:N^o. 4.] FRUIT GROWING. 61 



orchards and vineyards the question always came to my 

 mind, Where is the market ? And on lookins; at the 

 map of the United States, knowing the whole country as 

 well as I do, I knew at once that Xew England was the 

 best part of that market, because between the Mississippi 

 River and the Atlantic Ocean and north of the Ohio River is 

 where the people consume most of the fruits grown on the 

 Pacific coast and in the South. I am speaking now of the 

 deciduous fruits that may be grown here, not considering at 

 all the semi-tropic and citrus fruit. Considering where the 

 markets were where these fruits are to be sold ; considerino- 

 that nearly every carload of deciduous fruit that comes from 

 California into the markets of Massachusetts could be supplied 

 by Massachusetts farmers ; considering that the freight tax 

 levied by the railroad companies was from $300 to $600 per 

 car, — for I saw six cars unloaded in New York two or three 

 years ago on which the freight was $3,600, and similar car- 

 loads of fruit coming from the extreme South on which the 

 railroad tax was from $200 to $300, — considering these 

 things, I have wondered why the farmers of New England, 

 w^ho might save all that, or a very large part of it, and have 

 the benefit of the market in addition, did not make a business 

 of the production of this fruit. Much of the fruit comino- 

 from these distant points, as I have seen it grown, seen it 

 gathered, seen it on its way, and seen it in the markets of 

 Massachusetts and all through New England, sells well, sells 

 sX good prices, very largely because it is put up in attractive 

 shape. The fruit packers are men who thoroughly under- 

 stand their business, and pack their fruit in the best possible 

 manner to stand this long transit and have it show up in a 

 fine and attractive style in the market. They have studied 

 the business in all its aspects, and know how to take 

 advantage of favorable conditions of the market in any 

 section of the country. The California fruit in most 

 instances, even when allowed to ripen on the tree, is inferior 

 to much that can be grown here ; and it has to be picked in 

 a green condition and has to take so long a journey that it 

 bears no comparison in quality to that which can be grown 

 here in Massachusetts ; and yet there are hundreds of 

 thousands, I suppose literally millions, of dollars paid 



