26 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



its effects proved to be general only in a limited territory along 

 our eastern coast. 



While the crop of apples throughout the country at large was 

 more general and therefore largely in excess of last year, yet the 

 market has been in a healthy, active condition and prices have 

 ruled fairly good in home market, and specially good for the 

 early season across the water. At this time there is no reason 

 apparent why the entire crop of Maine apples will not be cleaned 

 up in good season at prices that will return the growers a reason- 

 able profit. In the market abroad, while there have been for- 

 warded larger shipments of American apples than ever before 

 known in the same time in the history of the trade, yet good fruit 

 has continued to command high prices, while the latest cable 

 dispatches are to the effect that prices on that class of fruit are 

 well sustained and the demand likely to increase to the end of 

 the season. 



Growers of fruit this season have been kept well posted on the 

 range of the markets and comparatively few have disposed of 

 their fruit at prices under its real market value at the time when 

 sold. Access to reliable information of the extent of the fruit 

 crop in the country at large and the promise of the market is 

 now so easy, that there seems to be no reason for any grower to 

 become uneasy and sell at under rates before a price is estab- 

 lished. There will always be an outlet for Maine apples and 

 there is no call for any grower to rush his fruit on the market 

 in an effort to get there first. 



The public work of our society in recent years has been largely 

 directed toward the encouragement and promotion of increased* 

 production. The abundant evidence abroad all through the 

 State of the effect of such effort is a gratifying feature. Fruit 

 production is on the increase in all its branches. 



At this thirtieth milestone of our organized effort I wish to 

 raise the question whether we may not well break away from the 

 beaten path we have been so intently and successfully pursuing 

 for a decade and strike out on a new and yet equally important 

 taneent. 



