26 



they could have warehouses and all the conveniences whieb 

 go with a well developed industry. 



(5) They have fewer pests than we have. This of 

 course will tend to change as the orchard business develops f 

 in fact, many pests are already noticeably on the increase. 

 But with their vigorous treatment of these pests and with 

 the dry growing season, which is so unfavorable to fungous 

 growths, I do not believe they will ever have the same- 

 trouble from the ordinary, orthodox orchard pests that we 

 do. 



(6) Their virgin soils are better supplied with all the 

 constituents needed by the tree for the production of choice 

 fruits. This, of course, would not apply to orchards started 

 on new lands here, but the great bulk of our orchards are 

 not put on such land, but on fields which have been long in 

 cultivation. 



Three other factors which certainly contribute to the 

 present lead of the western grower, but which we want to- 

 pass by with a bare mention, are : 



(7) Their better laws alrea'dy discussed, and which 

 I doubt if we are ever able to duplicate here, because of lack 

 of popular support. 



(8) The tremendous development of co-operation, an- 

 other thing which I fear we can never hope to duplicate 

 here, or at least not for many years. 



(9) The fact that their trees are all young and are 

 consequently bearing their very best fruit at the present 

 time. This, of course, will ''mend itself." 



Turning now to the eastern side of the question, I am 

 going merely to state what it seems to me are our advan- 

 tag,es, because I have spoken of them so often before and 

 because this speech is supposed to be about the Pacific Coast, 



As I look at the situation, our advantages are as fol- 

 lows : 



(1) That we are close to our markets! I was told in 

 Hood River that it cost them 89 cents a hundred to get their 

 fruit to Chicago, and $1.00 to get it to New York. Two 

 boxes are accepted by the railroads as the equivalent of 100 

 pounds. Mr. E. H. Shepard, the editor of Better Fruit, says 

 in the December number that it costs about 50 cents a box 

 to grow the fruit. This makes one dollar per box or nearly 

 three dollars per barrel which it costs thein to land their 

 fruit in New York or Boston. Certainly our New England 



