STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 6l 



Tnore choice apples for dessert use in our local markets; and I 

 -wish there might be a little combination among our large 

 growers to have a few choice Gravensteins always in the local 

 markets where they can be got at during the season of Graven- 

 steins, and so on with some of the other varieties, so that what- 

 ever may come, whatever may happen to the markets with 

 reference to fruits in California there will always be some of the 

 best Maine apples there that a fellow can get to eat. And I 

 tell you one thing, if they could always get a good apple that 

 you could rely on before you touched it, these two cent peaches 

 •on the street that come all the way from California wouldn't be 

 much used. 



Mr. E. M. Blanding — It has been a pleasure to me to be 

 with you to-night and to listen to the remarks made by gentle- 

 men who have devoted long years of study to the culture and 

 •development of fruit. Certainly the fruit history of this State 

 of Maine is one of great prominence and its future is of excep- 

 tional promise. The Maine State Pomological Society has 

 done a grand work, but there is a great field of usefulness still 

 before it. 



I have watched with considerable interest the history in recent 

 years of your society and I know something of the efficient 

 labors its ofificers have rendered. It is gratifying to have you 

 come to this section of the State. I know that the society's 

 membership is more largely composed of persons from the cen- 

 tral and western parts of the State and I know it has not been 

 especially convenient perhaps for you to come down this way, 

 and I know furthermore that we of this section have not perhaps 

 tendered invitations as cordially as we should. I remember not 

 many years ago when you held your winter meeting in Bangor, 

 and I know that session was very interesting and profitable. 

 I am glad that President Beal of the Eastern Maine Fair has 

 arranged with your society to take charge of the exhibits here 

 and I hope that arrangement will be continued, and if so I am 

 confident that the fruit interests of this section will be materially 

 advanced. 



I have given some personal thought and investigation to fruit 

 culture in the orchard of my own home. I have found that the 

 summer and early fall fruits are not to be handled very readily, 



