WINTEB MEETING. 179 



think that we sbould of necessity be compelled to be thoughtful if we 

 realize anything for our fruits? Should we not want something new, 

 especially in the mode of distribution ? Yes, that is it. Distribution. 

 Did you ever stop to think that when the market at Kansas City, 

 Omaha, St. Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans and other large 

 cities were flooded .^nd prices demoralized that there were thousands 

 of little villages and towns of moderate size throughout the north, 

 northwest and northeast that did not have a peach? Distribution, 

 distribution, distribution should be branded on the brain of every 

 fruit-grower before me today until we shall perfect such an organiza- 

 tion that will be able to place fruit where it is needed most, and avoid 

 the gluts of the markets. 



If we study our country markets closely we shall find that from 

 Kansas City there can be distributed at least three to four cars daily 

 to points within easy reach. St. Louis the same quantity. A dozen 

 other inland towns will each distribute one car per week. In Kansas, 

 in addition to those received from Kansas City, there can be placed 

 one car per day on each of the five leading roads running westward 

 through the entire State and Eastern Colorado. 



Nebraska will use not less than five cars daily, and Iowa eight to 

 ten cars and possibly more. The people in Minnesota and Dakota are 

 half starved every year for peaches, and to say that these states would 

 consume a dozen cars per day is putting the estimate entirely too low. 



To say nothing of the demands for our luscious peaches east and 

 west of the territory mentioned and the new south we will have to 

 produce forty cars of peaches per day. It will readily be seen that 

 the supply is entirely inadequate to meet the demands of the people 

 at the present time, and as soon as we would produce orchards enough 

 to supply the present demand, the population of the country men- 

 tioned will have increased materially, making a still greater demand 

 for our fruit. 



I see that my friend over there is smiling. I suppose he thinks 

 this all sounds very nice on paper, but he is anxious to know how we 

 are going to do it. Simply by systemized co-operation of the fruit- 

 growers. If the growers, as a who]^, whether they have one acre or 

 two thousand, persistently refuse or neglect to join hands and to all 

 work in harmony, and abide cheerfully with the regulations of the 

 combine, they mast expect to have failure stare them in the face. 



The association can handle strawberries, raspberries, blackberries 

 and other small fruits in the same manner as peaches, and would be a 

 great benefit to the apple trade, but the apple is grown over a larger 

 area of country and is not so easily handled. 



