6 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Europe and "suffer"" the consequences. The satisfactory leturns 

 made on consignments of the best fruit sent in 1903 made it an 

 easy matter for the agents of EngHsh commission houses to 

 secure large shipments. Everywhere they told the growers to 

 send them only the best fruit properly packed, but for all this 

 there was much carelessness in putting up the fruit, and when 

 the returns came in they were not satisfactory. The supply was 

 large, and our fruit was in competition with local fruit and that 

 from Canada, packed and exported under the "Fruit Marks Act" 

 of the Dominion. Through the entire season the Canadian fruit 

 was in the lead and sold higher than Maine fruit. The growers 

 in many cases ascribed the low prices to other causes, but in our 

 ignorance of the actual conditions one cannot judge correctly. 

 Of one thing we are confident and that is the necessity of some 

 law, or sentiment if possible, that will ensure to the buyer the 

 quality of the fruit. With prices started at a dollar per barrel, 

 they advanced to $1.25 and $1.50 later, and when the season 

 closed the prices fell back somewhat. At the close of the season 

 the buyers generally claimed that there was little profit for them 

 in the shipments they had made. So far as the growers in the 

 State were affected, there were less buyers than usual and much 

 fruit was not sold. 



MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 



Three meetings of the Executive Committee were held during 

 the year, the first at Auburn. Jan. 6; the second at Winthrop, 

 Sept. 8, and the third at Skowhegan during the annual meeting. 

 The annual settlement was not made till Jan. 12, 1905, when the 

 treasurer's account for the year was settled. 



PUBLIC MEETINGS. 



A spring fruit meeting was held in Grange Hall, Union, March 

 II. The forenoon was devoted to arranging the fruit brought 

 in, and a very good display was made from Knox and Lincoln 

 counties. The meeting was addressed by President Gilbert, 

 Prof. W. M. Munson and Mrs. V. P. DeCoster, and much inter- 

 est was shown by the discussions and questions that followed. 

 At the evening meeting excellent music was furnished by the 

 Grange choir. The fruit interests in the locality are large, and 

 a fine audience was in attendance. 



