114 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE SIZE OF THE APPLE PACKAGE— THE 



BARREL. 



F. H. Morse, Waterford. 



I realize that at this time my subject is rather a dry one to 

 bring up after having so many subjects and so many good 

 speakers. 



Perhaps some of you who attended two years ago remember 

 my speaking of the difference in size I found in measuring 

 different barrels. I afterward received two letters from Mr. 

 F. D. Cummings, the apple buyer of Portland, to whom I had 

 sold our apples for two or three years, and who had been at our 

 house. He wrote to me, saying that he wished I would use my 

 influence with the State Pomological Society to induce the legis- 

 lature to pass a law placing a standard size upon the apple 

 barrel ; that there was nothing in his opinion that would so help 

 the sale of our apples in foreign markets as to have a standard, 

 uniform size of barrels. 



Before I go into the barrel question any further, here is a 

 letter which he wrote to Mr. Knowlton in answer to his writing 

 to him and asking him up here at this meeting : — 



Inclosed find a short paper on the question of apple barrels. 

 The matter is of great importance to the whole State and I trust 

 will receive the attention which it deserves. 



Yours truly, 



F. D. CUMMINGS. 



I regret exceedingly my inability to be present with you and 

 to render what assistance I could in the discussion of a question 

 of importance to one of the industries of the State. 



The apple industry of Maine is a very important industry, 

 and is capable of vast increase in importance and profit over 

 what it is at the present time. 



In no place in the world can better Baldwin apples be grown, 

 with proper fertilization, spraying, pruning and care, than can 

 be grown among our New England hills. 



Did the subject for discussion permit, I should be pleased to 

 say more in this line of thought, but we are invited to discuss, 

 not apples, but barrels. 



