4 STATK POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



mau}^ years ago a gentleman bought ninety acres of old, rocky 

 pasture and woodland for S400, paying down $75 for the same 

 which represented his assets at the time. On this land there were 

 about seventy worthless old apple trees. Not over five or six acres 

 of the land had ever been plowed, and a large portion of it is so 

 rocky and steep it never can be. Here he began his work as an 

 orchardist, and he has followed it up faithfully. Under his manipu- 

 lation he has developed one of the most productive fruit farms in 

 the State. For the past ten years he has been thriving and well 

 he may, for car load after car load of fruit has been taken from 

 that S400 lot of land From the inferior fruit he has produced 

 enough evaporated apples to meet all the expense connected with 

 his orchard. He has erected new buildings, a large fruit house and 

 paid all his bills. In 1888-9 there was a large surplus of evaporated 

 apples in the markets and prices were low, but our friend had money 

 enough, and so he kept right on evaporating the Nos. 2 and 3 apples, 

 until he had in the store house two years' crop (about twelve tons) 

 which found a market from nine to twelve cents per pound. Yet 

 there are some who claim evaporating fruit in Maine does not pay. 

 The 1889 crop of fruit will net this enterprising farmer not less 

 than $3,000, and the reader may draw his own conclusions. 



These are only instances with which the writer is familiar. 

 There are others quite as notable in the State ; but that to which 

 we wish to call especial attention is the grand opening orcharding 

 in Maine offers to the capitalists. Thousands of dollars have been 

 sent to Florida and California to be used in fruit raising, but the 

 facts clearly show that Maine orcharding will pay larger dividends. 

 These instances are given here as illustrative of organized orchard- 

 ins; which is referred to in sections of this volume. 



The general work of the Societ}^ the past year has been similar 

 to that of former years. As early as tlie dates for the annual fair 

 were determined, and other matters connected with it could be 

 arranged, a special circular was issued to Maine fruit growers. 

 The object of this circular was to furnish advance sheets of the 

 Society's revised fruit list, and in addition to this, several impor- 

 tant announcements were made relating to the fair. This circular 

 was deemed of sufficient importance to be published entire by the 

 Maine Farmer and Lewislon Journal. Something of this sort 

 issued annually is of great assistance to fruit growers and at the 

 same time reminds the public of the work the Society is doing. It 



