I05 



Mr. Patch of Boston, (Commission man) : The gentle- 

 man from Lunenburg could not have got the price he did if 

 he had not taken particular pains in growing his apples. 

 We can grow apples here that Avill beat the world if we will 

 only take pains. I believe if the men here would take the 

 pains that the Western farmers do, we could get the price^ 

 that the Western apples do. The money is what you are 

 after, and it pays to make a good article. 



Prof. Craig: Mr. Patch said that we are not ready for 

 the boxing trade in New England. I would agree with him 

 in saying that, under the present conditions, Ave are not 

 ready. The Western men grow mighty few seconds. That 

 is the question that is up to us. They eliminate these by 

 thinning, spraying, and by careful cultivation in general. 

 AVe think we cannot afford to. AVe spray twice, perhaps; 

 some three times. Many of them spray even seven times. 

 That is business. They had to do it. And it is just a ques- 

 tion, gentlemen, whether we shall do it or not. The time in 

 my judgment, is ripe now for boxes, and we can produce 

 the stuff, and while Mr. Patch and others are getting ready 

 to take the boxes even if they do like to see the barrels roll 

 down the other end of the store. 



Q. Is not our greatest weakness here in New England 

 ■in the fact that we don't make a business of growing fruit, 

 but simply dabble in it. The whole secret of their success in 

 the West, lies in the fact that they make a business of it. 

 Here, where we have just a few acres, it does not pay us to 

 fuss. 



Prof. Craig. The gentleman has proved his own propo- 

 sition very largely. It makes all the difference in the world 

 whether the commission man goes to the producer or the 

 producer to the commission man. 



We are now finding out that the hillsides are the place 

 for apples. 



Pres. Clark : It has been brought out that with 

 proper care and cultivation we can grow good fruit. I be- 

 lieve in thinning the fruit. I thinned a crop of apples one- 

 year and it cost me just 7 cents a barrel. It makes the fruit 

 larger and better and you have very little second-class fruit, 

 I can get it all out by thinning close. AVe can grow good 

 fruit if we only Avill. Thinning the fruit is the most profit- 

 able ^ay to get good fruit. 



