300 The Second Co7igress of Fruit Growers. 



to be borne on the list, the committee had no wish to press 

 its being put there. 



Mr. Barry said that there were several things which entered 

 into the consideration of quality. Flavor was one, and a 

 very important one, but there were others also. And he con- 

 sidered it hardly proper to insinuate anything unworthy or 

 knavish against gentlemen who spoke of fruits, and their qual- 

 ities as "market fruits." Fruits were raised for the market 

 especially, and they must be. And everybody knew that it 

 was not always true, that a variety which stood highest in 

 point of flavor, bore the same rank on the market list. Take 

 the Rhode Island Greening apple for example, that fruit was 

 not of first rate flavor, but it was so productive, so hardy, and 

 so sure a crop, that we could not do without it. Just so with 

 many other fruits. Flavor was the first quality to be looked 

 at, if gentlemen chose, but there were many others besides. 



Mr. Hancock did not differ from the gentleman last up. 

 Let each variety of fruit stand or fall on its merits. He ac- 

 knowledged good bearing to be a part of the merits, but he 

 would not make that quality a pretext for selling to the sim- 

 ple a fruit as being better than it really was. 



Mr. Hovey could not sit silent after hearing the remarks of 

 the gentlemen from New Jersey, though his friend from 

 Rochester had put the matter right before the Congress. 

 Were gentlemen to be accused, because they had trees for 

 sale, of recommending any particular variety ? If so, there 

 would be an end to discussion. He repudiated any such 

 idea, and was surprised that the subject should have been 

 mentioned. For one, he believed every member who took 

 part in the discussion spoke from his own experience and 

 with a desire to impart information. In general, persons who 

 cultivate fruit trees did it for what ? Orchardists who raised 

 fruits did it for what ? Why, to sell in the market ? Some 

 very respectable and respected persons in the gentleman's 

 own neighborhood could tell him that, if he were ignorant of 

 it himself. But in determining the value of a fruit for this 

 purpose, saleableness, as well as color, flavor, hardiness, <fcc., 

 must be estimated in the aggregate of its qualities, and if 



