NINTH ANNUAL MEETING. 105, 



man, or commission merchant, receive our consignment of 

 fruit and sell it for us, but that is not a business principle;. 

 every fruit raiser should be his own marketman or know 

 approximately how much he is to expect for his fruit before 

 letting it pass out of his hands to a commission merchant's, 

 who is often, alas, too often, inspired by selfish motives to 

 provide well for his family wants at your expense. What 

 manufacturer could exist to sell his goods in this manner, 

 to be knocked down to the highest bidder at forced sale? 

 Yet this is the way they do business for us when we place 

 our fruit in their hands for sale. I have paid dearly for 

 my lesson, and know whereof I speak ; not that all commis- 

 sion men are dishonest, for there are some noble excep- 

 tions, and I consider an honest commission man the 

 noblest work of God, and many times a real necessity — 

 and, like the diamond, a precious treasure when found. 

 But I think we have a right., in a measure., to dictate as to 

 price. We are too prone to let the other fellow do it for us 

 and, like the lamb., be "led dumb to the slaughter" ; or, like 

 the sheep before the shearer, prepared to be fleeced. 



The time has come for those who raise fruit for market 

 to put it up in the best possible shape for sale. 



He who will not spray his trees will surely catch the 

 early w^orm. 



He who will not thin will reap small frnit. 



He who will not properly assort will get the smaller price. 



He who will cheat, cheats himself. 



He who packs loosely bruises his own apples. 



He who picks in bags does the same. 



These rules are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 

 correction, for instruction, for understanding, and will 

 yield the peaceable fruit of good works. 



A short talk was given by Mr. E.'M. Ives of Meriden 

 on pruning, thinning and spraying apples, being an 

 account of some experiments carried out in Mr. Ives' 

 orchard for several seasons past. By means of charts, Mr. 

 Ives showed by actual figures the profitable results of 

 intensive apple culture. The careful thinning of the fruit 

 during the growing season produced wonderful results, as 

 regards size, color and perfection of the apples harvested. 



