100 STATE POM.OLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



This old homestead was sold — others will be. But there may be 

 many old homesteads that lack this one thing needful to attract a 

 buyer and influence the paying of a large price. 



A PERMA^NENT INVESTBIENT. 



It is a fact a good orchard will do more towards selling a farm for 

 a high price than man}' other things which are a grea deal more 

 expensive. When a man puts out a lot of nice fruit trees he then 

 and there makes a permanent improvement of great value. 



I do not come here to encourage one line of farming to the dis- 

 paragement of another. As I have attempted to show, education, 

 situation, structure and quality of soil, and the thousand and one 

 things which environ Maine farmers, are among the factors which 

 should influence him in adopting special lines in agricultural pursuits. 



Beef is low, yet I contend that on our natural grass farms, on 

 our good corn-growing lands, we can still make monej' on beef. 



The watchword of the farmer should be to cheapen the c:)3t of 

 production of all classes of commodities the farm produces. Cheaper 

 beef, pork, butter, wool and mutton, and fruit. T«vo cents saved 

 in cost of producing a pound of beef, pork or butter, is equal to the 

 price enhanced to that amount. 



Ex-Governor Hoard said at the late dairy conference at Auburn, 

 that he hoped to see the daj'' when good butter could be put into 

 everybody's mouth for tv\ enty cents a pound, and he still retain the 

 same profit he was making at thirty cents a pound. 



The same rules are applicable to orcharding and other lines of 

 farming. We should be fitting ourselves to meet these conditions 

 whatever the circumstances of markets ma}' be. When the contrast 

 comes before us we shall find that it is easier to gain a fair per cent 

 of profit on a barrel of apples than on a pound of beef or butter. 

 All the possibilities, even under the present large area devoted to 

 orcharding, and the increased attention likely to be given fruit culture 

 in the future, are directly in favor of orcharding over other special 

 lines of agricultural industry applicable to Maine farms. 



The markets of the world are open to us. When we begin to talk 

 about a market for apples Maine holds the right of way. There are 

 several reasons for this. 



The excellence of Maine's winter fruit is conceded, its keeping 

 qualities are equal to the best, and our climate is such that when 

 the crop of the great apple growing regions a few degrees south of 



