2f:) STATS POxMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Now the production of fruit is not all there is to be considered. 

 There is a business side to this matter. The people this year 

 who have sold their fruit, given it away., almost, as it were, tl\e 

 prices being today almost twice what they were a month ago, 

 are regretting their haste. And now while this Pomological 

 vSociety has for its chief business, I presume, the encouragement 

 of the growth of fruit and the solving of difficulties which stand 

 in the way of fruit growers, I believe the time ought to come 

 when that body or some other organization should create in the 

 State of Maine a bureau of information and should be able to 

 tell the farmers of this vState the actual condition of the fruit 

 market in this country and in other countries. 



I believe this can be done without great expense, and if it can 

 be done in no other way T believe it would be good policy for 

 the State itself to establish such a bureau, and with the expendi- 

 ture of a small sum of money I believe there could be brought 

 to the farmers of this State many thousands of dollars annually. 

 Last year the people of this section held on to their apples and 

 lost because they did not have the information they ought to 

 have had. This year the opposite is the case. They have sold 

 early and lost on their crops. 



I am glad to see so many here this afternoon. This is one of 

 the largest and most important fruit sections of this State. I 

 am glad to see the interest that is being taken in this industry. 

 I think it would be a wise policy for us to take better care of 

 what we have first, and then extend our operations. 



Now I want to bid you all welcome here. We are glad to 

 have you here. We expect to receive from this meeting a spirit 

 of encouragement, something that will help us along over these 

 difficulties, and that coming here will be remembered by all of 

 us as productive of great good to us all. I am glad to see the 

 people who have come in from neighboring towns. We will try 

 and do all we can to make your stay comfortable, and trust you 

 will gain from this meeting much of good and much of pleasure, 

 and when tomorrow's sun declines to the western hills and this 

 event has become a part of history, we will go away feeling glad 

 that we came. 



