The true northerner., 1899-03-08

WOOO VI INV tiiohl VI viz "'''''~ '-~T~-~
are killed can better be told next June.
The budded chestnut trees, mulberry
and many other plants set out for pleas
ure, not profit, are all black too. 1t was
the general opinion of those who had
thought about il at all, that trees and
plants went into winter quarters in good
condition. But those who had done any
winter work among the vines, knew that
to be untrue There was SO much rain
last fall that vegetation grew long past
its usual ripening period and cold
weather came ON before the wood had
time to harden. There was much
damaged wood before the zero mark was
reached but nothing to affect another
years crop, not more than would be well
to prune away; but the condition was
not so good as was generally supposed.
One years scarcity of fruit will reduce
the canned supply and it will not aston
ish you TO be told that fruit in 1900 will
command better price than in the
coming season. Only those on highest
ground will have fruit to sell next season,
other than cherries, berries and grapes.
/ think this year will show good many
the folly of going in debt for fruit on
ground that is not high. Speculation
with money back of it, on low ground
setting, is poor enough investment, but
Indebtedness on the same is positive fool
hardness. No doubt some time will
elapse before the free setting of land to
trees and plants will occur again. The
extreme cold extended far down into the
orange growing belt, where they were
Just recovering from the freeze OF 10.
From 40 to 60 per cent of those frozen
out never went back to simple orange
growing, but turned their attention to
other things for living; SO, to, will 1t be
here. 1t is true that SO bad freeze out
does not occur oftener than once IN from
Ii to 20 years, but there are good
many who will never recover from the
effects of this one and only those of in
domitable will and perseverance will
have the pluck to begin again.
Undoubtedly, | was expected to speak
on this subject from woman's stand
point. Whether / have done SO or not l
will leave the audience to Judge; but L
have complied with the request of the
committee to say something to start dis
cussion."
Mr. f.. b. Welch believes that in the
long run the freeze will prove advanta-
geous, especially in small fruits, as the
paintings were already in excess of the
demand for the fruit, and all situations
without much regard to elevation were
being planted.
G. w. Young said that the canning of
small fruits was a needed outlet to fruit
growing and, if judiciously handled,
could be made profitable. He did not
think tomatoes or corn or peas could be
grown and canned here in competition
with other locations more favorably sit
uated with regard to soil and climate.
Mr. j. j. Woodman led in the discus
of the question concerning "combna-
tions." He started out with the asser-
tion that trusts or combinations were
vampires that should be destroyed.
Competition had formerly lessened the
price of manufactured articles, but com
binations were formed to advance prices.
All corporations are creatures of law and
can be controlled by it. They are a
menace to our free institutions if they
cannot be thus controlled. If they can
close their books or burn them when APP
preached by the authorities, their busi-
ness is a system of piracy and must be
suppressed. Railroad charters were
granted 10y about forty members of the
Michigan legislature, and it is folly to
think that this insignificant number can
entail such burden upon the great
state of Michigan. He does not believe
that the courts will hold that these
charters are good for all time.
Mr.. Welch asked if it were not true
that we were getting oil, buggies and
machinery cheaper than ever before. He
believed that the tendency toward com
binations was as steady and certain as
the law of gravtation. Combinations
would do their business i'm their own
way in spite of talk or argument The
tendency of the times was driving men
into combines and trusts, and those who
could not so combine must be content
to become hewers of wood and drawers
of water.
Jason Woodman was too young, too
ignorant and too optimistic to be scared
by such a question. He was not so much
concerned as to what others were getting
as to what was coming into our own
lines and experiences, in spite of trusts
and combinations. The remedy will
come, not by legislation, but by our own
efforts for our own affairs. We can no
more legislate against trusts than we can
legislate against drouth or zero weather.
If only one farmer out of four in the
United States would enter into a com
bination, such a trust could control the
price of almost every production.
Edison Woodman: Production equal
ICES itself by diminishing acreage when
the price is low. Mint is low because
the few who handle the product manipu-
late the price. We should be glad to
combine if we could.
III. w. Harvey: just now we are i'm an
abnormal state-a rush of blood to the
head. These things will right them
selves in the future. There is no danger
that we shall work for six cents dav.
The world is too far advanced