112 STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIKTY. 



Nodheatl, Fiimeuse, Hubbardston and others well known, — with the 

 ''Aunt Mary," and on trial the preference is very generally given in 

 favor of the last named. Its fine, tender, juicy flesh is peculiarly 

 refreshing, and appears specially agreeable to persons of weak diges- 

 tion ; for which real or fancied merit it presents a claim for further 

 trial. It retains its si)rightly qualities remarkably long; usually ex- 

 tended to one-third of the year. The tree forms a round, thick head, 

 rather drooping, requiring care in thinning. Branches slender but 

 strongly set, so as to carry safely its enormous crop which comes in 

 alternate years. If thought worthy of place, please call it ''Mary" 

 or "Aunt Marv." 



I will send you a sweet apple from an old tree of my own growing, 

 which I suppose to be grafted, but cannot say how I obtained it. 

 Perhaps some one may recognize it. The tree is a good bearer, fruit 

 always fair ; larger than Talman, more juic}', better when baked, 

 and keeps as well. 



The market for Piscataquis apples has recently been opened a little 

 by a trading firm at this village taking them in exchange for goods, 

 and they have handled two car-loads or more, paying $1.00 per barrel 

 delivered at the store ; they transferring to their own barrels. These 

 have been taken from a few cellars within easy distance of the village. 

 This part}' came to my cellar for a few barrels of Talman to fill an 

 order. My other market, and the one to my taste quite as satisfactory, 

 is in the daily ration that goes to the faithful old horse, the pet Jerseys, 

 and the quiet pig. When I was first planting trees, my thoughts 

 sometimes found expression through the types of the old Maine 

 Farmer^ to the [)oint of crowning our hill-tops with sweet apple trees 

 to an extent to fill the market and leave a possible surplus for our 

 domestic animals. I have since taken satisfaction in that my practice 

 was then made to run so nearly in accord with theory. 



While we are together we may properly indulge a little in a briet 

 retrospect of the interest we represent, and especially now^ from the 

 circumstance of the recent removal of our good and great leader and 

 teacher, Marshall P. Wilder. 



The first attempt to promote the interest of fruit culture in this 

 countr\' through a general, comprehensive organization appears to 

 have been made in the year 1848. There was at that time a large 

 number of local organizations active in the good work. The man- 

 agement of the State Agricultural Society of New York in that j'ear 

 caused a meeting of delegates at BuflTalo from fifteen States and the 



