Vermont State Horticultural Society. 49 



barrels without much grading and sent tO' town in double wagon 

 loads, the only instructions given the driver were not to let the 

 barrels go. They sold at an average of 75c, not a large price, 

 but much better than New York. Even our Ben Davis are sold 

 and several customers have said they were very good. I think 

 that shows that the home market is hungry for apples today. 



An elderly gardener of our town who has gained a living 

 and a good home at the business said to me not long ago, "If I had 

 known as much about the profits of gardening years ago as I 

 do at present, I would have been worth thousands of dollars 

 against hundreds now." He did not think of the changed 

 conditions within forty or fifty years. Some of us can remem- 

 ber the fruits and vegetables of those times. Canada peas for 

 a few days, yellow field corn while in the roasting stage, ruta 

 baga turnips, cattle beets and dried apples the balance of the 

 year, about told the story. Again, people lived in the country 

 then, now in the town. Also as wealth accumulates they are living 

 better and more intelligently. In fact, the gardener has grov\^n 

 as fast as his market. 



Can we grow vegetables successfully in this section of our 

 country? I think it was with a gasp of astonishment that we 

 read not long ago that the exhibition that won over the whole 

 United State at St. Louis, was grown, perhaps, fifty miles 

 from here at Glens Falls, N. Y. I believe it is now claimed 

 that there was another Grand Prize, but I never could under- 

 stand World Fair's medals. But it seems to be settled that there 

 was nothing better than that exhibit. 



How can we market our products? That is the great 

 question. Many farmers seem to feel it beneath their dignity 

 to sell their farm produce, others say they are no salesmen. Well 

 I should be sorry if my enthusiasm should set every farmer at 

 market gardening, though I might favor a divorce for his wife,, 

 and a law forbidding him to marry again if he failed to have 

 a good home garden. 



I have no great respect for the loss of dignity or position. 

 In a certain farm paper, of which I was a patron, the editor had 

 a habit of saying that "the farmer must have a seat at the first 

 table." That talk does not appeal to me. I believe a man is 

 generally invited to sit where he belongs, farmer or not, even 

 tliough he sells fruit and vegetables, wholesale or retail. 



Perhaps it may be helpful if you are given some details of 

 how and what we market from our farm. While I shall speak 

 particularly of vegetables, that is only one branch of our business. 

 Our specialty is cake making, with a small proportion of canned 

 fruits and jellies. Probably that is about the last thing you 

 expected me to say. It has been developed entirely by Mrs. 



