STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 43 



Mr. Sweetser: Perhaps I lost the drift of your discussion 

 here for the time being. But it appeals to me in regard to this 

 whole proposition, that it is pretty difficult for any group of 

 individuals growing fruit to give a very accurate figure. It 

 seems to me that it would be policy — perhaps the time is not 

 ripe yet — but it appeals to me that some time it would be 

 policy to have a man trained for this estimating work, who 

 would put in all his time travelling around and inspecting 

 orchards. I know, in my own case, when I have been asked to 

 give an estimate of a condition, it is possible that I have not 

 seen any orchard except my own, and judging from that one 

 orchard, I give an estimate of conditions for the county. Of 

 course tliat is only one of the several which are to be averaged. 

 And the same with other crops — sending in an estimate which 

 is nothing more than a crude estimate at the best. Now, 

 another point perhaps is this, that a great many men, no matter 

 how long their training in that particular line of work, no 

 matter how many crops they may have raised, they are unable 

 to estimate very close. I do not believe that I could estimate 

 very close on a crop from one year to another, but I think a 

 man might be trained to do that, or at least you might be able 

 to select a man. Your figures show' that there is only one, 

 perhaps, of that group of men estimating for you, whose esti- 

 mate has been pretty close to actual conditions for a series ot 

 years. Now, if you could find such a man as that, whose judg- 

 ment is so good that he can give that estimate, it seems to me 

 that would be the ideal condition. I think, before we arrive 

 at that time, we should work along different lines until we can 

 do something of that sort. It seems to me that estimating the 

 present crop with last year's crop is much more feasible than 

 estimating with a percentage of a normal or full crop. 



Mr. Sanders: Well, I think Mr. Sweetser is exactly right 

 in speaking of the difficulty that even he has in sizing up his 

 own orchard. The plan that I mentioned contemplates neces- 

 sarily having as reporters the men who, by long years of ex- 

 perience in judging their own crop, have acquired skill to esti- 

 mate it closely. I have found, in making inquiries among the 

 successful fruit men in New England, that there are men 

 among them who come very close to estimating their own crop ; 

 that is, barring some unusual and extreme weather condition 



