INTRODUCTION. 



Apple growing in Massachusetts has received a great stimulus 

 within the past five years, largely due to a sudden realization that 

 good apples could be groAvn here as well as in other parts of the 

 country, and also to the relatively high prices of western apples. 



Early in the history of Massachusetts, and up to the time of the 

 civil war, apple growing was considered very profitable, but soon 

 after that period insect and fungous pests made their appearance 

 in such numbers that many orchards were either destroyed or allowed 

 to run out. Apple growing thus became an adjunct to general farm- 

 ing, and has so remained until the stimulus of western competition 

 began to make itself felt. 



Apples should be grown in our State in sufficient quantities to at 

 least supply our own demand, for certainly no spot on this earth 

 was ever more favored for growing this fruit. Soils and climatic 

 conditions are of the best; markets are near and good; and success 

 is assured, provided the grower will exert a reasonable effort. 



There have been many new orchards planted in the last few years, 

 and many old trees have been renovated and are now bearing good 

 fruit. The young orchards are now suj^plying some of the very 

 highest quality apples in our markets. 



Many of. our growers are realizing more and more the necessity 

 of pruning, spraying and fertilizing, and also the need of carefully 

 grading their product, that a high, even standard may be main- 

 tained. These find no trouble in marketing their products. Massa- 

 chusetts people are using many apples and would use more could 

 they be sure of getting a uniform grade in every package. 



While apples will grow in almost every part of our State, sections 

 which seem to have particular adaptation for this fruit are Essex, 

 Middlesex, northern Worcester, Hampshire and Franklin counties. 

 Land in large tracts is fairly abundant in the counties named. 



We can grow better flavored apples here than in the west, par- 

 ticularly if we grow those varieties which are more or less native to 

 our soils, like the Baldwin, Northern Spy, Mcintosh, Palmer Green- 

 ing, Wealthy and Rhode Island Greening. This should encourage 

 our people to grow more apples. 



As our apple crop increases in size it must be handled through 

 co-operative associations, which will guarantee the grade of the pack- 

 age. We look forward to the day when this business will be on a 

 secure footing, and apples may be bought with the same surety of 

 getting an honest package as are manufactured articles at the pres- 

 ent time. 



