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The Benefits Of Organization To Fruit Growers

The Benefits Of Organization To Fruit Growers image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
March
Year
1891
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

At the monthly meeting of Washtenaw Pomological Society, Mr. J. C. Schenk, who was to collect dues from fruit snippers, reported his inability to make these collections. They are all glad to share in cheaper transportaron, but the sharing in the burden with the few active members of the society seems to some of them quite a different question. Mr. L. Gruner is ready to receive their two cents per bushei for berries shipped by the A. A. fruit car. The society ordered the bilis for printing posters for the fruit car, to be paid at once. Mr. John Allmand was added to the committee to se'e all the fruit shippers personally and Mr. J. J. Parshall volunteered to see those on the east side of the city. The undersigned reported that he had sent the petition of the society, for the improvement of roads, to representative J. L. Lowden, who at once attended to it, and answered that Mr. Gibson has introduced a bilí in regard to the making of permanent country roads, as suggested by the petition. Mr. J. Austin Scott, in his address 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 business. He feit ashamed of those who try to shirk their duties to the society. The ciety loses its reputation and character by non-payment of an honest debt, contracted to accomplish a timely 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 in fruit, but in horticulture, farming and roadmaking. In fruit growing, as in other industries, we cannot expect to succeed every year. It is our duty to do our fellow-men some good and to cheer them up. Set backs strengthen character. He never made a failure at anything he undertook, because he was determined to succeed. When he first began fruit growing, he trimmed high, and in consequence 9-10 of his trees died. This did not discourage him and when he had seen his mistake he adopted low bodies and succeeded. He continually attended to fertilizing and general culture of the trees. He loved the work. He would like to see the money returned to the counties for war-expenses used for the improvemenj of the roads. Mr. Ganzhorn in his interesting paper on the sale of fruit stated: This is the most important question before fruit men. I can well remëmber when the foremost questions were: Which is the best location, what varieties to plant, how to cultívate and prune? Will not the business be overdone? The timid ones were af raid the business would come to grief, when prices of grapes, shipped from California, dropped to three cents per pound. The wholesale price of grapes, wliich used to be ten cents per pound, dropped to ï1, cents in the principal markets. I used to ship peck crates of peaches to Chicago for $2. One of my neighbors sold his peaches right under the trees for $8 per bushel. Peach men then said, 10 percent, 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 succeed by trimming away unnecessary expenses. We have made a beginning by breaking away from the express to the shipping by freight. Fruit men must combine. It is wasteful to make so many individual and small shipments tcrone market. In many cases there is a waste in cartage and "reight, both in shipping and in return of empty packages. There isas much freight on three empty crates, or baskets, as on twenty-five. The commission man has 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 seller in [llinois sells 100 carloads of fruit :or his neighbors. The grape erop of Chautauqua county, between Buf'alo aud Dunkirk, N. Y., amounting 'rom 1,600 to 2,000 carloads, is sold in charge of one man. Agents are sent out to make sales of carload ots at different places, as Chicago, St. Paul and even down to Georgia and Texas. Chicago sells her fruit largely by auction. California has developed great skill in grading, pácking and sale of her fruits,[otherwise their shipments to distant marcets would be impossible. We shipped in the neighborhood of 20,000 bushels of peaches last rear, at an average price of $2 per )üshel, the crops amounting to ooo. 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 eaches is a possibility. There is yet a great deal of fruit shipped by xpress for want of organization. A arge saving could be made light ïere. Although we pay large sums f money evéry year for the sales of ur fruit, we meet with frequent osses for want of better distribution. 'he 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 anning, evaporating, manufacture f jellies and fruit syrups. These anned goods cannot well be put up y individuals. The factory will be ie proper place, where a surplus of ruit can be disposed of on a large cale, and sold to advantage under )roperly organized facilities. In 1889, we averaged but $2 per ushel for berries. Such seasons ill come again, and, in such eases, ie saving of unnecessary expenses may be all that is left for our earnings. Fruit wvll be raised on a higher scale in the future, and the sooner we adapt ourselves to the inevitable, tne 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-action pump for orchards, the other a knapsack sprayer made of copper, for the application of the Bordeaux mixture and other poisons among grapes, potatoes and small fruits. This took the eye of his Honor, the mayor. This looks like warfare, he remarked. Those who need the best instruments for the destruction of these insects may inspect these pumps at Mr. Bird's on the Jackson road. He can give an intelligent insight into these formidable weapons, without which our fruit will be destroyed by the enemy. Prof. Cook, of the Agricultural College, and the Cornell University use these pumps. The name of this society was changed from pomological to horticultural by a majority of votes. This opens the doors to-all our vegetable gardeners, fiorists and farmers. They will receive a hearty welcome. Different varieties of winter apples and the Champion peach were discussed. All were in favor of the bill before the legislature that commission men should give bonds. Ann Arbor lost quite a sum of money in Detroit, East Saginaw and Bay City. Topics for April meeting: Fruit prospects, package, how to take care of trees planted, 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 fruit to' plant, by the president. Report of committee on collection. Cor. Sec.