MAINK AGRICULTl'RAL K XPKRI.\rKNT STATION IQII 293 



and economic conditions resulted in good market prices. Now 

 the conditions are different. Enemies of the orchard in the 

 form of plant and insect parasites abound. These shorten the 

 life of the trees and impair or nullify the value of the fruit for 

 market. Furthermore, the increased plantings in the states of 

 the Pacific Northwest, as well as in other apple sections, to- 

 gether with the highly developed commercial organizations for 

 grading and marketing the crop, have resulted in the invasion of 

 the eastern markets to New England's great disadvantage. 



It is a delusion to regard the attractive exhibits at pomolog- 

 ical meetings and fairs as indicating that Maine apple growers 

 as a whole are producing and selling fruit equal to their west- 

 ern competitors. For every man exhibiting fruit properly 

 grown, cared for and packed there are hundreds whose only 

 activity in the orchard begins at harvest time. At present the 

 chief value of such exhibits lies in the possibilities they suggest, 

 both as to the opportunities of the industry in the State, and 

 the results of applied intelligence. 



It is equally idle to point out, the superiority of ]\Iaine fruit 

 in point of dessert quality. Apples, to the average buyer, are 

 what they appear to be. Maine apples must equal rival fruit 

 in every feature possible before they can command rival prices. 

 Even the reputation for quality, once it be established, will 

 count for little unless the fruit itself advertises it. In short, 

 the problem of establishing and maintaining a high grade 

 market for Maine apples means the growing of high grade fruit. 

 For this it is necessary that methods widely known and long 

 approved and practised in other states be here employed. The 

 task of spreading these methods by precept and example rests 

 with the agents of agricultural education. The function of the 

 Experiment Station, as frequently emphasized, is to occupy 

 itself with the principles underlying such methods ; to conduct 

 experiments, the results of which may be translated into terms 

 of practice. 



THE PROBLEMS TO BE STUDIED. 



Such experimental work is in progress at Highmoor Farm. 

 The Station has now the facilities for conducting investiga- 

 tions which in their nature must extend over an indefinite time 



