STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 37 



ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



Ey Chaeles S. Popk, President. 

 Ladies and Gerdltmen, Members of the Pomologkal Society : 



For seventeen consecutive years we have met the fruit growers of 

 Maine at this, our annual meeting. Each year we welcome it with 

 increasing pleasure, and should count it a great deprivation were we 

 unable to attend. "Iron sharpeneth iron," and our intercourse here 

 acts as a spur to awaken our best endeavors throughout the year. 

 During these seventeen years we have found much profit and pleasure 

 in meeting with the orchardists in various locations in the State, but 

 this is our first meeting in the famed county of Oxford, noted alike 

 for its intelligent culturists and charming natural scenery. The 

 snows and frosts of winter must of necessity hide much of the natural 

 attractions of your place, but it also gives the farmer liberty to 

 devote more time to the discussion of the fruit question, and we 

 hope to meet a goodly number of your orchardists here. 



We were able to make a satisfactory arrangement with the officers 

 of the State Agricultural Society, and again our fall exhibit of fruits 

 and flowers was made in Lewiston. For the first time we were 

 allowed to use the whole of the third floor of the exhibition building, 

 and even those who had grave doubts about our needing so much 

 space were well satisfied with the display. Wishing to improve the 

 appearance of the hall, which in its unfinished condition, is not a 

 good place for such an exhibition, we took pains to put up a little 

 bunting ; and if the same room is used again, we would suggest that 

 more be done in the way of draping and decorating. The center of 

 the hall is very dark, and light should be admitted from overhead. 

 With a little outlay in the direction indicated, this hall would be 

 very much improved, and be quite a satisfactory room for our 

 exhibition. 



At the close of our exhibition, our Secretary, Mr. Knowlton, pro- 

 posed that the Pomological Society should make a collection of our 

 standard apples, and forward to the Ba3" State Fair. To this the 

 other officers readily assented, and Mr. Brown of Newburg kindly 

 consented to take charge of the exhibit. Care was taken to make 

 a small collection of choice apples, rather than a large one of nonde- 

 script fruit. Only twenty-eight varieties were taken, and these were 



