14 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



we are welcome. It requires no extension of the keys of the 

 city. We know that Ave are among our friends. 



The Maine Pomological Society's slogan for many years has 

 been better fruit for Maine. But we have added many more 

 words to that slogan of late years. I mentioned one only a few 

 moments ago, which is the better grading and packing ot fruit. 

 And we are just as deeply interested today in the market ques- 

 tion, in the distribution question. I want to say to you that it 

 is no easy task to raise such fruit as you see in the hall below. 

 It requires a very peculiar make-up of man. He must have 

 some knowledge of soil conditions. He must have some knowl- 

 edge of plant pathology, some knowledge of insect life, and, in- 

 cidentally, insect death. As it has been said, and well said this 

 evening, there is no man in the world who works in closer part- 

 nership with the Almighty than the orchardist. He is next to 

 nature. 



I am not here tonight, in this response, to recommend on the 

 part of this Society any radical legislation, but there is one 

 thing that I do want to refer to for just a moment, not that the 

 time is ripe for it, because we are not ready and as I told a 

 gentleman tonight, I want to live in the state a few years longer, 

 I don't want to be driven out yet — it has been mentioned in 

 the past and I mention it, that it may become a question of edu- 

 cation — and that is, the enforcement of spraying. It sounds 

 radical. But it is being talked of in other states. And sooner 

 or later the State of Maine must cut down its old disease- 

 infected trees, and Mr. Brown and Mr. Jones who take care of 

 their orchards and spray faithfully and put on the greatest 

 insurance that it is possible to put on, must have that protec- 

 tion from their neighbor who does nothing. The Mayor will 

 tell you, if you build a residence in the city of Portland today 

 that you must put down the sidewalks according to ordinance, 

 that you must make your sewer connection according to law. 

 And there is no reason why the orchardist of the State of Maine 

 should not have protection against his neighbor whom the Pres- 

 ident of the Chamber of Commerce refers to as the mossback 

 man who won't advance. T do not advocate it tonight as a 

 radical change. I mention it, because all changes of this kind 

 must be talked about, and it takes a long while. It is an educa- 

 tional matter. After a year like this, in which all the elements 

 seemed to be against us, and we have carried out faithfully our 



