STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 105 



Mr. Varney, in behalf of the Committee, then presented the 

 following 



Report. 



In making a report of the exhibition of Maine Fruits at the 

 International Exhibition at Philadelphia, I am not a little puzzled 

 to know how to proceed. Indeed, it were easier to write a paper 

 concerning what we did not exhibit, than otherwise. It was, in 

 my opinion, a misguided step on the part of the people of this 

 grand old State of Maine, upon whose banner " Dirigo " is em- 

 blazoned, that all her products and industries were not fully rep- 

 resented in the great World's Exhibition. And, when it is too 

 late to repair the loss we have sustained, those of the people of 

 our Commonwealth who visited the exhibition, at least, now see 

 that it would have been true economy to have placed abundant 

 means in the hands of our able and judicious Commissioners to 

 enable them to make a fair and full exhibit of all our products and 

 industries. Of what Maine represented there, we can speak only 

 in praise. Of what she did not exhibit, as compared with other 

 States of the Union and the assembled nations of the earth, with 

 humbled pride we leave unsaid, until the next centennial year 

 comes round, when, I trust the younger children of our national 

 household, as Kansas and Colorado, nestled in and around the 

 Rocky Mountains, shall not be permitted to steal away the Motto 

 and the glory of the old Pine Tree State. 



Our journey to Philadelphia was commenced on the morning of 

 the 9th of October, — the fruit having been sent forward by express 

 two days before. On the 10th we arrived in the city, and after 

 securing a boarding house, and a good dinner, we proceeded at 

 once to business. It was an easy matter to find our packages of 

 fruit at the Pennsylvania Railroad Depot, and give orders for their 

 speedy transmission to the Centennial Grounds. Quite easy, too, 

 for a stranger to find his own way thither, provided he was pre- 

 pared to submit to such an unmerciful squeezing and crowding on 

 the street and steam cars as you can never again experience dur- 

 ing this mortal life. Long, lank and lean men had the best chance 

 there — and so far, we herewith extend our sincere congratulations 

 to this Society on the wisdom of their selection of delegates to 

 the Centennial. Had you chosen men of aldermanic proportions, 

 I am half persuaded you might have looked in vain for their report 

 at this meeting, and for aught I know, our estimable Secretary 



