ELEJ'ENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 213 



Peaches, though a perishable crop, can be planted and managed 

 in large areas, and so can apples ; the help needed in harvesting 

 can be brought from the cities and lodged in cheap buildings ; 

 thev doing their own cooking. I am aware that this would be 

 an innovation to the common farmer, and not to be entered upon 

 in a hurry. But such things are done in other parts of our 

 country; they are already done here to some extent. 



Will such large ventures pay? 



Well, it is right in line with good business principles. You 

 can manage the large business cheaper proportionately than the 

 small one. You save in implements and in labor lost going 

 from one employment to another: You save in marketing. 

 There is a big saving in these last two items. The same labor 

 and time will, or should produce a greater quantity and value. 

 You can afford to inform yourself thoroughly on your specialty 

 or specialties, in fact become an expert and make your product 

 as good as the best, and place it on the market in the most 

 attractive and desirable shape. Then, too, the dealer prefers to 

 buy of one who has a large quantity of uniform quality to sell. 

 The fact that we have trouble to find buyers for our apples is 

 because we have such small quantities. Not enouglr in one 

 place to pav buyers to come and look at them. One of our 

 institute lecturers a year ago, made the fact very plain that the 

 great drawback to successful fanning was, that the production 

 was too small for the capital. j\Iany farms, and I presume most 

 farms in New England, have acres on acres of land that has to 

 be cared for, and fenced, and taxes paid on it, and yet it prockices 

 very little in the way of income. Large buildmgs, too, swiallow 

 up capital, and can only help on the income as they are used ; 

 and so it comes about that when you foot up the value of land 

 and buildings in a farm, and figure to pay a fair interest on that 

 amoimt and the running expenses and have a living profit 

 besides, it is pretty hard figuring. What is the trouble? Just 

 this, the production is not great enough to put the land and 

 buildings to their largest use. 



]\Iany of the best lands for peaches and apples are being made 

 the least of, under existing condition of things. Such lands as 

 are suitable, could be made by means of these and perhaps other 

 crops, to bring an income over and over again larger than whole 

 farms yield now. It needs a little persistent courage or stamina, 

 and good judgment or common sense. 



