74 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



should, with the result that tlie quaHty of tlie fruit will be 

 lowered. 



And lastly, it seems to me that these well established sections 

 are at the present time at the very height of their prosperity. 

 Their orchards are young, giving the very best returns. I was 

 told by the president of the Oregon State Board of Horticulture, 

 a very enlightened man and a very fair minded man, that he 

 considered they were now getting the cream off of their 

 orchards, that he didn't see how it could be otherwise, — and I 

 certainly do not. I asked him his opinion as to the relative 

 advantages of (the East and the West and whether if he were a 

 young man here in the East he would go West to grow fruit. 

 He said, "No, I consider there are just as good chances along 

 the Connecticut River as here and if I were a young fellow in 

 the East going into orcharding, I should certainly stick to New 

 England." 



Now, ladies and gentlemen, these are the pojnts which I 

 w'ished to bring out and it certainly seems to me. as I said in 

 the beginning, that while there are many things that we may 

 profitably learn from the westerner, we do not really need to be 

 afraid of the western competition if we will take hold and grow 

 such fruit as you people have here, and put it up in the way that 

 the best of this fruit is put up ; and I want to close bv express- 

 ing my admiration for the exhibit of fruit you have here. 



