rillRTF.I'.XTIl ANNUAL MEETING. 19 



The report of the Committee was duly accepted. 



President Gulley: I notice i\lr. J. H. Hale in the room 

 now. We would like to hear a report from him for the Com- 

 mittee on Markets and Transportation. 



}k[R. Hale : As to the market, why, the market for 1903 was 

 right here, hut we fruit growers didn't have any fruit to sup- 

 ply it with. Therefore, we did not have any need tO' bother 

 with transportation matters. 



I have recently, or just before the great freeze, been in con- 

 ference with the general freight agent of the N. Y., N. H. & 

 H. R. R.. and he stated if Ave were to have an extensive fruit 

 crop in Connecticut this year, he would like to have us as early 

 in the season as possible make a reasonable estimate of how 

 much there might be from the different stations and then notify 

 the railroad company, that they might have opportunity to pre- 

 pare for cars. He stated that in 1901, when we had a large 

 crop, they did not have notice enough to handle it right. This 

 is a comparatively new industry and we should every year 

 give them plenty of notice. It is also probable that the rates 

 will be somewhat higher in the future than in the past. It is 

 claimed that in the past the way the railroad company has 

 handled the fruit has not been at a profit to themselves. A rail- 

 road company is not a charitable institution and it must pay 

 dividends to the stockholders. But they will be glad to coop- 

 erate with us at reasonable rates. 



Report of Committee was accepted. 



Xext in order came the report of the Committee on Fungous 

 Diseases, which was presented in an excellent paper by the 

 Chairman, Dr. G. P. Clinton, as follows : 



Report on Fungous Diseases of 1903. 



The Committee on Fungous Diseases makes the following- 

 report for the past season. There are included in this account 

 those troubles that have been especially prominent ; those that 

 are new or unusual, and brief mention of important diseases 

 that have been less conspicuous than usual. There are also 

 included two or three troubles that are not of fungous origin. 



The season of 1903 was in many respects an unusual one 



