STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY.. 57- 



our Maine fruits nowhere. Why? Because they are not 

 suitably packed. 



Now, gentlemen, the one thing which we as progressive grow- 

 ers must learn to do if we are to hold our own with the Cali- 

 fornia growers, and with those of some of the older states, is to 

 learn to pack, learn to use attractive packages, to put our fruit 

 on the market in good shape. I go here to fruit stores and they 

 say "Why we have some very nice California fruit." Why is 

 that so much nicer than our own? Oh, well, the California peo- 

 ple put theirs up in good shape. The dealers recognize the 

 importance of packages and they know what the people must 

 have. W^e have a very good illustration of the importance of 

 this good packing in the Hales Georgia Company, our most 

 noted New England orchardists perhaps. They started in the 

 fruit business some twenty years ago and marketed their crop 

 from a push-cart. At the present time they have hundreds of 

 acres in fruits and market them, not by the carload, but by the 

 trainload. Train after train is sent out with this fruit, and 

 largely because there has been some gumption shown, because 

 there has been some push put into the marketing, and not 

 because they are able to raise any better fruit than you and I 

 are. 



Well, now, when I came here a few years ago there was a 

 great demand for work along certain experimental lines. The 

 horticultural department of the College was established with the 

 idea of working in connection with the Maine State Pomolog- 

 ical Society. Gentlemen, I should be glad to know how the 

 horticultural department of the College can best serve the inter- 

 ests of the pomologists of the State. We are always glad to da 

 what we can for the society and we are always glad to receive 

 members of the society there. 



Now I will simply say that during the coming winter — I do 

 not wish to make this an advertisement of the Maine State Col- 

 lege, but I would say that we are going to have a course in 

 horticulture, and if you have any boys, or your neighbors have 

 any boys that have any idea of following in your business, of 

 taking up horticultural work — send them along. May be we 

 can do something that will help them. We are going to have 

 a course in fruit growing and in vegetable gardening; we are 



