1-J4 



of pessimism, there is optimism and certainty ahead. So 

 much so that the Permanent Organization Committee in- 

 vestigated thoroughly and worked out a plan and a program 

 for the organization of a New England fruit growers ex- 

 change. 1 will leave this subject right here for a minute to 

 go Imek a step. 



The Eastern States Agricultural and Industrial Expo- 

 sition Avas the outgrowth of tlie Hampden County Improve- 

 ment League, and that was developed from the realization 

 that one county by itself is lost or one group of exchanges 

 by themselves can't get there, — that it requires a large move- 

 ment such as a New England movement, a specific section of 

 the United States with common interests must get together. 

 The exposition was founded upon that idea, the idea to bind 

 together and reinforce the agricultural interests and agen- 

 cies here in New England and the East. 



The exposition created a Field Department and that 

 field department in studying the situation felt that the col- 

 leges, the extension service, the county agents, the breed- 

 ers, fruit and vegetable associations all needed a practical 

 reinforcement, a reinforcement by agencies that could buy 

 and sell and transact business, and that not until there were 

 great sales and advertising agencies in the farming in- 

 dustry, such as other industries have could New England 

 come back to its own in agriculture or maintain herself. 



So they put in a lot of time and got some of the best 

 farmers and some of the best business men — such as Theo- 

 dore N. Vail — and farmers like H. W. Tinkham — who have 

 had experience in organizing business on a world scale, to- 

 gether with the best attorneys who worked out the organiza- 

 tion of a New England and Eastern States Farmers Ex- 

 change. We were in touch with the Department of Agricul- 

 ture at Washington and got their advice and co-operation, 

 and we have under a Massachusetts law incorporated a non- 

 stock and non-profit association which must operate abso- 

 lutely at cost, so that the anti-trust laws will not interfere 

 with it in doing interstate business. 



