88 



AGRICUI^TURE OF MAINE. 



the fruit business in New England. I want to digress just a 

 little from my subject and say that I think we ought to feel 

 that all the New England fruit that is grown — the good fruit, 

 1 mean — ought to be grown and packed as New England fruit, 

 not as Maine, or New Hampshire, or Massachusetts, or Rhode 

 Island or Connecticut fruit. I think we have got to make this 

 a point in this section of the country, and have the fruit go out 

 as New England fruit and not as State fruit, because by the 

 latter method we are going to divide the market up so that a 

 person will be calling for Massachusetts fruit, or such and 

 such a fruit, in the foreign markets, thus making a complex 

 situation and not giving the right idea of the matter at all. 

 But when we can get down to a good standard of fruit and a 

 good packing standard, then I think we ought to grow New 

 England fruit. Just before I left home the other day, to show 

 the reputation [Maine fruit has in ^Massachusetts at least, my 

 little boy came to me and said ''Dad, I want you to bring me 

 some of those nice [Maine apples." Evidently he appreciates 

 good Maine apples, and I know we all do. At the same time, 

 there are good apples grown all over the New England States. 

 I have found them in my work this summer in [Massachusetts ; 

 I have found apples growing at the extremity of Cape Cod 

 where the sand is so deep I don't believe anybody could get 

 to the bottom of it. I found them growing up in the Berkshire 

 hills in the highest altitude we have in [Massachusetts. I found 

 them growing right in the city of Boston, and all over the 

 State. And where the trees are being cared for in our State 

 we are getting splendid fruit. So I don't think the question 

 of locality counts nearly as much as the question of the men. 

 I think that idea ought to be extended more, that it is the men 

 who grow the fruit who really make it. The locality counts 

 for something, to be sure, but I think that is of minor impor- 

 tance, if a man has his heart in the business and is doing it in 

 a proper manner. 



Now this subject I want to take up this morning, the subject 

 of small fruits, is just as important as the subject of the apple 

 and pear and the large orchard fruits is, to a good many. One 

 of the particular things that I want to emphasize is the adapt- 

 ability of the group of small fruits, composed of the strawberry, 

 raspberry, blackberry, currant, gooseberry and a few others 



