WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY. 115 



tion of western Michigan as one of the best and safest locations in the lake 

 region for horticultural purposes, and our people have not been slow in utiliz- 

 ing a large portion of the country for that purpose. While a country is compara- 

 tively new, farmers seldom fail in growing good and remunerative crops with 

 a minimum amount of labor; but when the soil in the course of time, by 

 long continued cropping, becomes exhausted of its humus, phosphoric acids, 

 potash, and other essential plant food, the farmer find his crops more uncer- 

 tain and his yield much smaller. The fertility of his depleted soil can, 

 however, soon be restored by a judicious rotation of crops, a liberal applica- 

 tion of clover ("the poor man's friend"), and a generous use of barn-yard 

 and commercial fertilizers. This is a matter entirely under his own control. 

 But in common with the fruit grower he suffers from the lavish and often 

 unreasonable destruction of our forests, rendering our winters colder, our 

 summers hotter, and more subject to long and severe drouths. 



Those of us who live close to the lake shore and are in proximity to lake 

 harbors flatter ourselves that our advantages are highly valuable and perma- 

 nent ; that water transportation is easier and cheaper than freighting by rail, 

 and that our products, especially tender and perishable fruits, are more safe- 

 ly carried to market in this way. Twenty years ago this was true. Then 

 the cultivation of small fruit in the west was quite limited, and the demand 

 was small, partly because the supply was meager; yet as a rule the products 

 of the orchard and garden yielded the producer larger profits than now. 



Various causes are assigned for the depressed condition of the market. 

 Some say it is over-production; some say it is under-consumption, owing to 

 the labor strikes, while other'maintain that it is due to the large amount of 

 poor or worthless fruit thrown upon the market and put into competition 

 with the better class of fruit. All these conditions and causes doubtless have 

 a, tendency to depress the general markets of the country, and in no depart- 

 ment of commerce will this depressing tendency manifest itself more readily 

 than in the market for perishable fruit. 



But will, or can, the knowledge of these facts change the order of things 

 in this direction? The plea of over-production may not be good. If so there 

 is certainly a want of proper distribution. Too much is consigned to some 

 markets and not enough to others. Time and perseverance will in measure 

 remedy this defect;. Every one cannot grow first-class fruit. If all could, 

 and would, there would be no inferior, or second-class fruit on the market, 

 consequently.no standard of comparison, and much of the better class would 

 necessarily have to be sold at the same rate that the poorer quality is now sold 

 for. A large portion of mankind never or seldon buy any thing but cheap 

 products. Debar them of this privilege, particularly in the fruit trade, and 

 you virtually close the market against them, as they can hardly afford to pay 

 for the better class of goods. This condition would soon bring about an 

 over-production of any kind of fruit. Every sudden and radical change in 

 the relation of man to man, such as the frequent and ruinous conflicts of late 

 between capital and labor, known as labor strikes, must of necessity reduce 

 consumption and thus depress the general markets of the world. 



Twenty years ago the cultivation of small fruits was confined to a few 

 favored localities, having ready access to our large towns and cities. Now 

 the multiplicity of railroads has changed the entire order of things. Now 

 nearly every farm and hamlet can contribute daily to the wants of the city. 

 "The competition in every department of industry has become close and fierce. 



