Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-10
FRUIT AND VINE.
WANNA ronoroaIcAL CONVENTION
AT cHARlorrRsvlLLE.
n1sve,.,s b. Hr. ". Duke, 5r.. Commits
sisssr Harrison, and 3. I. LYMAN
Ysa.--cold storage Ripening
= Pears, etc,


,correspouSenoe Of the RichmonI Dispatchl
CaARIorrEsvILLE, VA, Sept. 9Th.
The frat meeting Of the State Po-
noIoeicAl Convention convened IN the
Town Hall this morning at III o'clock.
The address Of welcome was, at the re-
Quest Of the mayor, made BY X. W. I.
Duke. After some facetious introduce
tory sentences, Mr.. Duke said that
ever body must be aware that 10 ss,r
culture the old order is giving way 70
1 new. We no longer have with us
re and wheat, but nature and climate
ere with us, and fruits are our natural
eesl,h. Lafay elite, while leading his
army through this part Of Virginia, was
convinced that Albemarlo would Do the
vineyard Of America from what be saw
svtry here around him Of the rich and
glorious growth Of wild grapes, tho an
cestors OF our Nortons. AT the begin
ming the imperative demand is for I'M
proved methods, fair treatmentin Legis'
istures, aud cheap transportation. In
bidding the Convention welcome he
hoped the result Of their labors would
Be "to enrich the time to come with
ssnootL-hced plenty and fair, proAs-
rous days"
COLONEL uARRIsoN,' sssDDREss.
After, q song by Professor Wade's
(slxe-Club, Commissioner Agriculture
Randolph Harrison formally opened the
Convention, making a brief but interest
ina address. He said he could NOT claim
that he had rendered any speciai ser-
v;cs for erape-culture, but that ne
Welded 10 nobody in the degree OF IN
tsrest he felt In the matter. lie DO.
lieycd that the next generation woaia
be richer than this, and that their wealth
would be drawn from fruits. Who can
saw how great part Of this Convention
NAV have in that happy state OF affairs ;
Ssift has said that he who makes two
blades of grass grow where one grew
before is . greater benefactor to his kind
than all the race Of politicians, but how
immsasurably greater is he who pro-
duces and DEVELOPS new industry
inst here is our trouble. Virginia
needs 10 extend her energies In the d.
rsction of new products-not to super
sede the old, but to be subsidiary.
RUSSIA AND FRANCE.
The world has ever been ready to
spend its money freely for Injuries, but
Il demands that the uecessaries Of lie
shall be placed at low figure. Rassis'
with her rich soil, and with her classes
persistently delvipg in the old way has
grown poorer. France, on the other
hand, has pursued the double policy OF
producing he necessaries as well as OF
producing the Injuries which the rich
will not do without, and to her staples
has added olive-oils, wines, &c. France
paid her war indemnity in large part,
no doubt, out Of the profits on the
wines which they sold to their late
enemy. Her wine-produc: is enormous,
in spite of losses from philoxera, mil
dew. black-rot, &c. We are accus-
toned to think of the wine-product OF
California as something enormous, as 1t
is. and yetone Department in France, IN
which one twentieth Of the wine pro-
ducts Of the republic is produced, makes
more wine than Germany and the United
States, including California. put to-
eether. That is, 50,000,0O0 gallons
per anuum. Thus it MAJ be seen that
there is no danger ofoyer-production IN
America.
We arc here to invoke the principle
Of cooperation. 1t is q lesson we VIZ
pinians are slow to learn, but we must
resort to it or be left far behind. The
movement we inaugurate here to-day Is
for the whole State, and has no proyin'
cial Specification.
Various communications, letters o
regret. &C., were read--one from th'
venerable Marshall p. Wilder, TIT
founder of the American Pathological
Society, Of which he has been the presl
dent since its foundation. He is nov
eighiy.eieht years OF age.
SUITED TO THE CULTIVATION o.
FRUITS.
The secretary, II. L. Lyman, ate
reading and commenting on these cou
munications, said that the great cues
tion which meets fruit.growers in VII
sinia is how best to unite the people
the interest Of pomology. Our nan
raj adsptability to fruit-growing Shout
be known to the world. II IS an o
tablished fact that every deslrao
fruit, North or South or in the Mss
sippi Valley, can be grown here In pc
lection. Why, then, enter into Co
test with the virgin soil Of the West
II has become q recognized fact IN Q
colleges where agriculture is taug
that experimentation should be pa
of the professors duty. In the Mort
South, and West people are eagerly q
ceptipg all the advantages that scien'
is aifordipg them. We need improy
msnt In this respect. Nature must
studied closely. To all this we mu
add zeal for fair regulations as frul
growers, and we know how much Il
depends on good packing. Being
the threshold Of the populous distric
wc shall find it profitable TO give til
and thought TO the best manner oil Il
nishipg to these people this very neo'
ssry article Of food. We must rigit
reject oil worthless varieties.
COLD STORAGE.
Committees on Charters and By-La
and on Resolutions we're appoints
Mr.. Gordon Merriek read paper,
Marshall p. Wilder, on the Preser'
ton Of Fruits with lce." A disc
sion Of methods of cold storage
lowed. Mr.. Lyman said 1t is nee
sary TO preserve our fruits till gluts
the market are over otherwise th
are sold at . loss. Mr.. MerricE has
cold-storsge house, and has realii
profit from pears, which he has k
much longer than could otherwise h
been done.
Mr., Merrick explained his exp
ments end the snanner 10 which he
constructed his house. His chief
fculty was TO preserve ice, which IN
cd very rapidly.
RIPESING PEARS.
q. -.