Tenth Annual Meeting 65 



city. Potatoes are cut and haggled and bruised, squashes and 

 pumpkins are thrown with the utmost carelessness against each 

 other and against the hard sides of the wagon-box; but all of 

 this carelessness and lack of respect for the delightful products 

 of the earth meets its reward in small prices and in a degraded 

 view of the earth's most delicate creations. 



The successful apple-grower to-day handles his specimens 

 with the most delicate care in the place of the old method of 

 shaking them from the tree. The grape is so handled as not 

 to remove the bloom from the berries. The strawberry is 

 picked with the most careful thoughtfulness, without marring 

 the delicacy of its texture. This care-taking pays not only in 

 money but it pays in the development of a genuine love for 

 the beautiful things that grow out of the horticultural art. 



Another important matter that is growing with the years is 

 the systematic grading of products. The horticulturist was the 

 first to recognize the importance of this in connection with 

 his most delicate fruits, but the man who grows potatoes and 

 turnips and sugar beets recognizes the importance of a fine grade 

 of product that he puts upon the market. The consumer's 

 wants are thought of because the consumer makes demands. 

 He wants every specimen good and fit for use, and has no 

 patience with having the interstices of the larger fruits and 

 vegetables filled with small stufif that is no use to him. The 

 stronger he can make this demand, the better it will suit the 

 most progressive horticulturist. 



Then, there is the matter of developing early maturity in 

 fruits and flowers and vegetables. The recognition of the 

 importance of this matter was first noted, I think, by the stock- 

 grower, and is illustrated in my own practice. I have a 

 highly developed Jersey cow. She had her first calf when she 

 was sixteen months old, and my neighbor farmers held their 

 hands up in holy horror, saying that I was going against nature; 

 that my cow would not be good for anything in a year or two. 

 But my beautiful cow is now a good many years old, and she 

 gives just as fine cream in just as large quantity as she did 

 years ago. 1 have given her the necessary care and she became 

 a cow none too soon for me, as long as she was good and as 

 long as she behaved well. 



