THIRTY-THIRD BlENNIAD SESSION 
187 
most difficult of all, the solution of the problem of devising some system 
of reducing the exorbitant profit of the retailer. When in Washington, D„ 
C. in 1910, 1 was told by a Senator that a retailer of that! city, who probably 
did not carry over $50 worth of stock, after paying all stc^e and living ex- 
pense, sent $3,000 to his home in Italy in one year. If I', a fruit grower, 
could make this same percentage on my investment in an orchard in Hood 
River as this retailer made on his investment, instead of sending this paper 
to be read because I could not afford the expense of coming to read it my- 
self, would be addressing you in person, travelling in a special train, with 
a valet to carry the manuscript. 
The northwest is a long way from the centre of population of the United 
States, and 3,000 miles from the Atlantic Coast, and its consuming millions 
of people. Freight is a large item with us and we realize that in order to 
secure your trade that we must produce something that you do not grow 
or produce, or something better or different. This is a matter of necessity 
with us and therefore we select, particularly in apples and pears, the varie- 
ties which you do not grow extensively, the varieties which we feel that we 
can grow to a greater state of perfection in all respects than can be grown 
on the Atlantic Coast. Many of our old orchards contained a large number 
of varieties but these are rapidly being eliminated, either by the process 
of grafting or with the axe. It is not our intention to grow the Rhode Island 
Greening, for which New York and New England States are famous, or the 
Baldwin which does so well on the Atlantic Coast, or the Northern S 
which by its flavor made Vermont famous, or the York Imperial. We 1$$!$ 
even cut out our old friend, the mortgage lifter, known as Ben Davi^ m 
will let the wonderful state of Missouri produce its splendid Bens and 
niflcent mules. Probably ninety per cent of the apple trees of the northwest 
are composed of the following varieties, — Jonathan, Esopus (Spitzenbtti*gj, 
Rome Beauty, Yellow Newtown, Winesap, including a small percentage of a 
few other varieties which do especially well in our country, such as tjhe 
Delicious, and (Winter) Banana, None of these varieties are produced 
very extensively in the eastern country, with the exception of the Winesap 
and the (Albermarle Pippin) Yellow Newtown, which are grown in Virginia 
and West Virginia, both having a reputation for splendid quality. 
We believe it to be good business policy for every fruit section to create 
a demand for its output. We shall endeavor to do this first by putting up a 
quality that will attract the consumer. We believe we must make a great 
effort to create a demand for the particular varieties which we will grow 
and ship to your country. I do not want you to feel that we are narrow 
minded or that we are selfish people. Western people, like Southern people, 
are noted for their hospitality, their generosity and their kindly feeling 
to all, even to those engaged in the same line of business in other sections. 
In this glorious nation I do not believe in sectionalism. While each section 
must necessarily and primarily work for itself there is a far greater good 
to be accomplished for all fruit growing sections by combined efforts an<3 
harmonious energy directed towards bettering the marketing problem; 
solving the matter of distribution; creating a greater demand and a greater 
