PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS * CONVENTION. 



89 



the brine hot and then cut them open — I can ? t explain just the process, 

 as my daughter did it — and packed them in fancy boxes and carried 

 them to Sacramento, and they had never heard of these figs before and 

 it was hard work to get started. When I got started they sold rapidly. 

 I sold most all of my Smyrna figs just as I picked them from the tree, 

 carried them right down there and sold them green. In this way I 

 have created Avith the Smyrna fig quite a demand from one firm, and 

 they told me. ' ' Next year Ave can sell everything you raise ; the demand 

 for them is great." Another process I took with the Calimyrna fig 

 was to dip them. Avhat we call candying them, in hot sugar and let 

 them dry and dip again. The process lasts several days. Those bring 

 as high as 40. 50 and 60 cents a pound, and that supply Ave sent down 

 there Avent so quickly that they wanted more, but we did not have them. 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. I think the most remarkable thing about 

 this entire discussing is that after thousands and thousands of pages 

 haA'e been printed in trying to discoA*er who introduced the blasto- 

 phaga — as much as has been used in trying to discover Avho hit Billy 

 Patterson — now Ave find a pioneer. Mr. Rixford. Avho discovers that it 

 has been here forty years. That discovery is not so remarkable as the 

 fact that Mr. Rixford had the courage to say that all these discussions 

 Ave have had for years haA T e been a mistake, taking a ay ay credit from 

 his OAA'n department and from a great many other men. I don't knoAv 

 hoAV to account for this candor on Mr. Rixford 's part in any other way 

 than because he is a California pioneer. Now. Mr. Berwick has a feAV 

 Avords to say. 



MR. BERWICK. I haA'e to catch this next train and I Avas just 

 going. I Avas telling you yesterday that Ave had a grand opportunity 

 of doing something. We haA r e talked a great deal for fiVe and a half 

 years and this year our treasurer, Mr. John S. Dore of Fresno, is willing 

 to help us out by going to "Washington, and he is a man of some stir. I 

 am tired of hearing people say, "Oh, it will come." Did you e\ T er 

 knoAv a fig tree to come — eA'en a barren fig tree — unless some one planted 

 it I Did you ever knoAv a house to get built unless some one built it ? 

 And if you Avant parcels post to help your fig business you have to do 

 something. Mr. Dore is here and he will tell you Avhat you can do. and 

 I trust that you will be ready to do something more than talk at this 

 time. Will you permit Mr. Dore to take my place ? 



MR. DORE. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: I just came 

 in your hall a feAv moments ago. I had no idea that my friend BerAvick 

 AA'as going to thrust this upon me. The question, I see by the press. Avas 

 mentioned yesterday, and my name has been connected with it just 

 uoav. and I can tell you very briefly Avhat I propose to do. When the 

 Farmers' Union, a State organization, met in Fresno a few weeks ago 

 I Avas selected by the State organization a member of the National 

 Legislation Committee of that body, and one purpose in my selection 

 was to push the parcels post, as Ave adopted very strong resolutions 

 there, and because of that, perhaps more than any other thing, I Avas 

 chosen. 



Now, some say that little can be done here or at Washington ; that 



