40 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



great many small growers, but practically three-fourths of 

 them are in this scheme. Oue of my neighbors last night 

 said he didn't think he could get here, as he had to get off a 

 car of berries he had promised to have shipped to San Fran- 

 cisco on Tuesday or Wednesday. He is getting something like 

 $5.50 per barrel, f.o.b. The first ^^ear one car went to Texas, 

 another to the British Provinces, a third to California and a 

 fourth to the middle west. These sales companies have been 

 a great help to our large growers. 



Dean Davenport. I wondered why it was we can get cran- 

 berries now, and a few years ago we couldn't. The dealers 

 would say, " No ; we can't get them ; " but now you can get 

 beautiful berries anywhere. 



Question. How do these questions apply to the retail milk 

 proposition ? 



Dean Davenport. I do not see any reason why the milk 

 producers shouldn't manage the selling end of the product just 

 as well as the selling end of any other ordinary product is 

 managed by the producers. If any of the big milk companies 

 should go to pieces, if they ever do, the business must be read- 

 justed again. The milk producers' rules and regulations are 

 made by another compan}^ and they have to follow them. If 

 they make their o\^ti agreements and appoint their own sales- 

 men, then they are nearer the consumer. It seems to me that 

 the same principle applies to any thing that can be standard- 

 ized close to the producer. The same is true of the butter bus- 

 iness; the producers can manage it themselves, if they will. 

 Of course it is another question whether they want to do it. 



Evening Session. 



Secretary Ellsworth. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my 

 pleasure to introduce to you the man you tried to equal dur- 

 ing the ISTew England Fruit Show, and who represents the 

 Massachusetts Llorticultural Society on the Board, Mr. Wil- 

 frid Wheeler, who will preside this evening. 



The Chairman. Mr. Secretary, ladies and gentlemen, this 

 afternoon Dean Davenport tried to impress upon us that we 

 were to educate the consumer to take the best quality, and in 

 order to do that, we must have the best varieties in all lines. 



