WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY. 93" 



Tliursday Afternoon Session. 



In point of attendance the meeting of Thursday afternoon was the largest 

 of all, and had the most varied programme. It was opened by six members of 

 the village cornet baud with an excellent selection rendered in thoroughly 

 artistic style. Gov. Alger and wife had arrived in the morning and, as the 

 guests of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Flaunahs, had enjoyed a drive about the village 

 and to some of the surrounding fruit farms and been entertained at dinner. 

 They api)eared quietly in the hall, and soon President Phillips called to order 

 and very briefly announced the Governor for a short address. Mr. Alger made 

 an exceedingly good impression and spoke with a great degree of freedom 

 and good sense. 



A. S. Dyckmau moved a vote of thanks to Gov. Alger. It was given unani- 

 mously and an adjournment taken, during which Mr. and Mrs. Alger shook 

 hands and conversed with all who presented themselves. 



MUTUAL RELATIONS OF FRUIT GROWERS AND NURSERYMEN 



was next considered, Mr. J. N. Stearns, of Kalamazoo, introducing it with 

 the appended paper: 



I suppose the reason why I am selected to open this subject is that I in sort 

 represent both sides, being a nurseryman and fruit grower. 1 do not feel 

 competent to handle the topic from a literary point of view, but as I consider 

 it one of the most important topics in the programme and one I would like to 

 hear discussed, I have consented to open the discussion with a short paper. 

 I am sorry to say there is not in all cases the true mutuality between the 

 nurseryman and the planter that there should be, as their interests are one. 

 Neither can exist and prosper without the existence and prosperity of the 

 other. 



WHY THE LACK OF MUTUALITY ? 



So we are first led to examine and try to discover the cause of this lack of 

 mutuality. In many cases I find there is in the fruit grower a lurking sus- 

 picion of the nurseryman — that is that he is a schemer seeking how he may 

 trap him in the purchase of something he does not want. From a quite 

 extended acquaintance with nurserymen I am led to believe that as a class 

 they will stand high up as compared with any other class of men we can 

 mention, for I take the position that a tree or fruit grower whose soul is in his 

 work can not well be a very bad man. I will admit I have heard some very 

 eloquent sermons, and some that strongly appealed to the finer senses of man, 

 but I never yet heard one preached from the pulpit that was so elevating to 

 me and that seemed to bring me so near to the God of nature, as the healthy 

 growth of the young plant and tree, or the development of the ripening fruit. 

 There is in these something truly grand, that creates within me a desire to 

 glorify the author. Then where does this trouble originate? I can solve it 

 only by placing it on the trickster tree dealer. In many cases he hardly 

 knows a rose bush from a raspberry plant, and takes the position that the 

 average planter is equally ignorant. The fruit grower is quite apt to associate 

 this individual with the nurseryman, and quite naturally, for many times he 

 will have catalogues and even certificates of reliable nurser} men. 



