5 state: pomoi,ogical socie:ty. 



The farmers who thus disposed of their apples lost heavily, 

 and needlessly, and this calls our attention again to the import- 

 ance and necessity of reliable crop reports. 



While the crop was very large in some of the best fruit-grow- 

 ing sections of the country, the central south w^'est, which has 

 become a large factor in apple production, had a small crop of 

 inferior fruit. The destructive gale in September, and the prev- 

 alence of bitter rot also lessened the crop materially, and these 

 conditions should have been taken into account by the producers 

 of Maine. Our interest in this m.atter of wide-awake, up-to- 

 date reports is sufficient to warrant considerable outlay for such 

 information as would insure the marketing of our crops intelli- 

 gently. It seems to us that the most hopeful source of such 

 mformation lies in the various State horticultural societies. We 

 would suggest that our society take the initiative in calling on 

 them to form, a national organization for this purpose. To this 

 central station the different horticultural societies should report 

 several times during the season the condition of the orchards, the 

 ravages of insects and of fungus diseases and the prospective 

 amount and quality of the fruit. The results of these reports, 

 distributed among the mem.bers, would furnish them information 

 secured for their benefit and much more valuable and reliable 

 than that supplied by the shippers. 



The facilities for transportation and the system of marketing 

 are improving every year, so there is not the danger of an over- 

 stocked market and consequent loss that threatened us even a 

 few years ago. 



Apple buyers from the West acknowledged that they came to 

 Maine because the quality of our fruit could not be surpassed, 

 and our apples have this year a reputation second to none. If 

 v/e are awake to the importance of keeping and extending this 

 reputation we will give our neglected orchards better care in 

 dressing, tilling and pruning, as well as in spraying for the dis- 

 truction of insects and fungus diseases. Though nature may 

 not soon again be so lavish of her favors to us as she was this 

 year, yet she will not fail to reward intelligent and persistent 

 effort. 



If to such thoroughness and care in cultivation as will insure 

 superior fruit we will add care in handling and honesty in pack- 



