WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY. 159 



observation I am enabled to judge quite accurately by the tree. I am so 

 well satisfied with my experiments that I will continue them in the future. 



H. Dale Adams had visited Mr. Engle and examined some of the trees 

 grown from pits; thinks Mr. Engle is doing much for the benefit of fruit 

 growers, who will receive the benefit of such experiments. Mr. Adams once 

 received a peck of pits of the nill's Chili. They were planted and nearly all 

 produced Hill's Chili of fine quality. 



W. A. Brown said there are trees grown from Hill's Chili pits, some of 

 which are an improvement on the budded trees commonly sold. 



Friday Morniiig Session. 



The secretary and treasurer made reports which were accepted and adopted. 

 The following officers were then elected: 

 !^; President — Walter Phillips of Grnd Haven. 



Vice-Presidents — W. A. Brown of Benton Harbor, J. G. Ramsdell of South 

 Haven, H. H. Holt of Muskegon, H. Linderman of Casco, Benton Gebhardt 

 of Mears, Oceana county. 



I^Executive Board — Joseph Lannin of South Haven, W. A. Brown of Benton 

 Harbor, H. Dale Adams, Galesburg, A. C. Glidden of Paw Paw, William B. 

 Andruss of Allegan. 



Secretary — G. H. LaFleur of Allegan. 



Treasurer — W. A. Smith of Benton Harbor. 



FRUIT EXCHA.NGES. 



A. C. Glidden, who had met the secretary of the Delaware Fruit Exchange, 

 and received from him an explanation of the working of the exchange in that 

 state, was called upon. He explained the working plan and the results of 

 the past year, which had been very satisfactory, both to fruit growers and 

 buyers. He hoped that steps to organize a fruit exchange in this state would 

 be taken soon. This should be commenced at once, that we may receive the 

 benefit the coming year. Michigan produces a large amount of fruit, com- 

 mencing with the strawberry in June and continuing until the close of the 

 year. Our present system of selling subjects the shipper to much loss and in 

 some instances to entire loss. Combination is necessary to systematizing or 

 regulating the methods for the sale of fruit. Mr. Glidden read from a Cali- 

 fornia paper an article explaining the method adopted and the results of the 

 past year's experience in that state. 



W. A. Brown : The tendency is toward combination for self-protection 

 against the imperfect methods in practice both among commission men and 

 the fruit growers themselves in the handling and sale of all kinds of fruit. 

 We have a great diversity of fruit in Michii^jan. The question is, how and 

 where can we place it on the market to the best advantage? 



G. H. LaFleur : Soon after the organization of this society, A. S. Kedzie, 

 of Grand Haven, urged the importance of some combination by which fruit- 

 growers could adopt better methods for placing their fruit in the hands of 

 consumers. That the importance of this question is fully realized by many. 



