STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 39 



the villages, where now are found acres of berries for which we have 

 a good market at remunerative prices. The strawberry in particu- 

 lar is found to be a very profitable crop when rightly managed, as 

 our people consume lai'ge quantities of this berry, and now depend 

 largely upon other states for a suppl}'. Therefore, so long as the 

 demand is larger than the supply, we have the advantage of being 

 able to furnish fresh berries directly to the consumer, and conse- 

 quently at better prices than are realized by those in the older fruit 

 growing sections, where there is more competition. 



The growing of plums which had been nearly abandoned, has 

 been started again with good prospect of success. We are now able 

 to control the "black knot" and destroy the curculio, and judging 

 from the fruit displayed at our exhibition the past two years, our 

 people will soon supply themselves and the markets with an abun- 

 dance. 



It is now expected that this Sociei}' will be called upon to take 

 charge of collecting and forwarding the fruit for exhibition to the 

 Columbian Exposition in 1893. This will give the people of Maine 

 a grand opportunity to show the world that the State of Maine, if 

 unable to raise the largest fruit, can excel in coloring and quality, 

 and can raise some of the winter apples for shipping, to better 

 advantage than any other state in the Union. 



If our fruit growers are alive to their interests and are willing to 

 give us their assistance, we shall be able to make an exhibition which 

 will be of great advantage to the State and perhaps open new 

 markets for our fruits. We must at least show, and this we can do, 

 that we can produce the best shipping fruits of the country. It will 

 require more labor and time, than any of our officers are able to give, 

 and we must have the co-operation of all the best fruit growers of 

 the State. 



Our greatest effort in former years, has been to induce the farmers 

 to set more trees and vines. Our aim now should be, to urge them 

 to take better care of those already set if they would get the best 

 returns for their investment. With the great increase of insects and 

 the injury from fungi and other diseases we predict that the common 

 farmer will grow less apples in the coming years and the business 

 will pass more into the hands of specialists, who have more time and 

 taste to contend with these pests. No doubt in future years, the 

 spraying apparatus will be considered as necessary in fighting these 

 enemies of the orchard, as the planter and harrow in the cornfield. 



