16 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and 11.25 for the ''bulk" stock. His method of packing is siimple and 

 easy and the expense is not much larger than barreling. As the fruit 

 conies from the orchard, it is placed on the packing house tables and 

 then sorted by girls into No. 1, No. 2 and "bulk" and cider. The 1 and 2 

 are placed in boxes Jined with white pajier, no attempt being made to 

 make any special pack, between each layer of fruit is placed a paper. 

 The cover is pressed on with a press and the variety^ name stamped on 

 the neat label pasted on the end of the box. The box costs IOI/2 cents, 

 the paper about one cent and so the package cost is about the same as 

 a barrel. 



Many of you are familiar with the method that Mr. O. W. Wilde of 

 Grand Rapids disposes of his crop of apples. His farm is six or seven 

 miles from Grand Rapids. As soon as his fruit is packed, it goes into a cold 

 storage house on the farm (a convenience more Michigan fruit growers 

 must have) in bushel crates. During the fall and winter, it is sold in 

 Grand Rapids to grocers, no packages are lost, nor is any packing done 

 and the price received is a fancy one for Wilde's Northern Spys have a 

 permanent reputation in Grand Rapids groceries. Last year and two 

 years ago, they brought |2.00 a bushel, no packing or packages. A good 

 illustration of how a local market can be developed. 



-The case of Dr. W. P. Morgan of Saginaw is of special interest in that 

 it shows how a beginner can "make good." Dr. Morgan is a retired 

 dentist. He selected a neglected orchard a few miles from Saginaw and 

 appealed to the College for advice in improving it. He was successful, 

 has a good crop this year and has disposed of it in Saginaw, another 

 case of working up a local market. 



All of his fruit went into bushel boxes and he received |2.50 a box for 

 No. 1 ; 12.00 for No. 2, and $1.00 a bushel for the others. It paid well 

 to box and it paid well to develop the local market. 



Messrs. Stoddard & Son of Kalamazoo, store their winter fruit and sell 

 it out during the season. Last year I had occasion to buy apples for 

 a few of ray neighbors and inquired of the Stoddards of what they had 

 to sell and the price per barrel. I will quote a part of their letter: 



"In reply to your letter regarding apples, will say that we do not 

 care to quote a shipi>ei*'s pric€ as we dispose of all our apples locally. 

 If you want any at |1.25 per bushel and the cost of the barrel, you 

 to pay the freight we can supply Baldwins, Greenings and a few Kings." 



Another case of a local market developed to the advantage of a 

 grower. 



These experiences only go to show what can be done under various con- 

 ditions for among them are to be found experienced fruit growers and 

 beginners, some located in rural communities and some adjacent to good 

 sized towns or cities, some in general farming sections and others in 

 strictly fruit growing regions, but all of them have worked with marked 

 success, a superior way of selling their crop of apples. These speeific 

 cases are brought to your attention to show methods that are being com- 

 monly practiced in this State among men we all know who "get more 

 money for the apple crop." It is a live question and one that is going to 

 be livelier in the future when the immense area that has recently been 

 set out, comes into bearing and progressive fruit growers must give to it 

 some of their best thought and attention. 



