12 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



a habitation in this delightful part of the Pacific coast. Many of our 

 horticultural industries have been most prosperous, also, and yet others 

 have experienced great depression. Broadly speaking, the outlook for 

 the new year is very promising, and with a fair settlement of the many 

 grave problems that are before the farmers of the State for solution the 

 next few years should see remarkable and permanent improvement in 

 the conditions that surround the business of fruit growing. 



To a large portion of the people of California these conventions speak 

 with authority, for they are composed of authorized representatives of 

 the interest to which the State owes so much for her fame and material 

 advancement. As the public comes to realize more fully that here 

 assemble delegates with no individual interests to promote, free to speak 

 and with courage to act, the influence of these conferences will be yet 

 more potent in helping to shape the policies of state and foster the 

 common weal. 



That there are many new questions awaiting solution at the hands of 

 such assemblages as this was brought most forcibly to the front by the 

 experiences of the last two months in the Sacramento Valley. Since the 

 first of October I have had the honor of presiding over four conven- 

 tions, with an attendance in total of over one thousand growers, meeting 

 in all-day sessions to determine what should be done to improve the 

 conditions of more than one of our important fruit industries, and 

 within the next few months as many more of these great conferences 

 will be held as the time of your State horticultural officials can com- 

 mand. It was a revelation to me to see how these large communities of 

 orchardists have attended so carefully to individual duties and allowed 

 large abuses and difficulties to fasten themselves upon the business with- 

 out attempting to dislodge the troubles by public effort. But since the 

 holding of a series of these meetings, we can confidently expect that 

 this or similar plans of considering the business problems of fruit 

 growing has received an impetus that will carry the work to many other 

 parts of the State, for this new movement has given vitality and force 

 to the idea of overcoming difficulties by cooperation. So far every fac- 

 tion and element has joined without cross-purpose or friction, and. with 

 one exception, by unanimous vote. As I may become somewhat pessi- 

 mistic later on, I mention this spirit of unanimity as of the highest 

 importance in the settlement of the vexed questions that may confront 

 the fruit-farmers of the State. 



In looking over the work attempted by these Sacramento Valley 

 conferences one is astonished to see how the delegates avoided the specu- 

 lative and cultural problems connected with fruit growing. Every 

 moment of these day-long sessions was devoted to the business difficul- 

 ties which had come to the surface so plainly the past season. The 

 lesson I draw from this is that our State conventions should devote more 

 of their energies to the solution of the economic problems that confront 

 them, and that less attention be given to the mere increasing of fruit 

 tonnage. I know that a State-wide convention like this must handle 

 more general questions than the redemption of a market lost through 

 wormy peaches. It must handle themes of interest to all. But there is 

 no lack of large subjects for consideration and advancement by our 

 present meeting. The interests of every commercial fruit producer in 

 the State are involved in the farm-labor question; we should promote 



