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today. Now why cannot New England go these other sec- 

 tions one better and grow better fruit? 



The boosting of Hood River puts me in mind of a story 

 I heard not long ago. It is told of an enthusiastic Real Es- 

 tate dealer of our section, who was on a trip to the middle 

 west. It seems a stranger had died there and the usual ser- 

 vices were being held. When the time came to make a few 

 remarks about the deceased, the minister who was very con- 

 servative, saying he had not known 1he party, asked if 

 there was any one who had and was willing to make a few 

 remarks. There was a large congregation present, but no 

 one seemed to have anything to say. After a few minutes 

 had elapsed a stranger in the back part of the church arose 

 and saying as long as nobody had anything to say about 

 the deceased, he would like to make a few remarks about 

 Hood River, 



Now, I did not come east to boost Hood River or any 

 other Western apple section but I did come here to give yoa 

 a few points and ideas about the growing and marketing of 

 apples and how we made a success of it. 



My trip east then was in the missionary line, a home 

 missionary if you please, and was in the interest of the New 

 England Fruit Show and some progressive growers who 

 have aAvakened to the fact tha* there is some thing in the 

 up-to-date and modern methods of growing apples and 

 marketing them. It is a well known fact that the western 

 people have the idea that the East cannot grow good apples. 

 This idea has been installed in their minds by a good many 

 of your New England people who thought they had to go 

 West to grow apples. 



What was and is the trouble? Is it the fruit or the 

 growers ? 



I will answer that question. It has been the growers 

 themselves, for in most cases the apple has been a side is- 

 sue, and nobody knows what a lot of these old landmarks 

 would have done if they had been given half a show, as it 

 is you will find a good many of these old trees here in New 

 England that are from fifty to seventy-five and some of 

 them a hundred years old still bearing large crops of fruit, 

 although everything possible was done to kill them. I may 

 injure the feelings some of you who are still in the same old 

 rut, but nevertheless I am going to give you my observation 

 of the matter, where I know the trouble lies and the remedy. 



