376 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the market. Every one should be in the habit of raising his own 

 seeds. 



I wish to call attention to the matter of grass seed. The foul 

 seeds we have purchased in our grass seed have been of immense 

 damage to the fields. There is a new weed that has appeared within 

 a few 3-ears ; that is the wild carrot. It is one of the worst weeds 

 we have. The prairie sunflower is an abominable pest. It is a 

 yellow weed a little larger than white weed ; it will stick in the 

 ground year after year. This wild carrot spreads over the ground. 

 It is not more than five years since I first saw it, in a trip from 

 Vassalboro' to Winthrop. Since then it has increased rapidly, until 

 many of the fields in Vassalboro' are entirely white with it. [In 

 answer to question.] I do not know how it was introduced, unless 

 by purchasing grass seed. 



THE OLD AND NEW METHODS OF DRYING FRUIT. 



HV E. N. PEUliY, OF PORTLAND. 



The request coming to me through the Hon. C. J. Gilraan. from 

 the Maine State Pomological Societ}' to prepare a paper on the 

 fruitgrowing interests of Maine, is eminently a reasonable one. and 

 as far as I am able m^' interest in the subject will prompt me to 

 furnish the paper requested. 



I regard our State as among the best for fruit growing and in that 

 interest capable of occupying a leading position and stimulated by 

 increased and improved facilities for manufacture and preservation, 

 is sure to take such a position. 



Much has already been accomplished through your Society and 

 other instrumentalities in the line of improvement, and much yet 

 remains to be done. The comparative value of the various methods 

 of culture, pre.servation and manufacture and their attendent results 

 can be seen most clearly hy a comparison of the present with the 

 past. 



Once orchards were set, and little more was done until some kind 

 of fruit appeared, some good and some good for nothing, and all 

 alike the natural production from the seed. Hence trees were per- 

 mitted to occupy their position for generations, undisturbed, to veg- 

 etate or die without care, culture or little attention of any kind 



