STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



For several years past the fruit crop of the State has been large, 

 and of these crops the last one harvested is probably the largest and in 

 quality ranks as one of the best. Of the extent of this crop we will 

 quote the following frona a recent issue of the Maine Farmer: 



"Never before were so many apples harvested in the State in a 

 sino-le year. This conclusion can be relied on, without question, 

 for growers have actually got the apples to prove it. From all the 

 principal fruit growing sections of the State the reports are the 



sj^iue 'more apples than ever before raised in this vicinity.' This 



increase over past years is not due to extraordinary bearing. Many 

 times before the trees have fruited as bountifully as this year. 

 While trees generally bore a full crop, there are many young trees 

 comino- into bearing each successive year, and these are adding 

 greatly to the crop. Maine has undoubtedly doubled her crop of 

 winter apples in the last ten years, and if no killing winter inter- 

 feres, will double it again in the next decade. This great crop i& 

 chiefly winter fruit. It is of good size, unusually high colored, and 

 very free from worms. All in all it has been a great harvest of 



fruit." 



To give some idea of the extent of fruit culture in individual 

 instances we will refer to a few orchards in the State. President 

 Pope from his orchard this year harvested nearly 2000 barrels 

 of apples, mostly Baldwins. A. C. Carr of Winthrop gathered 500 

 barrels from his orchard, the Longfellows in the same town had 600 

 barrels, mostly of russets. Phineas Whittier of Chesterville has a 

 crop that will reach 2000 barrels, largely Baldwins. The Pickers 

 of Turner had nearly as many. There are others quite as large, 

 and hundreds of farmers have gathered from 50 to 500 barrels of 

 apples each, making in the aggregate one of the largest and most 

 profitable of farm crops daring the season. 



Two years ago a Massachusetts dealer in apples who cares for 

 nothing but the best fruit for his own marktt came to Franklin 

 county and bought several car-loads of apples. The apples were 

 of excellent quality, and this season he began to look around for 

 fruit. He came to the county for the second time and began first 

 of all to seek fruit of those of whom he had bought two years 

 before. AVhtn he found fruit tliat suited him, he bought it if he 

 could. In some cases he paid fifty cents more than the local buyers 

 would offer because he wanted the fruit. His coming annoyed 

 other buyers, but he bought what fruit he needed. The circum- 



