STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 97 



in it? Take the season of '91, for instance. Oar crop of fruit was 

 a very large one throughout the country. But it so happened that 

 apples in P^arope were a light crop, so the foreign trade helps us out 

 somewhat this year, but wliat would have been the condition of the 

 apple market if the European crop of apples had been good last year? 

 It is admitted that here is a contingency that is likely to be met 

 in the future. But it should not be overlooked that the rate of con- 

 sumption of fruit is increasing in equal ratio with its production. 

 Look at the export trade in apples this winter. Nearly a million 

 and a quarter barrels of apples have already been shipped from this 

 country to England, and the trade is still going on. There will be 

 seasons when export trade will be less, of course, and full crops of 

 fruit here will send the price down to a low Qgure, but we can rely 

 upon one thing, this year's crop of fruit will not interfere with next 

 year's crop. 



In years of plenty the evaporator should be called into requisition 

 to modify* the condition of fruit and so enable the orchardist to hold 

 it till better prices can be realized. This is being done. 



A few days ago one of the largest orchardists in Maine, and one 

 who makes orcharding the specialty of his farm, and has made it a 

 grand success, wrote me as follows : 



'Tt is hard to boom orcharding or feel very much elated in regard 

 to it in years like the present, but crops that are perishable like 

 apples, potatoes, etc., are subject to greater fluctuations in price 

 than those that are not so perishable. The market is so extensive, 

 and is still extending more and more for apples, that when there is a 

 partial failure they will pay the intelligent orchardist four times as 

 well as any other crop. Ever since I can remember there have been 

 years that apples did not pay for harvesting. That was when but 

 few were grown. 



"Three years ago apples were more of a drug in the market than 

 they are tbis year, but the two years following more than made up 

 for it. I expect it will always be so, and I am not so much dis- 

 couraged as some orchardists are, who, when there comes a good 

 year, will be more elatpd than I shall. 



"It is true that if it had not been for the European market, apples 

 would have been worthless for sending to market, but I think we 

 can always count on the European market later in the season, even 

 when there is a large crop there, for their apples are gone early, and 



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