Pomological

At the monthly meeting of Washtenaw Pomological Society, Mr. J. C. Schenk, who waa to collect duea from fruit shippers roported lus nability to inake these collections. They are all glad to share in cheaper transportaron, hut the sharing in the buiden with the few active membere of the society .seems to soine of them quite a different question. Mr. L. Gruner is ready to receive their 2 cents per bushei for berries shipped by the A. A. fruit car. The society ordered the bilis for printing posters for the f ruit car, to be paid at once. Mr. John Allmand v;is added to the eommittee to see all the fruit shippers personally, and Mr. J. ,T. Parshall volunteered to see those ou the east side of the city. The undersigned reported that he had sent the petition of the society, for the improvement of roads, to representativo J. L. Lowden, who at once attended to it, and answered that Mr. Gibson bas introduced a bilí in regard to the making of permanent country roads, as suggested bythe petition. Mr. J. Austin Scott in bis addresa to increase the membership of the society, stated that all who are interested in horticulture should be active members of the society. The fruit interest was one of such importance that it needed an organized effort to carry on the business. He feit ashamed of those who try to shirk their duties to the society. The society loses its reputation and character by non-payment of an honest debt, contracted to accomplish a tiniely and safe delivery of fruit at Detroit. The members should be prompt and on time in their attendance. We should invite our friends. This society has been quite an educator, not only iu fruit, but in horticulture, farming and roadmaking. In fruit growing, as in other industries, we cannot expect to succeed every vear. It is our duty to do our fellow-men some good and to eheer them up. Set-backs strengthen character. He never made a failure at anything he ever undertook, because he was determined to succeed. When he first began fruit growing, he triuimed high, and, in eonsequence, 9-10 of his trees died. This did not discourage him and when he had seen his mistake he adopted low bodies and succeeded. Iïe continually attended to fertilizing and general cuíture of the trees. He loved the work. He would like to see the money returned to the counties for war-expenses used for the improvement of the roads. Mr. Ganzborn in his interesting paper on the sale of fruit stated : This is the most important question before fruit men. I can well remember when the foremost questions were : Which is the best location, what varieties to plant, how to cultívate and prime ? Will not the business be overdone? The timid ones were afraid the business would come to grief, when prices of grapes, shipped froni California, dropped to three cents per pound. The wholesale price of grapes, which used to be ten cents per pound, dropped to % cents in the principal markets. I used to ship peck crates of peaches to wholesale houses in Chicago for $2. One of in y neighbors sold his peaches right ander the trees for $S per bushel. Peach men then said, 10 per cent is too much for selling fruit, but as the next increase from fruit was so large no attempt was made to reduce the rate of commission. We have now come down to the bedrock of our business, and it has become a question of the survival of the fittest. We can only hope to 8ucceed by trimming away unnecessary expenses. We have made a beginning by breaking awav from the express to the shipping by freight. Fruit men must combine. It is wasteful to make so many individual and 8mall shipments to one market. In many cases there is a waste in cartage and freight, both in shipping and in return of empty packages. There is as much freight on three empty crates, or baskets, as on twenty-five. The commission man lias to deal and keep accounts with so many small lots, while he would save much clerical service, postage and draft expenses, had he but one party to deal with, from one place, instead of so many. A single fruit farmer in Illinois sells 100 carloads of fruit for his neighbors. The grape erop of Chautauqua county, between Butfalo and Dunkirk, N. Y., amounting from 1600 to 2000 carloads, is sold in charge of one man. Agenta are sent out to make sales of carload lots at different places, as Chicago, St. Paul and even down to Georgia and Texas. Chicago sells her fruits largely by auction. California lias developed great skill in grading, packing, and sale of her fruits, otherwise their shiprnents to distant markets would be impossible. , We shipped in the neighborhood of 20,000 bushels of peaches last year at an average price of $2 per bushei, the crops amouuting to $40,000. The commission on the same is about $4,000 ; on berries perhaps $1,000, making a total of $5,000. The berry erop of 1891 promises to be much larger than last year. One hundred thousand bushels of peaches is a possibility. There is yet a great deal of fruit shipped by express for want of organization. A large saving could be made right here. Although we pay large sums of money every year for the sales of our fruit, we meet with frequent losses for want of better distribution. The commission man takes no risk with us ; we have to bear all the loss. Against wasteful gluts we can do much ourselves by preparing for canning, evaporáting, manufacture of jellies and fruit syrups. These canned goods cannot well be put up by individuals. The factory will be the proper place, where a surplus of fruit can be disposed of on a large scale, and sold to advantage under properly organized facilities. In 1889, we averaged but $2 per buslicl for berries. Such seasons will come again, and, in such cases, the saving of unnecessary expenses may be all that is left for our earnings. Fruit will be raised on a larger scale in the future, and the sooner we adapt ourselves to the inevitable, the better for us. This paper was discussed with great interest and animation. Mr. W. F. Bird addressed the society on the best pumps for the application of insecticides. He exhibited two pumps of the Field Force Co., one a large, double-acting pump for orchards, the other a knapsack sprayer made of copper, for the application of the Bordeaux mixture and other poisons amonggrapes, potatoes and smal] fruits. This took the eye of his Honor, the mayor. This looks like warfare he remarked. Those who need the best instruments for the distruction of these insects may inspect these pumps at Mr. Bird's on the JackBon road. He can give an intelligent insight into these formidable weapons, without which our fruit will be destroyed by the eneiny. l'rof. Cook, of the Agricultural College, an.l the Cornell University use these pumps. The name of this society was changed from pomológica! to horticultura] by a majority of votes. This opens the doors to all uur vegetable gardenera, florists and farmers. They will receive a hearty weloome. Different varieüea of winter apples and the Champion peach were discussed. All were in favor of the bill before the legislatura that eornmission men should give bonds. Ann Arbor lost quite a sum of nioney in Detroit, East Saginaw and Bay City. Topics for April meeting : Fruit prospects, package, how to take care of trees plastea, by -Mr. Ganzhorn, prospects of fruit the coming season, is there a home market for all the strawberry plantations about Ann Arbor? What kinds of fruits to plant by the president. Report of cominittee on collection.