STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. II 



OUR PRINTED TRANSACTIONS. 



It has been the custom to reserve unbound sheets of each 

 year's transactions, and the last five of these were bound into a 

 cloth-bound volume uniform with the volume previously bound. 

 Several volumes have already been delivered to public libraries 

 and others who were entitled to them. The volume is the best 

 printed record of the growth of ^Nlaine fruit for the five years 

 it covers. 



Buyers began early in the season to ship fruit, but the crop 

 was so large that there was much difficulty in finding sufficient 

 help to harvest it all. Some fine fruit was ruined by the cold 

 before it could be gathered, and the scarcity of barrels and 

 inadequate facilities for storage were the cause of much loss as 

 nian^- could not protect their fruit from freezing after it was 

 picked. Enough fruit in this way was ruined in the State to 

 erect many storehouses, which by the way, is now one of the 

 great needs of the fruit-growers. Realizing this situation the 

 program for the annual meeting was largely shaped to give 

 prominence to handling, packing and storing apples. And to 

 all fruit growers who may read this report the papers and dis- 

 cussions are commended for reading and study. 



The present volume is commended to those interested in 

 Maine's great fruit industry. The topics treated are those of 

 chief interest at the present time. The secretary has taken great 

 pleasure in editing the papers and discussions and sending the 

 work on its mission to the people. He only wishes that thou- 

 sands might attend the meetings where the authors presented 

 them for consideration. More and more these conventions 

 appeal to the fruit grower, for beside these papers and discus- 

 sions there is the opportunity of mingling with practical fruit 

 growers and enthusiastic fruit lovers. In behalf of the society 

 the secretary extends the invitation to all. 



D. H. KNOWLTON, 



Secretary. 

 Farmington. Me.. December 30, 1903. 



