ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. i53 



the crop of 1896 we distributed about 650,000 barrels, but this 

 year only about 350,000 in the three markets of Liverpool, Lon- 

 don and Glasgow. The export of fruit to the old country is a 

 great and growing industry. The x\gricultural Department at 

 Washington, through its agent, Prof. Taylor, is investigating 

 this field with a view to finding means for its greater develop- 

 ment, and it is a field which offers great opportunities to the 

 American horticulturist, and especially to the men who will use 

 new and improved scientific methods. The man who selects, 

 and grades, and packs his fruit in the most tasteful and taking 

 manner, is the man who is taking the business, and at good 

 prices. That is the way that California has won its way, even 

 in the New England markets, with its fruit, and yet, I think we 

 will all agree that the California fruit does not compare with 

 our eastern products, but the point of it is, and particularly the 

 beauty of it is the fact that it is their packing which has enabled 

 them to meet the world, and to compete successfully in the 

 foreign market. They meet the French, who are the greatest 

 packers in the world, and they have fought their way against 

 the French product, and against the English markets, and they 

 have won out. So that to-day the Bartlett pear, and the Kieffer 

 pear, and the California plums of certain varieties have won 

 their way in England, and are selling there profitably. We 

 have not been able to do ver}- much from our eastern seaboard 

 cities by reason of the lack of available cold storage facilities, 

 or space upon our steamers. The California men export their 

 product by cooperation with the steamer lines, and they have 

 been able to take over all the space on a certain steamer each 

 week during certain periods of the year. They are able to ship 

 in large quantities, the shipment sometimes involving a matter 

 of five or ten carloads. We in the East cannot afford to experi- 

 ment in that way, and that being so we cannot expect our busi- 

 ness to develop rapidly, but from time to time we have been able 

 to use a part of that space, and have sent over some goods. 

 Last fall there was sent quite an important consignment of 

 Western New York pears, packed in boxes and half-boxes. The 

 half-boxes took the best in the English market. We sent over 

 several varieties until we flooded them, and it was not a very 

 good thing to do because the quality of the stuff was poor, and 

 it was not very attractive, but until we flooded them the returns 



