118 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



tive of the work which is to be done there. It is full of difficulties,, 

 but the object to be achieved will warrant any anaount of expendi- 

 ture of means and labor, if onlj^ we can gain it. Cei tainl3' we shall 

 not unless we undertake it. 



There are many things that we bring up for discussion when we 

 get together in an advisory capacit}', and if you as fruit growers in 

 the State or as horticulturists in any direction, desire any particular 

 thing done there, by all means let either your representative or the 

 Station itself, knoio it. They may not be able to undertake every 

 experiment you want tried, but they can undertake some things if 

 they dig into it as they ought and they will get valuable results out 

 of it for us. 



DISCUSSION. 



Prof. MuNSON : I do not intend to come before you this after- 

 noon to make promises ; but I want to emphasize what Mr. Knowlton 

 has said ; that if you have work 3'ou want done, the only way we 

 can know it, is for you to make yourselves heard. We cannot, at 

 the Station meet the wants of the people, unless we know what 

 those wants are. We cannot reach all the results in a year ; we 

 cannot undertake experiments which shall be of value to the people 

 of the southeast part of the State and in Aroostook county at the 

 same time, but those matters which are of interest to the people of 

 the State will receive attention ; it is the object of the Station to aid 

 in building up horticulture in the State, and I was glad your Secre- 

 tary mentioned the matter of improving the qualities of fruits* 

 That is a very important branch of work ; this combining beauty of 

 form and color with delicious quality ; combining good qualities of 

 any fruit. That will require much time, but it is a work we have 

 planned. I had not said anything about it to the Secretary but it is 

 in my mind ; the improvement of qualities of fruits, both orchard 

 and small fruits, by crossing, by hybridizing. This has been worked 

 upon but little, but is of great promise to the horticulturists of the 

 State. 



Mr. Knowlton. There is one thing further I wish to emphasize. 

 It is, that although the experiment which you want undertaken may 

 seem difficult and expensive, 3'ou need not hesitate to ask it just the 

 same, because the institution has funds for particular purposes and 

 it is right and proper and just that those interested in this branch of 

 agriculture or any other branch of agriculture should ask that the 

 problem be undertaken, and if possible solved. I speak of this, 



