2o6 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



are grown in large areas over the whole country, and we get 

 them from much farther south than formerly and in much 

 larger quantities and in better condition. Early peas, string 

 beans, cucumbers, radish and many others come from Florida, 

 and so they are followed up from the different sections until 

 we have them grown here. While we have for many years 

 had them from the south, still not from such remote points 

 and not nearly so early and in such large quantities ; now w^e 

 get rhubarb by the carload from southern Illinois, as well as 

 the southern grown, also a great many kinds of vegetables. 



This condition of things has materially changed our mar- 

 kets, for, while a few years ago many of our products had 

 their special seasons, now, with the assistance of quick trans- 

 portation and refrigeration, the various vegetables can be 

 found almost any day throughout the whole year in our large 

 markets, and the berry season has been lengthened, in fact 

 almost doubled, while people use fruit and vegetables more 

 continuously ; still we do not find the market with whetted 

 appetite for the first of our products and willing to pay extra 

 prices for them. 



One thing that I never yet have understood in regard to 

 a habit detrimental to the grower, as well as the dealer, is the 

 careless way in which the vegetables are handled by the shop- 

 keeper. He lets them lay in wind and sun and wilt, and then 

 sends them out to his customers, expecting they will be satis- 

 fied with them, but I think he would find his sales would be 

 increased if he were as particular with them as with his meats, 

 butter, etc. I was in a large store this past season, the pro- 

 prietor of which is very particular about his meats, and I 

 observed he had a basket of cucumbers and one of summer 

 squash that were certainly unfit for any human being to eat, 

 and I asked him why he did not throw them out. He said 

 he could not afford it. I told him I would give him some 

 fresh ones in place of them, as those would simply keep any 

 of his customers who happen to see them from ordering, as 

 the\- w^ould be afraid they would get some of them. A good 

 many shopkeepers want to make too large profits and do not 

 sell as many vegetables on that account as they might. I have 



