54 



STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ing remarks as they come back to the old home — why they do 

 this, and leave this grand chance at home, I fail to understand. 

 It is within the reach of any young man in this audience to start 

 in now and in twenty years from now have an income such as 

 falls to not one in fifty that goes from the country to the city— 

 and have an income and practically do nothing three-quarters of 

 the year. 



Mr. William Craig, of Auburn : Why Not Grow More and 

 Better Fruit in Maine ? 



I am presenting this question with the object of provoking a 

 discussion which will likely give me the desired answer to my 

 question, viz.: Why not grow more and better fruit in Maine? 

 In looking over this beautiful, undulating country I am 

 more and more surprised to find so little attention given to fruit 

 culture, and the thought would come into my mind so frequently 

 with interrogation, Why is there not more fruit grown? This 

 question only can be answered by the older residents. 



In the favored fruit belts of the province of Quebec we are at 

 a loss to find naturally drained land suitable for enlarging our or- 

 chards, whereas in Maine nearly all of the sections which I have 

 visited are beautifully adapted, and again I ask, Why not cover 

 those hills with fruit trees and increase the wealth and prosperi- 

 ty of the State ? 



For two years I have been causing a little disturbance in the 

 soil by way of cultivating part of my scattered orchard in Au- 

 burn, and I assure you the results are very gratifying. In one 

 instance six Rhode Island Greening trees occupying one-tenth 

 of an acre, and having a very poor record as bearers, yielded this 

 year sixteen barrels of salable fruit. Two years ago we broke 

 up the soil, which was very thickly overgrown with witchgrass, 

 and dressed and planted it to fodder corn. No apparent results 

 followed, with the exception of an extra wood growth. This 

 year "^ve repeated the treatment and the trees responded with 

 the above results. At this rate i6o barrels per acre would be 

 realized. Supposing this fruit (which is yet unsold) is worth 

 $2 per barrel, I will realize at the rate of $320 per acre in fruit 



alone. 



If we examine the history of these trees we will find the secret 

 of their bad behavior in years gone by. The land which they 

 occupied had yielded hay for fourteen consecutive years, and 



