The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-03-09
MICHIGAN F0R QUALiTY FRUIT.
Paper Read Before Michigan Hort-
cultural Society at Hartford.

in file shop as boy, the writer well
remembers the stamp, "Wade e. Butcher,
Sheffield, Eng" on many files that came
to our little shop to be re-cut. The files
and the same firms razors were imported
IN spite of the tariff and greater cost
long after American shops turned out
products as good in every way. What
was in the name? The name meant
quality" Every file was cut and tenn
pered right or it wouldn't leave the
factory.
While connected with prominent
Chicago cemetery and having to buy
tools for our men, it was interesting and
sometimes amusing to note the attach
ment of the old hands for certain makes
of tools. These old men wanted "Ames"
shovels and spades and felt aggrieved il
they could not have them. Were there
not other makes as good as "Ames''? or
course there we're; but for years and years
"Ames" stood for quality" The tools
made their name, afterwards their name
cost more Anything will do for the com
mon laboror? Beg pardon, it won't;
good workman even if common laborer
wants the best.
Let us see. They say now that the
supremacy in the manufacture of furni
ture has passed from Grand Rapids to
rtl Il
turn out more furniture at Chicago, but
has the Grand Rapids "name" passed
over to Chicago? No, buyers still come
and will come to Grand Rapids for
equality" It's queer how lots of people
will stick to good thing, the real article,
when they can get cheaper grade that
looks as we'll
Has the erection OF cotton factories in
the South. nearer the source of the raw
material, stopped New England produc-
ton? In common goods. yes; but the
finer grades, the best fabrics, still come
from the East and will continue to come
from there until the southern mills raise,
those in eastern mills and until they can
capture or keep pace with Yankee in
ventive genius.
We hear great deal about "shoddy
goods. An adulterant or substitute for
wool in wooden goods has come to be
used as general term expressing any
nd ~ hat ie,
cheap but doesn't wear, or "pan out" to
use another Amercanism On the other
hand, we have and use another very
significant expression likewise from the
wooden or clothing trade, viz, "All wool
and yard wide" This most expressive
phrase means and is applied to what?
Well, to everything that's s"honest, just
and of good repute;" it is applied also to
men. There are mills that stick
to the "al WOOL whose names and cloth
are Synonymous. The honest trade is
hurt because, and chiefly because, the
inferior or "shoddy" stuff is not compell-
ed to be marked and sold for what it
really is.
Using the term "shoddy" in its general
sense, there are sneering and cynical
statements current that that's what the
American public wants-cheap TOOLS i'm
plements, goods, fruit, etc. A worse
SANDER never was uttered against the
people. The great American public
does not like to be humbugged, Barnum
or anybody else to the contrary. There
are no people that are more liberal spend
ers or consumers, no place or country
where there are so large number who
want and would have the best-if they
could get it Witness the great decrease
in sales of butterine and oleomargerine
since the law making them to be sold
for what they are.
What has all this to do with fruit and
fruitgrowers, and especially Michigan
fruit and growers? This,-snall we raise
and sell "shoddy" fruit or the call WOOL
shall we produce anything to supply the
so-called popular demand, or shall we go
in for quality and cater to those who
want the best. Our answer is Michigan
for quality fruit, Michigan for the all
wool and yard wide"
Anybody can raise Gull fruit and some
times make money at it, but there's no
credit in that. Good growers can raise
honest fruit anywhere, but it takes good
growers and good. place to raise honest
quality" fruit. What would we think
of fine musician giving up his violin or
piano to go to turning a hand organ. or
with his violin or piano give us "ragtime"
music supposing even that he could thus
make more money? Any difference be-
tween him and the intelligent and skilled
Michigan grower who can raise the choic-
est of Baldwins Northern Spys, or Green
logs, for example, and is content to plant,
grow and sell Ben Davis or inferior stuff
of the better varieties? IL size and APP
pearance are everything and il it were
/ fr., q of 81.