THE SUMMER MEETING. 33 



times the juice of the Concord grape canned in the usual manner of domestic 

 canned fruit, which was of such excellence as to be nearly equal to eating a 

 fresh bunch of ripe grapes in June. By experiment and study we may learn 

 to improve upon this mode of preservation without any of the changes which 

 heat imparts. Thus may we continue to use and enjoy our grapes as the deli- 

 cious, healthful fruit of autumn and early winter, and to enjoy the flavor of 

 the juice out of season untainted with the insidious poison which has been the 

 Devil's best ally and man's worst enemy since the days of Noah; and which is 

 to-day the heaviest burden borne by civilized man. 



Following Mr. Coming's paper, Mr. Thomas Mason, a Chicago commission 

 merchant and member of the Michigan Horticultural Society, was invited to 

 give his views as to 



VARIETIES OF FRUITS ADAPTED TO CHICAGO MARKET, 



and responded as follows : 



In accepting your invitation, it is with a conviction of my inability to do the 

 subject assigned me justice ; but nevertheless I feel it my duty, as a member of 

 this society, to contribute my mite to its general experience fund, as derived 

 from personal observation with the different varieties of fruits in their adapta- 

 bility to the requirements of our Chicago or more distant markets. Therefore, 

 I trust my pomological friends will not feel dismayed that I do not regard their 

 preference with the same favor — my selection being governed cliiefly by their 

 commercial value. I do not propose to go through the list of varieties, giving 

 their distinct qualities or season, but rather name a few varieties as charactei'- 

 istic of the wants of our market, thereby aiding you to decide what we shall 

 ''plant for profit." Tlie chief requisites in all fruits for market purposes are 

 firmness, color, quality, and size, in the order named. Let me open with the 

 apple. A bright red is the most popular color; hence, Steel's Red, Wine Sap, 

 Willow Twig, Jonathan, Baldwin, even the Ben Davis, is preferred to a better 

 apple of a poor, dull, or rusty color. Take the Baldwin, when it is of a bright 

 color, it will sell at fifty per cent better price on the same date than when it is 

 shown of a dull color. There are many points to be considered in relation to 

 the profitableness of certain varieties, even when the best quality in their best 

 color are presented on the market, which our Michigan fruit-growers should 

 consider. Take the Red Astrachan, for instance, with its beautiful high color, 

 its superb flavor, that certainly should, according to my showing (as to color 

 at least) prove a profitable marketable variety ; but such is seldom the case Avith 

 us, for the reason that our market, in its season, is so well supplied witli other 

 varieties of fruit, also Avith a full supply of apples from southern Illinois, that 

 are better shippers ; consequently the Red Astrachan has to be sold low on its 

 arrival, when received in large quantities, as we dare not hold, its fine texture 

 tending to rapid decay. Michigan may boast of its ability to raise and market 

 apples of the best varieties and in the greatest perfection as to flavor and keep- 

 ing qualities of any State in the Union. Therefore, our aim should be to plant 

 the best shippers, as the time is not far distant when the exporters of apples will 

 look to northern Michigan as their chief source of supply. 



Among the varieties I would name as suitable for profitable planting are the 

 Baldwin, Steele's Red, Willow Twig, Spitzenburgh, Wagener, Newtown Pippin, 

 Jonathan. Next in order would be the Pennock, G-reening, Spy, King, Bell 



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