WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY. 77 



Byron Markham, of Saugatuck, with inclination to caution if not pessi- 

 mism in the ^ruit business, read a paper on 



GREA.T MISTAKES MADE BY BEGINNERS IN FRUIT GROWING. 



I have chosen this theme because I am satisfied that fruitgrowing in west- 

 ern Michigan is still in its infancy, and with a desire, so far as may be, to 

 save the inexperienced beginner from the disappointment which so many 

 have suffered who have gone into the business without experience. When 

 the time shall come that fruit growing shall be seen in its true light — when 

 the producer shall study the wants of the consumer instead of his own 

 convenience, and send so good an article to market as to create a desire for 

 it — then will all our resources be in demand and fruit growing will be one of 

 the legitimate and successful business enterprises of this land. But there is 

 probably no business in which men engage that is so little understood, and 

 by which so much disappointment is caused; no calling which is more de- 

 ceptive, and none which, if properly managed, is more conducive to happi- 

 ness as well as prosperity. 



It ill becomes me to try to tell how these last may be accomplished. I can 

 at least point out the sources of my disappointment. I think the assertion 

 will not be questioned, that no one man is competent to do all, or even 

 many, things well. Still the idea is very prevalent that fruit growing is 

 "just as easy as falling off a log;" that all the fruitgrower has to do is to 

 stick a few trees and plants into the ground, rush to the factory, get his 

 packages, pick, pack, and ship his fruit to market and then seek some 

 profitable investment for his money returns. So very many, utterly 

 ignorant of the business, without the least love for it, or in any wise 

 adapted to it, engage in it, and by their very multiplicity doing the 

 business great harm in the production of an excessive quantity of inferior 

 fruit, which is usually badly gathered, worse packed, and sent to market 

 to take the place of good fruit. And for this state of things the fruit grow- 

 ers themselves are largely to blame. Every locality is anxious that its par- 

 ticular spot should have the reputation of being a veritable garden of Eden, 

 and to this end letters written to friends abroad, articles read at local gather- 

 ings of fruitgrowers, as well as communications to the local papers, are filled 

 with statements of the enormous yields and splendid profits of the fruit 

 grower. Many men with level heads upon their shoulders are drawn into 

 saying extravagant things when called upon to speak or write upon the sub- 

 ject, especially if to be read or said away from home. This is often done 

 inadvertently. As an instance, a reverend gentleman whom I am proud to 

 call my friend, and who under no circumstances could be induced to deceive 

 or in any way mislead, knowingly, once wrote an article upon the possibili- 

 ties of the lake shore in fruit culture. I happened to read it for the first 

 time when he was present. One statement in the article gave me the impres- 

 sion that 130 worth of peaches from one tree was no uncommon thing. It 

 didn't read so to him. Yet, after his explanation that such a thing had fre- 

 quently occurred, it didn't change the reading to me, and if I was misled it 

 could hardly be called egotism if I were to think others might be also. Add 

 to this the fact that a number of men have accumulated wealth in the busi- 

 ness rapidly, and is it any wonder that the idea should prevail that orchards 

 would prove profitable just in proportion to their size, or that the inexpe- 



