In packing any article for shipment, whenever you come to a specimen about which you have any doubt, give the pig pen or evaporator the benefit of that doubt, as it will pay you much better there than in the box.

A good rule to be governed by in packing fruit is, never to put an article into the box that you would not place upon your own table, and the buyers will soon become acquainted with your brand, and your goods will always be the first to sell, and will generally bring you good prices.

Evaporators are now furnished at prices that place them within the reach of almost every one, and are about the best friends the fruit raisers have found, because they enable them to utilize a large portion of their crop that would otherwise either be wasted or placed in the center of the box, to depreciate its value and cause the purchaser to make remarks that would grate harshly upon the ear of the packer should he happen to be present when it was opened, and to avoid that brand when making future purchases.

Honesty, in packing fruit, is the best policy, and the man who furnishes honest goods and gives sixteen ounces for a pound, four pecks for a bushel, and four quarts for a gallon, is the one who makes the most substantial friends, and achieves the greatest success in business.

Mr. Williams, of Indiana-There is no doubt that the interests of the commission men and growers are identical. The commission man that understands his business certainly has the interest of the grower at heart. I indorse what has been said here in regard to the manner of putting up fruit. The reputation of some commission men has, perhaps, brought about this feeling. The idea that a man can go into the commission business without capital has often caused better houses to suffer very materially. It is not a very hard matter for the person shipping to find out the honesty of those to whom he is shipping. He ought to satisfy himself on that point; it is a thing he can do very easily. The commission men are not all the most dishonest men in the world, by any means. You take off the top berries of the boxes of some growers, and you have a lot of little, green, insignificant berries that are not fit for the chickens to eat. I will grant you that there is a great deal of this snide fruit that comes through middle hands; men who buy your good

fruit, mix it with the bad, and sell it to commission men, in which case the fault does not rest with the grower.

The President-I indorse very highly what has been said about the best kind of packages; and I want to commend to our friends in the East our packages as being more suited to the grower and dealer in every respect. I use the square Halleck boxes. I put in eight or nine tacks and the bottoms never drop out. I don't think we have had one bottom to drop out in an average of fifty cases. Now I would recommend that particular package as the best one that ever has been used. I have often seen the old style of packages, both the crates of baskets and "stands" of drawers, used over and over again until they were very dirty and offensive. But the first cost of these packages was considerable, and economy dictated their continued use as long as possible. I am glad that this practice is becoming unpopular. The gift package is the cheapest, and, when well made, is the best, and should come into universal use.

Mr. Williams, of Indiana-I see no reason why the package referred to by the President should not take the place of the others, and there might be a little improvement on that. This trouble of dropping down is something we have to contend with very largely, and the cases might be made so as to be ventilated a little more.

The President-You don't want any ventilation in the packages; but you don't want to shut them up tight when it is hot. If your cars are not cool, then you want ventilation through and among the

cases.

Mr. Williams-In regard to return packages; it used to cost us from $400 to $500 a year to collect the packages. I would be glad to see that arrangement done away with. We have a great deal of trouble hunting them up.

Mr. Kiely-I indorse what Mr. Williams has said. I want to see the return package abolished. They create a great deal of trouble because producers don't get them back promptly. It gives a great deal of labor and extra expense. Packages should always go with the fruit and give the purchaser no further trouble. I think the Halleck box is, perhaps, the best we can get.

Mr. Galusha, of Illinois, offered a resolution that it is the sense of the members of the convention that all fruits should be sold by

weight, and that the net weight and the variety of fruit contained should be plainly marked upon each package, with the name of the grower or shipper. Laid over till the next general meeting. He said: No legislature can make any law saying in what kind of a package I shall sell my fruit. It can't be done. I have a right to go into Chicago or anywhere else, with any kind of package, and sell it at what I can get. No statute of man can keep me from doing it so long as we have a supreme court and a principle of law which enables a man to sell as he pleases. But it is an easy thing to put the number of pounds upon the package. I believe that this is the only feasible way out of the trouble.

Mr. Presley, of Minnesota-We find that the fruit gets very hot on account of not having ventilation in the boxes. I am certainly in favor of the square box. I think it is the best box we can get for the strawberry. If it could be so arranged that the cases could have air, it would be a good thing.

Upon motion of Mr. E. T. Hollister, of Missouri, it was

Resolved, That the Society recommend the use by strawberry shippers of the full quart box and 24 quart case, and that they be very careful to use sufficient tacks to prevent the bottoms of the boxes from falling down, and that return packages be entirely discarded and that we further recommend the use of full one-third bushel boxes for peaches and that class of fruits.

Mr. Kiely, of Missouri-In long shipments I think the Excelsior is very desirable.

