STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 33 



LESSONS TAUGHT AT OUR ORCHARD MEETING. 



WHAT A YOUNG FRUIT GROWER LEARNED. 

 By Edward L. White, Bowdoinham. 



President Gilbert, in an informal talk before the Board of 

 Trade in Auburn a year ago, brought out the fact of making the 

 farms in Maine that hardly yield anything at the present time 

 produce $45 to $50 per acre. 



We often read of converting sheep pastures, rocky hills and 

 parts of farms that are not yielding any profits to the owner into 

 productive orchards. 



Take up a Maine Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 

 and see the picture of an apple tree with thick foliage and cov- 

 ered with fruit, alongside of one with thin foliage and practically 

 no fruit ; the difference caused only by cultivation. 



When these things are brought before us in this way we often 

 hear the remark that "That makes a good newspaper stoiy," or 

 "That makes a good picture," etc. 



When we went into Mr. Pope's orchard last September we 

 found the half had not been told or even pictured. It was 

 plainly written on the foliage of the trees and the abundance of 

 fruit what may be accomplished with the hills of Maine, the 

 unprofitable parts of farms, and with a sheep pasture to cause 

 them to return to us $45 to $50 per acre. 



There were two points of interest clearly brought before us 

 while at Mr. Pope's. The opportunities for young men to better 

 our orchards here in Maine, and how we may use these oppor- 

 tunities. 



As we stood above Mr. Pope's orchard, looking down over 

 the bank at our right as we entered, seeing a large bowlder 

 almost in our path, it was hard to make ourselves believe that 

 this one-time sheep pasture was an ideal location for apple trees, 

 but such it has proved to be. We could have pointed out many 

 farms in Maine that apparently to us would have furnished bet- 

 ter advantasfes for orchards. 



