No. 4.] FRUITS FOR LOCAL MARKETS. 53 



Now, as to Massachusetts soil and climate. We hear a 

 good deal about New England climate, — and Massachusetts, 

 being right in the middle of New England, catches it going 

 and coming ; but, knowing something of the climatic condi- 

 tions of every State in this Union, and their effect on fruit 

 production, I am perfectly safe in saying that the climatic 

 conditions of Massachusetts are as good as the average in 

 America for the production of fruit. The soil conditions 

 here are better than the average in the United States, and 

 of course your market conditions are incombatably superior. 

 You have here in Massachusetts, and we have in all New 

 England, people of appreciation of fine fruits ; for the more 

 cultured and refined people become, the greater consumers 

 they are of fine fruits and beautiful flowers and the less con- 

 sumers they are of the coarser products. I speak of flowers 

 as a fruit product, for they go together. These ladies here 

 know, if they have a sick one in the family and want to 

 nurse him back to life, a little bunch of flowers on the tray 

 that goes into the sick room helps to feed the soul of that 

 dear one. And so, when we put some on the table, what a 

 difterence it makes, — we can eat a little less corned beef 

 and cabbage, and have a few more flowers all round. So 

 as to the business question ; we are in the midst of the most 

 cultured and refined people of the United States, and there- 

 fore in the midst of the greatest consumers of fruit. 



Then, they have the money to buj^ with. Nowhere else 

 in America, or perhaps in the world, are the great body of 

 the common people so abundantly able to buy fruits as tliey 

 are in New England. The people of New England are a great 

 deal more profitable to feed on beautiful flowers and fruits 

 than in other sections of the country, which I will not men- 

 tion, as I may want to go there some time ; but it is a fact. 



All that is wanted, then, to make local fruit production in 

 Massachusetts exceedingly prosperous and profitable, is men 

 and women Avho are " onto the job;" in other words, who 

 in themselves are lovers of beautiful fruits and flowers. You 

 can't bring anything to its highest state of perfection unless 

 you appreciate it, — enjoy working with it. You have got 

 to put some love in anything to get out the very best in it. 

 So the successful fruit grower must be a man or woman who 