Dr. Hape, of Georgia-That is my experience; they would invariably reach their destination in good condition.

Mr. Signaigo, of St. Louis-As far as I know about peaches, I think they ought to be shipped without any packing. If they are put up properly they are not liable to heat, having more ventilation.

Dr. Hape, of Georgia-I am in the habit of packing my pears wrapped in tissue-paper, and nailed down tightly. They generally reach their destination in good condition.

Mr. Kiely, of St. Louis-As to baskets, I think the question depends upon the destination you have to ship to. For a long distance, they are not good; but they are for a short distance. They demoralize the trade, as you never know what quantity you have.

Dr. Hape, of Georgia-They are very popular in Atlanta. I use them for peaches, and sell them to families without any handling. For short distances I don't think they could be better. But gentlemen who ship to Cincinnati don't find them so good; the distance is too long.

The President read a telegram from Mr. F. Chandler, General Passenger Agent of the Missouri Pacific Railroad system, offering reduced rates for the next annual convention if held in California, of one fare to Los Angeles and return, provided no less than one hundred members go.

The Society then adjourned until 2:30 o'clock P. M.

Fourth Day-Saturday.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Society met at half past three, President Earle in the chair, who said: My friends, we have been reserving the best of the wine to near the last of the feast. I believe that no society and no institution worth preserving can long maintain its usefulness without the cordial and active co-operation of woman. Hence I have gladly embraced the opportunity to engage several of our most accomplished ladies, who are also zealous horticulturists, to prepare us papers for this meeting. Two of these ladies are present, and I now invite your attention, first, to a paper by Mrs. H. M. Lewis, of Madison, Wisconsin, to be followed by one by Mrs. D. Huntley, of Appleton, Wisconsin :

BIRDS IN HORTICULTURE.

BY MRS. H. M. LEWIS, OF WISCONSIN.

The day was going-yes, 'twas gone. I was reclining upon the lounge thinking it over, for it had been a busy, happy day. A book was lying before me. I picked it up and languidly read for a half hour. The last words I remember reading were these: "Arcadia, a realm where sunshine never scorches, and yet shade is sweet, where simple pleasures please, where the

blue sky, the bright water and the green fields satisfy." With these words my eyes closed, and the sweet goddess, sleep, allured me into her own chosen realm-the mystical dreamland. She transported me over sea and land to a celestial island, a new world. "In this home," she says, "you are to be remote from care, master of yourself-no sorrow or deformity shall ever enter here, for this is a world of happiness, truth, love and beauty." Never before had we seen Nature's dear face so beautiful-never before known such holy rest and peace. Weeks passed thus, but at last a longing for something more was felt. We inquired after our feathered songsters, the birds, but no one had ever heard of such strange bright-colored singing animals as we described, that had wings like fins that could swim in the air. Alas! alas! the charm was now broken for us forever. We could be happy in no homenot even Heaven itself-where the singing of birds was unknown, and we implored our good genii to take us back again to our Wisconsin home of summer's heat and winter's cold. As we neared our native land we discovered spring approaching. In the far dim distance, on the Pacific slope, over Alaska's borders, the western prairies, eastern mountain tops and meadow lands, we heard millions of voices which were recognized as those of the robin-the same dear old robin redbreast song that delighted us so much in childhood-that will delight us ever while we live. The sweets of summer are compressed in that old song, and it kindles anew the fires of youth. This sweet song has been sung for ages, and, perhaps, will be sung for all time. Who can tell? Thoreau says: I heard a robin in the distance, the first I had heard for many a thousand years, methought, whose notes I shall not forget for many a thousand more."

When I awoke from this eventful dream I could but exclaim, what would summer be without birds! What if the birds should refuse or forget to obey Nature's calling for a year and pass us by! How much of the cheer, gladness and beauty of summer would be gone! Let us awaken our slumbering faculties to the contemplation of the blessings, joys and beauties surrounding us. Let us enjoy the flowers of the field and the birds of the woods; seek to know much of their habits, haunts and language, for the birds' language is as easily learned as that of the little child's, for every want is expressed by cry, song or chirp.

A true bird lover, by constant observation, will with little difficulty learn to name the great majority of our birds, for each class has its own individuality. The flight, the walk, the shape of the bill, feet and wings, enable the student to distinguish and name them. It is a rare delight to know and properly name the birds as they appear among us in the spring.

We who are interested in ornithology, in botany, and in horticulture, should insist upon having natural history introduced into our schools. The young in our primary schools should be taught to name the animals and flowers, and to know them intimately in their homes, to name the birds of the air, and upon turning over the soil to know of what it is composed, and able to tell at a glance whether the rocks dug out of it were formed by the action of fire or water; this is giving to the child a glorious education, good