Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-11

Clark of North Hadley to read the pa
per he had been asked to prepare upon
The outlook for profitable fruit-grow
ing in Massachusetts" Prof. Clark
seemed thoroughly conversant with the
subject, and in a concise manner told
the present situation the difficulties that
must be overcome and the tendencies
that were to be guarded against if one
would be sure of success. Prof. Clark
said in part:
1t was only few years ago that our
markets were supplied with nearly all
Of its fruit from the surrounding coun-
try, little being received from outside
the state. But as railroads began to
multiply and the cost of transportation
to cheaper fruits from other sections be-
gan to be felt in our markets, and as
the science of handling, packing and
shipping fruits became better under
stood, the distance of the shipments in
creased so that today we have to com
pete In the Massachusetts market with
grapes peaches, pears and plums from
California, peaches from Georgia,
grapes from Ohio, apples and grapes
from New York and apples from Nova
Scotia, Michigan and Missouri, to say
nothing of the immense quantities of
oranges shipped from California and
Florida. Although the orange is not
grown in Massachusetts, it probably af-
fectS the market price of our apples
more than all of the other tropical or
semi-tropical fruits combined.
Much has been said and written re-
garding the baroness of our soil and the
severity of our climate as preventing us
from growing many OF the choicer kinds
OF fruit This may be true to a GER
tain extent; but, from what I have seen
and been able to learn, 1 am convinced
that those who have suitable lands IA
vorably located, can, with proper care
and business capacity, make the grow
ing OF fruits as profitable in MaSsachu-
setts as in any other section of the coun-
try. We have here in Massachusetts,
the advantage over any other portion
of our land, in that we have the best
markets that the country can produce,
at our very doors; and our population is
consuming and not a producing one.
Massachusetts has hundreds and thou
sands of acres of land well adapted to
the growing of apples and other fruits
that today are made little use of. If this
land could be planted to fruits by the
right individuals, the income derived
from 1t would be increased, and, instead
of growing less and less in value every
year, as farm property throughout this
and other states has for the past twenty
years, its value would be increased
| 1t may be said that if apples are plant
ed extensively the markets will be over.
stocked and prices will drop to such a
| figure that there will be no profit to the
grower. 1t is just here that a revolu.
tion must come in the marketing of ap.
pies, and all our fruit for that matter
1t is not the quantity of choice fruit
well handled and well packed, placed
on the market that breaks the price
but the inferior fruit, or good fruit i'm
properly handled, that gluts the mar
ket. This poor fruit forced upon the
market must be disposed Of for what i
will bring, and this prevents the sale o
our good fruit. There is not too mucl
good fruit sent to the market. but too
much inferior fruit for which some 9th
er use should be made. The fruit busi
ness Is following in the line of other in
dustries. and is becoming business o
itself More are making fruit growing
a speciality than in the past In th'
| growing of fruits it is the same as il
any other business. More depends upor
the man than upon the business, and l.
one has not a liking for fruit growing
he had never better undertake it.
A discussion followed, and at 4 O'Clock
the annual meeting for 1898 dissolved
to meet again year hence