126 AGRICLXTL'RE OF MAINE. 



was the first ever attempted in Xew England, and but few of 

 our orchard men had ever attempted to pack apples in boxes. 

 We have here today i lo boxes, most of them packed by our 

 own orchardists. I think we are seeing results from this move- 

 ment for better fruit. The future of the Xew England fruit 

 question, so far as Maine is concerned. I believe rests with you 

 who are interested in orcharding, you who will go to Boston 

 with your fruit next October or November. Possibly we shall 

 not have any more fruit than we had at the first exhibition ; 

 there may not be room for it. as other states will send their 

 carload lots, but it is the quality which will tell. We have much 

 to learn in relation to the packing of the fancy box if we are to 

 secure the same rights and privileges and conditions that the 

 people who send us apples from Oregon have ; and the same 

 with the barrels. There are certain requirements for a first- 

 class barrel pack and also for a first-class box pack. We must 

 come up to these requirements. I hope you are all interested 

 to the extent that you want to see better fruit in Maine. Let 

 us raise the best quality of fruit, and then see that we come up 

 to the requirements for first-class packing, and ]\Iaine will have 

 a name throughout the length of the land for her fruit, as she 

 does for her grain and potatoes, especially the Aroostook po- 

 tato. 



I hope that every member of this association will make up 

 his mind to go to Boston next year and show them that Maine 

 is still in the fight for better fruit. Lots of blue ribbons came 

 to Maine last year, and we are proud of it. It is not so much 

 the value of the premium as the name, and the honor of know- 

 ing that we can raise fruit. 



I want to say that in two years from now the New England 

 Fruit Show will be associated with our Pomological Society in 

 its meeting, and of course that meeting will have to be in a loca- 

 tion that will be accessible to New England. The project is that 

 it shall be a biennial exhibit, and the alternate year the mem- 

 bers shall meet with and take an interest in the Pomological 

 ]\Ieeting in one of the other states. This year we met with 

 New Hampshire, and I was very much surprised not to find a 

 single box, barrel or plate of apples from Maine at that exhibit. 

 I think this was a mistake. Two years from now, wherever 

 that meeting is held, let us go there with an exhibit to compete 



