12 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE- 



good fruit is raised as can be grown anywhere upon the face 

 of the earth. And the farmers grow it to sell, and they sell it 

 where they can get the best market. 



Now, Mr. President, we ask you and your chamber of com- 

 merce and the citizens of Lewiston to join with us and help 

 transla'te your words into deeds, that we may make the work of 

 this society more effective in years to come. The representa- 

 tives from Lewiston and the senators from Androscoggin 

 county stood valiantly and loyally with us in our efforts to 

 secure the law which was passed last year, which aims only at 

 one 'thing, and that is that every man who buys a barrel of 

 apples shall know, when he looks at the brand, that the con- 

 tents .of the apples inside ithe barrel correspond from top to 

 bottom wiith the brand upon the outside. We stand for a clean 

 pack, a true grade, and an honest brand ; and that is all the 

 lavv aims to accomplfsh. And we ask of you your cooperation 

 that we may make ithis law more effective in the future than it 

 has been in the past. And when we get that law enforced 

 throughout the state, and demand of those who handle our 

 fruit that the apples shall be packed in that manner, every man 

 can buy just what he wants, and be certain that he is getting 

 just what he buys. 



But with that, there is another thing in which it seems to me 

 we need some assistance and some cooperation. We want to 

 make more lively and earnest this discussion as to the need of 

 batter fruit. There is a great study before us, in order that we 

 may solve the problems. Those of us who have been working 

 along year after year are conscious today as we never have 

 been before, that we know very little about the subject. Its 

 magnitude is growing upon us. We need the help and assist- 

 ance and cooperation of everyone who is interested, that we 

 may solve ithose problems and be able to combat the diseases and 

 pests and difficulties which are to be found all along the lint. 

 And doing this, instead of raising a million and a half barrels, 

 the normal crop of the state of Maine, we will be raising five 

 or ten millions, and every town and every city will be enriched, 

 as will the hillsides and valleys of the good old sitate of Maine. 



Gentlemen of the chamber of commerce! we ask you to 

 unite with us from this time forward, as you have in the past, 

 but even more earnestly and devotedly, in helping to translate 

 our words into tangible results for the good of all. 



