288 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



greatest importance on their part, and therefore they fail to under- 

 stand why their shipments did not turn out better. 



I am frank to say that we receive many shipments of plums, 

 crabs and native apples in grain bags and promiscuous sized boxes 

 and old barrels with cloth tops, and a letter accompanying from the 

 shipper saying this is a sample lot of their finest fruit, very carefully 

 picked and packed personally, and fhat prompt returns at the highest 

 market prices are expected. When shipped in this condition the 

 fruit is invariably bruised in transit, and if ripe or the weather hot 

 decay will occur quickly. The commission merchant must neces- 

 sarily sort and repack the fruit in new standard packages, incurring 

 some extra expense. Too often shipments made under these con- 

 ditions arrive practically worthless and sell for a trifle over trans- 

 portation charges. If the shipper is here and sees with his own 

 eyes the result of poor packing, he appreciates the services of the 

 commission man and takes knowledge home with him which is 

 everlasting, for seeing is believing. 



If, as has been demonstrated, our Minnesota berries and small 

 fruit's have sufficient carrying qualities to be shipped hundreds of 

 miles under proper conditions, surely local shipments within a 

 hundred mile limit should arrive in prime condition, and when ship- 

 pers acquaint themselves fully with the necessary conditions under 

 which their fruit must be picked and packed, then, and not until 

 then, will the bad order feature be eliminated. 



Fruit of whatever kind should be packed in new, uniform 

 sized packages, and the fruit sorted and graded as to size, color and 

 ripeness so far as possible, and full measure given — short weight 

 and measure work t'o the detriment of the shipper every time and 

 place the commission merchant in a thankless position and unable 

 to sell goods for what they really represent. The trade want 

 a square deal now-a-days, and when they buy a quart of berries, 

 or a bushel or barrel of apples, they have a right to expect the 

 amount which that term implies. In seasons past fruit coming 

 from certain localities was discriminated against by the trade be- 

 cause of the short' measure packages used, but I am happy to say 

 the short measure package is almost a rarity now compared with a 

 few years ago. 



Minnesota has a great future in fruit raising — which has been 

 largely experimental — we are now becoming more practical 

 fruit growers ; our acreage is increasing rapidly, our fruit meeting 

 practical demands, and of necessitv we must soon seek more distant 

 markets in which to dispose of our products to best advantage. 

 We have only to look at our friends — and competitors, possibly — 



