8 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



broad and unselfish lines, taking an interest and lending a 

 hand in public and social affairs of our town, our state and 

 our nation. 



President Gold : The program at this time calls for 

 brief remarks from representatives of our agricultural col- 

 lege and experiment stations in regard to what an agricul- 

 tural college and experiment stations may do to promote 

 fruit growing. I have the pleasure of introducing to you 

 President Beach of the Connecticut Agricultural College. 



President Beach : Ladies and Gentlemen, and Mem- 

 bers of the Pomological Society : The gentleman who is to 

 finish the speech that I am to start is not in the audience at 

 the present time, but I trust that he will be here in time 

 to take up the discussion of the subject. 



I picked up a newspaper this morning and read a short 

 article in regard to the fruit industry, and particularly the 

 apple industry in New England. I want to refer to just 

 an extract from it. The future of the apple industry is now 

 on a safer and surer foundation than ever before. The 

 gradual decrease in the apple production in the United 

 States during the last thirteen years furnishes a record of 

 the declination of apple growing. Statistics from govern- 

 ment reports show that the production of apples from 1895 

 up to 1908 has steadily been declining. The following are 

 the figures for each year. I will give them in million barrels. 

 In 1896, 69,000,000 barrels. The next year, 41,000,000 bar- 

 rels. The next year, 28,000,000 barrels. The next year, 

 47,000,000 barrels. The next. 26,000,000. The next, 47,000,- 

 000. The next year, 23,000,000. The next 29,000,000. And 

 last, 23,000,000 barrels. Last year we produced about one- 

 third as many barrels of apples as was produced thirteen 

 years ago. In the four years beginning with 1896 we pro- 

 duced an average of 43,000,000 barrels a year, but in the 

 last three years you will see that it went down to something 

 like 23,000,000 barrels, a decrease of a very large percen- 



