323 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Afternoon Session- 

 Met at 2 o'clock P. M., when the President, Hon. R. H. 

 Gardinek, made his annnal address, which was listened to with 

 close attention. 



Openint, Adpress of the President. 



This is the eleventh year of the existence of the Maine State 

 Pomological Society, and in accordance with cnstom, your President 

 will say a few words of introduction to the various exercises of this, 

 our winter meeting. In the few years that we have existed as a 

 Society, we think it will generally be acknowledged that we have 

 accomplished a good work, and at any rate, never in the history of 

 our State, has so much attention been given to orcharding as now, 

 and very many farmers begin to realize that a good orchard well 

 cared for, yields more income and at a less cost than any other 

 product of the farm. 



Our last winter meeting was held at Biddeford, which was in many 

 resDCcts a very satisfactory meeting, with a fine display of fruit, and 

 where we were cheered by the presence of Friend Taylor, so devoted 

 and enthusiastic a member of our Society from the beginning, who, 

 notwithstanding his advanced age, had driven in a sleigh to attend 

 the meeting, some ninety miles, the thermometer a portion of the 

 time twenty degrees below zero, and bringing with him some 

 eighteen or twenty varieties of handsome apples for exhibition. 

 Alas ! his presence no longer greets us, but at all our meetings he 

 will ever be remembered with affection and respect. 



The summer of 1882 will ever be noted for the long continued 

 drouth, in consequence of which, the larger portion of the apple 

 crop, Avhich had been so very promising, fell off or was affected with 

 worms, and was generally small and not well colored. Ileav}' 

 rains fell the middle of September, which in some instances wonder- 

 fully improved the apples both in size and color, but it came too late 

 to be of very general benefit. As the supply of apples in Maine 

 was far from abundant, higli prices were expected ; but from the 

 supply of windfalls, the apples from Massachusetts, where the 

 crop was abundant but very inferior, and also the best qualities of 

 apples from Missouri and Arkansas — one county in the latter State 

 produced over a million of barrels — the prices ruled low till late in 

 the season. Our autumn exhil)ition was held the last of September 

 in connection with the State Fair, and taking into consideration the 



