STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Jl 



convinced from seeing your orchards, that culture does pay. 

 If you cannot cultivate with the plow, you can cultivate with the 

 hogs ; and there is no question that the use of hogs in the orchard, 

 aside from loosening the soil and stimulating the growth of the 

 trees, will be of lasting benefit to the future product of the 

 orchard by destroying the injurious insect pests. 



Culture, spraying, marketing, are three of the important con- 

 siderations in the successful management of orchards. We have 

 heard a great deal about culture, we have heard a great deal 

 about spraying. There is no longer any question as to the desir- 

 ability of spraying our trees so long as we bear in mind what 

 we are spraying for, in other words why we spray. But I want 

 this afternoon to present to you just a few suggestions, rather 

 to bring out some points which you yourselves already know 

 than to offer anything new or original, upon some of the points 

 connected with the marketing of fruits. For I believe that the 

 business end of horticulture is at the present time one of the 

 most important factors in the success of that industry. Our 

 Maine orchardists can produce fruit — who dare say otherwise 

 after looking around this room — but do our Maine orchardists 

 who sell to the first man who comes along follow out the best 

 business principles ? You know as well as I do that you do not. 

 Now there are some exceptions, I will admit, but as a whole you 

 know as well as I do that you are not following the best business 

 methods in the marketing of your products. So then, I say : 



The average grower of fruits and vegetables is in greater need 

 of education upon the subject of marketing his product than 

 upon the best methods of production. Many a man is stranded 

 on the rock of ignorance, carelessness or absolute falsification 

 in the business end of his operations. The dealer to whom he 

 consigns his products, fearing to be misunderstood, sells the 

 goods on a low margin and makes no suggestions. Criticism 

 doesn't pay, and may result in the loss of a shipper, and is there- 

 fore considered not worth while. It is, however, well worth 

 the while of any wide-awake fruit grower to take the time and 

 incur the expense of a trip to some leading market center, as 

 Portland or Boston, for the special purpose of studying the 

 requirements and methods of the market to which he is to ship. 

 Dealers will be found only too ready to show every attention and 

 give every facility for investigation to prospective shippers. 

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