29 



BULLETIN OF 

 MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



POMOLOGICAL. 



To Fruit Growers, Dealers and Consumers. 



The material interests of fruit growers^ dealers and co7isnmers in 

 any community are largely depeyideyit upon the prosperity of each 

 other. 



The larger the quantity and the better the quality of any kind 

 of fruit offered, the more the consumer will buy ; the more fruit 

 grown and sold, the better able the grower will be to so systema- 

 tize his business as to produce at a cheaper rate, and the greater 

 the consumption the cheaper the rate at which the dealer will be 

 able to do his part of the work of moving the product from the 

 hands of the grower to the consumer. 



Fresh, ripe, home-groivn fruit is more attractive, better in. quality., 

 more healthful and cheaper than that shipped from southern or 

 western growers. 



That fresh, ripe, home-grown fruit is more attractive, of better 

 quality and more healthful, needs no argument to prove ; that it is 

 worth much more to the consumer, who therefore can afford to 

 pay a higher price for it, can be easily demonstrated. 



Take the item of grapes shipped from New York State to our 

 own markets. A ten-pound bfisket of Concord grapes is bought 

 for twenty- five cents, about the lowest rate at which they are 

 retailed, and it is found that if freshly packed it contains about 

 seven pounds of grapes, but if it has been packed for several 

 weeks, as is generally the case, by the evaporation of the berry and 

 stems the weight of fruit is reduced to less than six pounds and 

 it has lost much of its fresh, invigorating qualities. Besides this, 

 if any of the berries are crushed in packing, as some are sure to 

 be unless packed by very skilful hands, decay soon sets in and' 

 much of the fruit is spoiled or the heat generated in the basket 

 causes the berries to drop from their stems. 



