376 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



care with which they are picked and, assorted. Any carelessness 

 in these respects greatly affects the price they bring. A little 

 bruise disfigures the fruit and causes decay. To illustrate my 

 views, I will relate a story as told to me. In a neighboring State 

 two men had orchards adjoining each other, and the fruit was 

 equally good in both. Mr. A, an honest and judicious man, picked 

 his apples with extreme care, handled them with care, sorted 

 the saleable ones into'two grades. Those marked No. 1 were all 

 first rate, and as good at the bottom of the barrel as on the top. 

 His No. 2 were uniform in quality and a grade lower. They were 

 0.2. Mr. B gathered his with less care, and was not A^ery par- 

 ticular about handling or sorting them. At different times 

 the same purchaser bought both — but Mr. A received a dollar a 

 barrel more than Mr. B did. On comparing notes afterwards the 

 latter'^asked his neighbor how it came to pass that he got a dollar 

 a barrel more than his own brought in the same market, and the 

 reply was, " it was all in my knowing how." 



A motion was next made that reports from Farmers' Clubs be 

 now heard ; and Mr. Buck was called upon. 



Mr. Buck of Orland. Three or four years ago, by the assistance 

 of the gentleman from Hancock and one or two other members of 

 the County Society, a club was formed in our place, and since that 

 time, if I mistake not, we have held three successful town exhibi- 

 tions. The first was a good exhibition for a first one ; the second 

 was much better, and the third was better still. It has been esti- 

 mated that our farm products have increased a hundred per cent., 

 or nearly that, within a radius of a few miles since the organiza- 

 tion of the club. It has given an entirely new impetus to our 

 efforts. Farming has got well up to where it should be in the es- 

 timation of those around us. Everybody who has a garden or only 

 plants a small patch is vicing with his neighbors to see who shall 

 make the best exhibit at the next fair. We can hardly tell how 

 much we have done, but we have done a great deal. We certainly 

 would not go back to the old routine. We would not give up our 

 Farmers' Club on any consideration. And, more than that, our 

 farmers think more, read more, and have learned to talk better » 

 and that, it seems to me, is (^uite a gain. The}' are mostly 

 behind any other classes in ability to speak in public. But we 

 find scores of people dressed in homespun who now get up and 

 express their ideas clearly and forcibly in regard to the differ- 



