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



are a few varieties that have been fortunate in the past two years, but there is no 

 telling when evpn a large crop of those varieties may oversupply the present market. 



In answering this question we wish to lay emphasis upon the fact that the firms 

 engaged in the marketing of fruits have not been idle in the matter of developing 

 markets. I know, as far as this exchange is concerned, we placed fruit in over 

 eighty markets last year as against twenty-six in the previous season: and this year 

 the number of markets gone into will far exceed last season; in fact, we have been 

 selling car loads of fruit in markets we never dreamed of three years ago. 



The distribution of deciduous fruits to-day is on a very broad scale, especial] v 

 west of Chicago, .so that the fault can not 'be charged up to the lack of energy 

 in finding new markets; but the supply has been so tremendous in the past two 

 years, and the rates so high east of Chicago, that we are confronted with two prob- 

 lems that are insurmountable; and as the~ supply is something that can not be 

 reduced unless almost Spartan measures are adopted we are forced to consider ways 

 and means to overcome the hill that we are confronted with, and the first means to 

 help us will be the reduction of the rates east of Chicago, and give us an oppor- 

 tunity to exploit that very large field. 



The way the matter stands now our lowest rates are west of the considered center 

 of population. The present center of population is considered about the south- 

 east portion of Indiana. Therefore, if our rates were put on a reasonable basis so 

 that we could reach the mass of the people with our products at a price that will 

 encourage them to buy we can increase the distribution of our fruit very materially : 

 but if we are going to be kept away from the center of population by a burden- 

 some rate the situation is going to continue to grow worse, and where it will end 

 is a grave question. 



In regard to your inquiry as to whether there has been an increase in wages 

 for orchard and vineyard labor, would say that I do not believe there is any one 

 acquainted with the conditions but would answer unqualifiedly "Yes." And as to 

 whether there is a sufficient supply to handle the crops we answer "No." As far 

 as we can see, it was a very fortunate thing this year that there was not sufficient 

 labor to handle the crop in time, especially grapes. If there was, the results 

 would have been disastrous for at least three quarters of the entire grape crop. 



In regard to your inquiry as to whether a large percentage of the grape crop was 

 left on the vines, as it would entail a loss to ship the same, would say that your 

 statement is quite true. Very frequently we were called on the 'phone by outlying 

 points and a^ked whether it was worth while to pick the fruit from the vinos, and 

 on many occasions we suggested that the fruit be left where it was because we 

 could not honestly counsel them to harvest the fruit. Many and many times we 

 were reluctant to make this statement because we are a growers' organization, trying 

 to seek a market for the products of our members, and we were placed in a very 

 unenviable position to tell a man there was no place for his product, after he had 

 spent the year in plowing, pruning, sulphuring, etc., in order to get his products 

 ready for market and then to know that his livelihood was being snuffed out because 

 there was no place to ship his product with any certainty of receiving back enuogh 

 to cover the expenses of transportation, packing, and picking. 



The result was there must have been considerable over a thousand cars of grapes 

 left unharvested, not by reason of their condition, but by reason of the situation 

 in the markets. 



This condition is something very sad to behold, because we know from seeing 

 the accounts from day to day what it means for a man to pick 100 crates of grapes, 

 spend hours carefully cleaning the bunches, getting everything so it looks attractive 

 for the market, haul the fruit to the car, ship the same to the East, and when the 

 accounts come back ask the grower to dig up for the privilege of sending his fruit 

 forward. 



This is no jesting matter. We are dealing right now with the question of the 

 homes and futures of a great many people in this commonwealth, and it is surely up 

 to the railroad authorities to take some action and do it quickly, or they will rue 

 their procrastination. Not alone were the Tokays affected, but the Emperors were 

 more or less affected in this way : 



The market, as a general thing, for Emperors, is not very active until the Tokays 

 have been pretty much disposed of. This year the Tokay crop held on so long by 

 reason of the big supply and low market that a great number of Emperors were 

 left unpicked and the frost ruined them. We know of one case where a grower 

 had between four and five thousand crates of Emperors ready for picking and the 

 entire crop was lost, and he returned his shook and did not send a solitary crate 

 forward. 



We are dealing now with facts, not theories, and we sincerely hope that your 

 committee will be able to so bring the matter home to the transportation companies 

 that they will be ready to give you the relief asked for. as surely the amount 

 prayed is small enough. 



In regard to your last question, would say that we have found from experience 

 that the average cost of properly picking and packing a crate of Tokays since the 

 rain has been approximately 32 cents to 37 cents, depending somewhat on the 



