STATIC POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 6l 



sider the feasibility of legislation regarding the grading, mark- 

 ing and inspection of fruit along the line followed in Canada and 

 in sister states and report at the next meeting. 



Report on above. Dr. George M. Twitchell. 



What a mercenary spirit has got hold of us all ! I wonder if 

 there is a man present that does not feel like Brother True, that 

 he wants to get all he can out of his apples and if he can squeeze 

 a few dollars more he would like to have it. Now isn't that the 

 spirit that is in us all, we want all we can get and a little more 

 and then we want another dollar? 



We have been discussing the growing of fruit, and this sub- 

 ject of storage and marketing comes in now as legitimate, and 

 really as all essential. I believe if we would drop for a while this 

 matter of new varieties, which always interests us, and would 

 give our attention sharply and concisely, clearly, to the subject 

 of storage and of marketing — ^how and when and in what man- 

 ner, under what laws, that we would reach results which other- 

 wise are impossible. The story is told of an old deacon and his 

 wife on a stormy Sunday starting for church. The snow was 

 deep and he could not get his horse out. She insisted upon 

 going and he said, " Very well, then I will go ahead and you 

 can follow me," and he started. But unfortunately she put her 

 left foot where he put his right one, and the poor old lady has 

 been walking cross-legged ever since. Now it seems to me that 

 in this work we are talking of growing good apples, we are 

 seeking to get the best varieties, we are studying the question of 

 cultivation and fertilization, emphasizing all those lines, and yet 

 it seems to me we are walking cross-legged in our work and 

 because of that we are losing. We are selling to any buyer who 

 comes who we think will give us a little more than the other 

 fellow, and allowing him to pack and grade. I stood by the side 

 of a farmer a few days ago as they were packing his apples, 

 and I said to him, " Would you pack apples as these men are 

 packing them if you were sending them to market ? " He said, 

 " No, sir." " Then why do you allow him to? " " I sold him 

 the lot for so much a barrel right through." They go out as 

 Maine Baldwins, were stamped No. i Maine Baldwins. No 

 wonder they are from two to four shillings behind the Canadian 

 Baldwins that are graded and inspected. We want all we can 

 get and we think we are out from under the responsibility when 

 a man comes and takes our apples and pays so much per barrel 



