STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 115 



HORTICULTURAL WORK AT THE STATION. 

 By Prof. \y. M. Munson. 



Like Prof. Jordan I came down to learn, rather than to talk. As 

 Prof. Jordan said a few moments ago, I have been coming East for 

 several years. I used to think when I was considerably younger 

 that I should follow Horace Greeley's advice; my ideas turned in 

 the direction of Kansas, but as I studied horticulture the opportuni- 

 ties for work in that line, seemed unparalleled in the East, and the 

 farther East I came the greater the opportunities for work, seemed. 

 The quality of Maine fruits is recognized as superior to any other in 

 our country and glancing over the fruits here to-day one cannot fail 

 to realize the superiority both in appearance and qualitj'. 



With regard to the work at the Experiment Station ; it is not a 

 good plan to commence by making a big splurge, telling what we 

 are going to do ; but in the future I shall hope to have the pleasure 

 of meeting with you many times and of telling 3^ou what we have 

 done and are doing. 



We hope to make horticulture an important feature of the work 

 there, and shall to a large extent follow out the lines undertaken by 

 the State Society, that is, we shall make a special effort to improve 

 the facilities and extend the area of fruit culture in the State ; to 

 develop new and hardy varieties, both by selecting those varieties 

 which seem promising in other, colder regions of the country ; by 

 crossing, hybridizing some that shall be hardier. 



This work cannot be done alone at the Experiment Station. It 

 will necessitate the co-operation on the part of fruit growers through- 

 out the State. We may determine the best fruits for Orono, but not 

 in Aroostook county. The State Poraological Society will be a great 

 aid and we hope to aid the Society in its noble work. We shall 

 also hope to aid in the discovery of remedies for the various in -sect 

 and fungous enemies of our orchards and gardens ; but as 3'ou know, 

 reliable information cannot be obtained in a single day or year. 

 We shall endeavor, in our work, to go carefully ; do our wo' k 

 thoroughly ; not to announce results until we are satisfied that oar 

 conclusions are correct. Thus we shall avoid misleading any who 

 may follow our work. 



As Prof. Jordan said a few moments ago, we shall aim to deter- 

 mine laws and principles, rather than facts. A fact can be such. 



