IKTRODUCTTOX. 



9 



he in a country where agi'icultiire and horticulture are 

 the foundation of national wealth. The rates of postage 

 on seeds, plants^ and cuttings, has been doubled since the*^ 

 first edition of this book was published, while the rates ; 

 on some other classes of matter have been reduced to 

 an almost nominal sum — a discrimination against agricul- 

 ture and horticulture not warranted by the needs of the 

 Department, and much against the wishes of the public 

 at large. The increase of railroad facilities and other 

 means of transportation has not been to the advantage of 

 fruit-growers in all localities alike, but to some a great 

 disadvantage, as it has brought distant parts of the 

 country into close competition. The fruit-growers in the 

 Southern States can now send their berries to northern 

 markets, and while these do not come into direct com- 

 petition with those grown in the Xorth, still their pres- 

 ence has a very depressing influence upon prices. Weeks 

 and sometimes months before the northern berries are 

 ripe^ the markets are flooded with the southern grown 

 fruit, and the residents of our cities have had enough of 

 strawberries before the home-grown berries come in, and 

 wanting a change the public seek some other kind to the 

 neglect of the fresh berries from the fields in the suburbs, 

 and prices go down accordingly. The southern fruits 

 bring high prices, but the cost of freight, commission, 

 etc., leave the raiser but a small margin for profit ; con- 

 sequently the only parties benefited are the transporta- 

 tion companies, commission men, and. the consumer. 



There have been no great discoveries or improvements 

 made in methods of culture or propagation of the Small 

 Fruits during the past dozen years, but there appears to 

 be a growing desire to improve native varieties to the ex- 

 clusion or neglect of the foreign, and this is especially 

 noticeable among the cultivators of the Raspberry. The 

 native sorts are attracting most attention, and are well 

 deserving of it, because the foreign ones here have never 



