Pomological Society Doings

The April meeting of the pomological society was held Saturday, President Scott in the chair. The conjmittee on fniit packages by the chairman, J. D. Fuller reported the following rules for shipment of fruit, which were adopted. 1 All members should put up their fruit in the very best order. 2 The consignee should be requested to return empty crates with promptness, with as many baskets and slats as possible. 3 Commission dealers should be requested to hce that retailers return the baskets packed in the same wny as re cri veil and not nested The secretary was ntruded to have 5,000 Rlips printed to be furnished to niembers at cost, the slips to be pasted on the lid of every crate, inside and out, so that the consignee can see them at once. A very interesting report on transportation, submitted by Benj. Day, was unanmously adopted P. L. Page in behalf of the committee on the K1GHTS OP PBtTIT OROWKRS. Presented the following: Fruit growers are not expected to consider the invasión upon their property by beasts, or birds, but of the human kind, by thieves. It is well to cali thinga by their right ñames. If a boy steals a clieap amele f rom a store, or shop, he is complained of for larceny, and for it, punished by the court, with the full approbation of the community. If the same boys steals and destroys fruit on the fruit growers premisos of ten times the value, it is thought little of, except as a sort of venal offence and he receives the sympathy of some who have been engaged in similar doings. Why should he not be complained of and branded a thief, as well as in the former case? Thereis brobably more stealing from the premises of fruit growers of this town during four months of the year, than from all the stores and shops during the whole year. The merchant, or shop-keeper, can easily watch his goods during the day-time, and lock them against all ordinary intrusión at night. Tho fruit grower has no such efficiënt remedy. His extensive premises are open day and night and he can protect tbem onlv by vigilant and expensive watchfulness. This fact of itself, would indícate that the fruit thief ought to receive at least, as severe punishment as any other thief. The boy of a farmer, or fruit grower has a piece of laDd alloled him for his own use. He plante it to meions, which through all the summer he carefully cultivates. He has a fine erop, nearly ripe for market. On some moon-light night, a dozen boys, and sometimes men in size, club together to rob him, of the avails of his hard earned toil. They get a little half ripe fruit, but usually destroy ten times as mnch as they take away. And how is such an act regarded by the public? Many regard it as a slight offence, and pass it by with the common remnrk- "Ijoys willbe boys . If in such cases they were oalled by their right names "thieves" and pains were taken for their conviction and punisbmi-nt as in the' case of larceny from stores md shops, there wonld be much less of these depredntions. Neither even handed justice, nor law, make any distinction between these different kinds of stealiog. The statue most directly bearing upon the subject is as folio ws: GENERAL STATÜTES OF MICHIGAN ' Vol. 2, chap. 318, sec. 9174. "Every person who shall wilfully commit any trespass by entering upon the garden orchard r otlier improved land of another without pei mission of the owner, theieof and with intent to e ut, take, carry away, destroy or injure the trees grain, graes, hay, fruit or vegetables there growillg or being, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jai] not more that thiity days or by fine not exeeeding twenty dollars; and if any o) the offences mentioned in this or the proceeding section shaü be oommitted ui the lirst day of the week or in disguise, or secretly in ihe night time between sun setting and sun risiug the impriHoment shall not be less that fivedays nor the fine less Hum flve dollaiH. "