THE BUSINESS SIDE OF FRUIT GROWING. 299 



long rows. It is figured that in rows fifteen rods long, over half 

 the time is wasted in turning, not only in plowing but every time 

 we cultivate, while with rows forty rods long only one- fourth the 

 time is lost. The longer the rows, the smaller the proportion of 

 time wasted. Plan to do all the cultivating possible with horses, for 

 it is much cheaper than hoeing. 



Make a specialty of some line, having studied the demand and 

 prospects for profit, for in that way you can excel, producing cheaper 

 and better than competitors. 



If you expect to have apples to ship next fall, buy your barrels 

 this winter while there are so many being emptied. Nail the hoops 

 and store away carefully in a dry place. Much depends on the ap- 

 pearance of the package. 



From a business point i would sacrifice quality if necessary for 

 productiveness, size, appearance and keeping quality, as with the 

 Loudon raspberry and some kinds of strawberries. 



Keep a scrap-book of clippings that impress you favorably, 

 classified in topics for future reterence. 



Grow good fancy fruit, pack it honestly in attractive packages, 

 branding your name on nothing but the best, and it will advertise 

 you wherever it goes. And I believe that the business side of fruit 

 growing will not only be a pleasure but profitable. 



The President : I hope we shall all get this fixed in our minds, 

 that we must not only raise good fruit but that we must put it up 

 in neat and attractive packages to sell. 



Mr. Smith : In the matter of fruit growing one item is often 

 overlooked, and that is the item of transportation. If transporta- 

 tion is available at any time fruit may be grown and marketed with 

 success. On a road where there is only one train a day it has got 

 to be taken to the station the night before, and it lies over. Some- 

 times a wind comes along and knocks a hundred bushels of apples 

 on the ground, and they have to be picked up and got to the market, 

 and if it is the latter part of the week it has to lie over till Monday, 

 and the fruit often rots before it comes to market ; or the market is 

 glutted, and nothing can be obtained for it. 



Another item is cold storage, and that is one of the most impor- 

 tant things in connection with fruit growing. Not many miles from 

 Lake City is a splendid apple orchard. A year ago the trees bore 

 well, and there was a large crop of apples. In conversation with the 

 owner I asked him why he did not send his apples to cold storage. 

 He said he did not know how to do it. An enterprising citizen 

 bought those apples, paid him thirty cents a bushel, picked them arid 

 sent them to cold storage and made $60 on 150 bushels. Here is a 

 splendid field in horticultural industry. Educate the farmer how to. 

 market his fruit and how to make the best of it. (Applause.) 



The President : Getting higher prices encourages horticulturists 

 and farmers to raise more fruit, and so one hand keeps on washing 

 the other. 



