The true northerner., 1906-03-16
MicHIGAK F0R QUALITY F8UiT.
Paper Read Before Michigan Hort-
cultural Society at Hartford.


Michigan peaches, why, people wait
for them. Land OF the big red apple,
too, is Michigan, but the apple is good
old fashioned, honest Baldwin or rich
Juicy aromatic Northern Spy. Better
almost the memory of one gentlemen
apple" than barrels of "gay deceivers.'
All fruits of the temperate zone grow
and are grown in Michigan. Outside oi
few special places for particular fruits
or varieties, there is no section or state
that can surpass, and most can not equal
this state in the richness, in the quality
of fruit grown. And if Michigan berries,
plums, grapes, peaches pears and apples
are not No l, choice or fancy, and II the
Michigan name is not No. l, above re-
proach, it is not because all the ex
cellencies that 90 to make No. can
not be produced here. The name too,
can be grown, if we will, as well as the
fruits behind the name. Michigan can
aud does grow the "best"; no one will
say this is not as true of her men as her
fruits. This being so. it is shutting the
door of opportunity not to grow and
make name for quality.
Signs are not wanting that our south
western friend, the apple growers especl-
ally, will be cup against it, as we say,
and the time may not be far away.
Articles that appear occasionally from
their prominent and far-seeing growers
show how disturbed they are at that
most tremendous setting of trees of which
Ben Davis is a type And the Gull grower
everywhere will be in the same boat. L
have sent apples every fall since coming
on the farm to my folks in western Hi
nois and now that they have tasted real
apples they are spoiled" fer the kind
raised near them. "You can fool all the
people some of the time, you can fool
part of the people all the time, but you
can't fool all the people all the time" 1t
is all right to try new varieties, but these
newcomers must present first class
credentials in order to be admitted and
move in the society of our old, rich blood
ed and time-tried fruit friends. Charac-
ter and not appearance, how you eat and
not how you look, are, or should be, the
conditions of admittance.
The "fancy trade" some one will say
sis limited" Yes, but we are not referring
to the fancy trade, specially in this paper,
We are talking about the great "bread
and butter, potato and meat" trade; but
it's the light, wholesome. not heavy
bread; it's butter, dairy or creamery
that's first class and not butter grease,
or oleo; mealy potatoes, not soggy; meat
from young butcher cattle and not from
"old canners' 1t is not the rich only
that buy our fresh eggs in winter. early
vegetables, our turkeys chickens, lambs,
bacon hogs and nice fat cattle, and not
least, our fine fruit; no, we farmers would
soon come to grief were that the case.
The great common people of America
average up a pretty good table. The
city sister likes to put up and get out FOR
you nice canned fruit, and your city
brother likes good old fashioned apple
pie Just as you do. I'm a city man, or
was; and having seen them can assure You
that the dinner pals of the great overall
brigade, as a rule, are no cheap lunch
counter affairs. The Sunday dinners Of
many, many, American mechanics are
equal to those of millionaires save only
in appointments, service and in super
extra things like terrapin and blue points.
Again, what has this TO do with Michigan
fruit and growersY | answer, that it is
the tables of the great American middle
class that we must put orr fruit upon
and these tables will take the best, our
best,-if we can get it to them. eff we
can get it to them" there's the rub. Be-
tween the anxious producer and the no
less anxious consumer comes the most
serious part of our business, the trans
portation and distributive problems.
There will be no cry of reproduction
when these questions are solved. And
when we advertise our wares, our
quality fruit, some day through associated
efforts, the response will be SO great as
to keep our trees, bushes and vines and
the nursery mans ground working over
time to meet the demand. Fruits? Why,
they have only been begun to be used.
They are treated partly as luxuries yet,
instead of necessities, because growers
and consumers cannot come closer and
quicker together. Now, we are going to
get closer-we are closer together.
Gentlemen, it is time for the fruitgrowers
Of Michigan to begin and to conduct an
active and regular propaganda of their
fruit, that is, their quality goods"
an essential part of which will be making
known the names of what are quality
fruits. As former city man, say you
will be rendering the consumer the
highest kind of service in simply inform
ing him, "what to call for" Who can
estimate the benefit of the annual "fat
stock show" 10 Chcago9 What's the