ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 103 



condition of affairs. An effort was made to arrange with the 

 express company to take out our fruit on regular express service 

 trains, and with a fair chance of a successful deal, when it 

 was learned that no cars could be furnished to the express 

 company for such a purpose. And so, of course, that ended 

 that negotiation, and forced us to accept whatever was offered 

 in the way of cars — mostly of the sweat-box type. I believe 

 that the efforts made to secure favorable consideration were 

 made mostly in an individual way, and, therefore, may not 

 have carried as much weight as some other and more united 

 effort would have done. It is too much each one for himself, 

 and as long as we are without any business organization as 

 growers and shippers, it may be hard to exert any greater 

 influence. If better car service cannot be provided, if we have 

 to take refrigerator cars without shelving, if Ave have any, 

 then a change may have to be made in the form of the fruit 

 package, and this may be quite desirable in so far as it may 

 prevent the spilling and thieving which shippers have had to 

 put up with so long. 



As to markets, we found that just three good distributing 

 points outside of our peach growing section were available, 

 namely, Boston, Providence and Springfield. New York City 

 could not be satisfactorily reached, although one of the nearest 

 distributing points to our fruit growing section. I believe that 

 the matter of transportation, of securing better and faster 

 train service in order to reach more distant markets, is well 

 worth a united effort on our part to obtain. I believe the 

 fact should not be lost sight of that local markets were, and 

 are, likely to be over-supplied, and shipping otit the best is a 

 necessity. 



There is not a doubt that fruit men from the large distrilnit- 

 ing centers like our fruit, and if we pack it properly we have 

 no competition to fear from other sections of the same time of 

 ripening as ours. Several times since I have been growing 

 peaches, Connecticut has been one of the few states where 

 peaches could be had, and the big markets were open for any 

 reasonable supply at good prices, and I expect to see such 

 conditions come again. The record for twenty years back proves 

 that the Connecticut man sometimes has peaches when the 

 others do not. 



