40 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



In the matter of fruits, as your president wished me to say 

 something about the quahty of the exhibit, I might, perhaps, call 

 attention to the tomatoes of the college exhibit as showing some- 

 thing of plant breeding. You know how much attention is paid 

 to breeding by our stock raisers, and we as horticulturalists are 

 beginning to understand that we must do a little breeding too. 

 The one pet we have especially was a little past its prime so we 

 could not exhibit that. A few years ago we made a cross 

 between the little Currant Tomato and the Lorillard. The 

 idea being to get the earliness of this little fellow with the size 

 and productive qualities of the other. The Peach and the Lor- 

 illard were then crossed to get, if possible, a yellow tomato that 

 should blush. 



I might suggest a iew roses which are very desirable in this 

 State. One of the most satisfactory roses for general purposes 

 is the Madame Plantier. It blooms but once during the season 

 but the blooms last for two or three weeks and it is one of the 

 most satisfactory white roses grown. The Marshall P. Wilder, 

 a rich cherry in color and very satisfactory. The Rothschild 

 should receive attention and is a valuable choice. 



Mr. Cook — I was very glad to hear our secretary propose a 

 wider range of influence for this society in decorating the 

 grounds, not only public grounds but the private grounds of the 

 home and farm as well. One thing that has occurred to me 

 since that meeting at Bangor, is this : a gentleman in talking 

 with me said, "I never put a seed into the ground and see it grow 

 and develop without thanking God for ever calling my attention 

 to this line of business." I think no one, boy or girl, man or 

 woman who practices to any considerable extent the develop- 

 ment of flowers and cultivates the small fruits as well, but must 

 have better, higher, holier thoughts, but what must have a better 

 character on account of the occupation, and this society can do 

 nothing better than to extend its influence over the State in 

 regard to these things, the cultivation of flowers and fruit. I 

 was glad to hear the suggestion made in this exhibition here 

 to-day. 



I saw a sight this morning which it seemed to me was a vast 

 improvement on anything I had ever seen in connection with the 

 flowers, they were so abundant, so beautiful, and so perfect. 



