station, find a market for them, make the collections and settlements
with the growers. The result of this first year was so satisfactory to
the members that the total membership increased that fall to almost 100.
This new system had eliminated all the worry, and we received a good
price for our berries after the expense of our manager had been
deducted.

We have just closed our sixth season, which by the way has been a very
successful one, as the prices received have been above the average. We
now have about 150 members, and we have two shipping stations, Deerwood
and Aitkin. We market strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants,
gooseberries, plums, Compass cherries, apples, sweet corn and celery.

We have a nice trade worked up and have little trouble in finding a
ready market for any of our products.

It is our aim, as growers, to give our customers all A No. 1 quality.
During the berry season we have an inspector whose duty it is to inspect
the berries as they arrive at the station and any found to be of poor
quality we dispose of locally for canning. The grower of these berries
receives a credit for the amount we realize. In this way we keep the
standard of our berries up, and we have very few complaints from our
customers on soft berries.

As for losses on bad debts, we have thus far had very few. We usually
get a credit rating from the prospective customer's bank and ship to him
accordingly. Our old customers file standing orders with us to ship them
so many crates each day, and each year brings us new customers who have
heard of the fine Bay Lake berries.

In 1912 the association built a potato warehouse at a cost of about
$2,500, and we store the members' potatoes for them at a nominal cost.
In 1914 the association decided to put in a stock of flour and feed and
keep the manager the year around. Our business in this line has been
increasing all the time. It is very interesting to note that over 60 per
cent of our flour and feed customers are not members of the association.

We are growing all the time and branching out. A few months ago we added
a small stock of hardware and some groceries, and these have taken so
well that we would not be at all surprised if eventually we find
ourselves in the retail store business.

Evergreens for Both Utility and Ornament.

EARL FERRIS, NURSERYMAN, HAMPTON, IOWA.

As far as horticulture is concerned, the only touch of color on the
Northwestern landsc