2S state: pomologtcal society. 



fruit growers' organization, the object being to bring the fruit 

 growers of the vState together along just such lines as our 

 brother has mentioned here today that we may be instructed in 

 growing and selling fruit, so that the man who grows the fruit 

 may receive the best possible returns from it. This subject was 

 brought before the fruit growers of the society at a later meeting 

 of the society held in Bangor. I had the pleasure of presenting 

 to the society and to the people of the State a paper which 

 attracted considerable attention at the time, for I think it was 

 published in full in several of the leading papers, recommending 

 organization for the purpose of growing fruit, just as capitalists 

 in other states put their money into organizations for this pur- 

 pose. I urged it then, 1 still urge it, believing there is no point 

 in fruit growing to-day that offers more in return for the labor 

 and capital expended than here in the good old State of Maine. 

 Then again at our Winthrop meeting which was held in 1896, 

 when the State of Maine was well-nigh deluged with fruit and 

 hardly knew what to do with it or how to get anything from it, 

 an organization was recommended looking toward cold storage 

 on some co-operative plan that the small growers might economi- 

 cally store their fruit until it could be marketed at a profit. It 

 was a good idea and I believe in it still. There are numerous 

 organizations in California and the South that are bringing to 

 our doors all through the year, grapes, oranges and other fruit 

 and placing them before us in an attractive form and even at a 

 lower price than we can buy good apples even in the apple- 

 growing State of Maine. On cur fruit stands there are oranges 

 m abundance and they are sold right side by side, when there 

 happens to be apples there, and for less money. If they can get 

 anything out of it over the cost of the labor and capital, it seems 

 there is a chance even for the fruit growers of the State 

 of Maine. 



This idea of organization, — I like it. There is something 

 about it that needs to be talked up and worked up until people 

 get used to it. It is particularly manifest this year. Not many 

 wieeks ago an apple buyers association assembled not far away 

 and the}^ had a consultation. They planned a good many things 

 and among these things it seems to me there was one that met 

 with the favor of the association that was directly inimical to the 

 fruit growers of the State of Maine. Soon after their associa- 



