TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 



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one well worth trying, for in a recent letter from him he 

 stated to me that his entire crop was sold and that $2.50 per 

 box was the least he had received, and I know he received 

 as high as $3.50 for a large per cent of them. This price 

 was net to him. He, as well as some others in New England, 

 have spoiled the idea that an apple tree here will not come 

 into bearing until froin ten to fifteen years of age. The 

 oldest trees that Mr. Marshall has are seven years of age. 1 

 myself saw one tree picked that packed ten boxes. There 

 were a number that bore from five to eight boxes. You have 

 a natural apple soil here in New England; the old trees prove 

 it. Some of them are from fifty to seventy-five years old, 

 and perhaps older, and although you have tried every known 

 means to kill them, they are still bearing fruit. Another 

 thing I found that looked odd to me was to see how secret- 

 ive the growers are. They seem to be afraid to let their 

 neighbors know what the}" have got or what they are getting 

 for their products, for fear the other fellow might steal his 

 market. How much better it would be if they v/ould all get 

 together and stop this glut of poor fruit on the market, and 

 in some way give the consumer a square deal. It would be 

 better for every one concerned, besides making more money 

 for the grower. Another example of putting up poor fruit 

 came to my attention on my way home. I stopped at Law- 

 ton, Michigan, which is in the grape belt of southern Michi- 

 gan. The growers were just beginning to receive returns 

 for their grape crop and the price they were receiving was 

 very unsatisfactory. The grapes were not bringing much 

 more than enough to pay for the harvesting. By making a 

 few inquiries, T found that each grower packed his own 

 fruit and nobody had any culls. It was all shipped out as 

 first class. It seems they were all, or most of them, very 

 adept at putting the poor fruit in the bottom of the baskets 

 and the good ones on top. Consequently the buyers were 

 sending to New York and Ohio for their grapes and the 

 Michigan fruit was finding a slow market and low price. It 

 was simply a case of not being able to put their conscience in 



