STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 35 



agriculture, was not placed in the hands of our members till 

 three-quarters of the present year had passed. This delay of 

 almost a year from the time of the close of the work therein 

 recorded detracts in a large degree from its value. The same 

 also applies to the entire volume of " Agriculture of Maine." 

 The change in the law made by the last legislature places the 

 State printing in the charge of the governor and council, and 

 thereby opens a way by which this printing can be done promptly 

 on the opening of the year. The committee on printing of the 

 council have this matter under arrangement at the present time. 

 Your president has taken the liberty, in view that prompt action 

 was called for, to suggest to that committee that a way is now 

 open for a needed reform in this printing. I now suggest that 

 if this movement meets the approval of this Society, that action 

 be taken to supplement the move already made by your president 

 and thus throw the full influence of the Society in aid of an 

 earlier appearance of our transactions and with it the full volume 

 of " Agriculture of Maine." 



THE INSECT SITUATION IN MAINE. 



At the last annual meeting of the Society it was voted. That 

 a committee be appointed to urge upon the legislature the imper- 

 ative necessity of enacting stringent laws for the protection of 

 the fruit interests of the State, and from the brown-tail moth 

 and other noxious insect pests and fungous diseases, and to 

 represent the Society in securing the desired legislation. 



Report of committee made by D. H. Knowlton : It is 

 unexpected for me to speak upon this matter, but at the same 

 time I shall take considerable pleasure in telling you the story. 



You will remember, going back a little bit, a year ago last 

 spring or towards spring the alarm was sounded that the brown- 

 tail moth was in the State of Maine. Commissioner Gilman, 

 President Gilbert in behalf of our Society, and several others 

 at once appeared before the governor and council and made 

 representations to them of the situation. The governor and 

 council, appreciating at once what the situation was, although 

 no appropriation was made or had been made for such purposes, 

 instructed Mr. Gilman of the agricultural department to go 

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