden simi- 

 lar to the one displayed on paper. But alas! the cares and hurry of farm life, 

 ■with financial and perhaps political matters, crowd out these good resolves 

 and we fail to put into practice the beautiful lessons taught us in relation to 

 horticulture. Where we imagined a rose bush or other ornamental plants 

 and flowers, we find that we have too often dock, thistles and weeds. Where 

 on paper we had seen the choicest of vegetables, crisp and fresh from the 

 garden, we too often find a scanty supply for an excuse for such things, and 

 even these are the product of the care and labor of the wife and children, who 

 stay at home and work in the garden at odd times when the men are away 

 attending some farmers' institute or pomological meeting, listening to the 

 fine sayings of some other fellow whose garden is a duplicate of their own. I 

 speak from experience. 



Many papers have been read, followed by discussions, in relation to the 

 proper method of cultivation and pruning the apple orchard. The system 

 taught is all right, but the neglected appearance of so many apple orchards 

 show how ill these lessons are heeded. If we have failed to teach men the 

 practical part of fruit growing through the exercise of our mouths, or by draw- 

 ing pen pictures on paper, perhaps we could impress upon them our ideas 

 and induce them to practice what we preach, if we should give them ocular 

 demonstration of our theories in our own orchards. 



Commission men and buyers of our fruit tell us that much fruit comes to 

 them direct from the grower, put up in so slovenly a manner as to render it 

 unsalable. They tell us that more money would be sent us in return lor this 

 same fruit if the ''snide" part of it had been kept at home. The inferior 

 portion destroys, in large measure, the value of what is good. Papers have 

 been reai, letters have been written, appealing to fruit growers to pack their 

 fruit honestly and properly. Every man who says anything upon the subject 

 of packing fruit advocates honest packing. Every farmer or fruit grower will 

 tell you that honest packing is the proper way to secure good prices. All 

 agree that it is the true and best policy. Are all these lessons heeded and 

 reduced to practice when we come to the business part of fruit growing? We 

 have passed resolutions in favor of full, honest packages of every kind, and 

 also in favor of good, honest packing. Instruction has been given, time after 

 time, how to do these things, yet manufacturers tell us that a real, full-size, 

 honest package finds little or no sale. If we must use scant packages they 

 ought to be filled with good fruit, such as we would desire to buy if we were 

 the consumer at the other end of the route. If we have failings on our part 



