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The possibilities of fruit growing in New England are 

 great. Nowhere on earth are there better markets and no- 

 where on earth can such fruit be grown as here on the hills 

 of Massachusetts. 



"The possibilities of fruit growing in Massachusetts" 

 was Mr. Putnam's subject and he urged upon fruit growers 

 the necessity of study of soil conditions, and the intelligent 

 care of crops. He said that 90 per cent, of the apples in 

 Massachusetts were not raised in orchards but in hedges, 

 pastures and along the roadsides, and if Massachusetts was 

 not the place to raise apples the fruit would not grow under 

 these conditions. The western men that are making a spe- 

 cialty of their garden products could not grow the apples or 

 anything else under the same conditions but they manage 

 to specialize and to receive a good round sum for their wares 

 in the market. 



Mr. Putnam spoke of his own experiments in Connecti- 

 cut and the soil conditions there. He advised other growers 

 to experiment and discover for themselves what variety of 

 apple or other fruit was the best suited to certain locations 

 in their orchards and to go in for the growing of that spe- 

 cial kind. By telling of the problems, improper fertilizations 

 and nisect pesis he described some of the troubles of fruit 

 growers. The San Jose scale, he said, would take care of 

 all the old trees if the men did not take care of the scale. 



Mr. A. Warren Patch of Boston then gave 1'he Com- 

 mission Man's View of Massachusetts Fruit Possibilities. 



The home market for choice fruit is with you every day 

 in the season of apples, pears, strawberries, blackberries, and 

 raspberries. There may be a question about peaches be- 

 cause of the severe winters. I am led to believe they are not 

 a profitable crop for this state taking five consecutive years 

 together. Surely the soil and hills are all right. I do not 

 mention plums because I am not so well informed whether 

 they can be grown as a success. I might include currants; 

 ihey always have a market although just at present the 

 San Jose scale is causing havoc with the bush. There are 

 grave doubts about the growing of grapes, in some places 

 the Concord has done well. There appears to be no limit 

 to the demand for all fine fruit that can be grown 

 successfully in this state. It settles itself to a matter 

 of (juality. Grow less quantity but better quality. 



