No. 6. DEPARTIMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 391 



ference between good and poor quality varieties just as they pay 

 the difference between a porterhouse and a pot stew. Why should 

 they not? There are several ways of reaching the public in this 

 matter. Fruit-growers and their customers may both gain knowl- 

 edge of what are the best fruits, and which of them may be growTi, 

 by a full and frank discussion of the whole matter at horticultural 

 meetings. County and state fruit organizations ought to do more 

 in the way of making instructive exhibits both at their meetings and 

 at the fairs. In these exhibits much more attention ought to be 

 paid to fancy fruit — high quality fruit. Indeed, it seems to me 

 that higher premiums ought always to be offered for choicely good 

 fruits in plates or in boxes or barrels than for the varieties <if poorer 

 quality. Sometime, and it ought not be long delaj^ed, t])e fruit- 

 growers of the East ought to get together, through their horticul- 

 tural organizations, and hold a monster fruit show in o]^e of our 

 great cities as the fruit growers of the Middle West and the North- 

 west are now doing yearly. These great fairs are likely to be held 

 yearly in the AYest. Is the East to be behind in this matter? If 

 such a fair is ever held we must advertise in no uncertain way the 

 high quality of eastern fruit. This is a matter in which the East 

 has been altogether too moflest. The v.orld thinks the western 

 fruit is best; teach them otherwise. A rhyme of the trade once be- 

 fore quoted in this connect i. u is worth repeating: — 



"He who wli'spers down the well. 

 About the j^cods he has to sell, 

 Does not rear) shining, golden dollars, 

 Like he who climbs a tree and hollers." 



In conclusion: TMry do I discuss this matter? Is it to en- 

 courage fruit-growing only (or a select few who have the cultivated 

 taste? Not by any means. The common taste which falls to with 

 a vigorous appetite upon any fruit presented is now, and must 

 ever be, the chief customer of the fruit-grower. But taste of the 

 multitude should be educated by all possible means for better and 

 better fruits. Why? Because in the long run it means the con- 

 sumption of a great deal more fruit the country over; and for the 

 selfish reason that the eastern states can grow fruit of exceptionally 

 high quality but cannot compete with other regions in size and color 

 of fruit. Do I hold that it is reprehensible to grow fruits of poor 

 quality? Possibly not, but it would seem in the course of time the 

 wiping out, root and branch, of the apple and pear industry of 

 the East if all fruit-growers grew poor varieties; besides it would 

 piesent the vile and sordid spectacle of people deliberately de- 

 voting themselves to growing poor fruit when they might as well 

 grow good fruit. Do I say that high quality is the only requisite 

 of a good variety? No indeed. There are a score of requisites of 

 fruit and tree that go to make a good variety but among these qual- 

 ity is not now receiving appropriate recognition and it is for such 

 recognition that I am pleading. Is this a matter of sentiment or 

 of business? Both. I am not adverse to putting some sentiment in 

 fruit-growing but I hope I have not been arguing before a packed 

 jury in trying to convince this society that it is business as well as 

 sentiment to grow good fruit. Is this not an affair to be dealt with 

 by fruit-growers? Yes, but in most well regulated enterprises some- 



