RESPONSE. 



Edward L. White, Bowdoinham. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Citizens of the Tozvn 

 of A^orzcay: 



I need not say that it is a great source of pleasure to me to 

 express the sincere thanks of the Maine State Pomological 

 Society for your kind welcome to us within your borders. I 

 might, by the consent of the members of the Pomological So- 

 ciety, relate to you the history of your invitation to the executive 

 board of this society. I might say there were several other 

 invitations, but it was the opinion of one and all, spoken right 

 out, "Let us go to the town of Norway. We will certainly 

 have a good time." And when I say that, I think I express 

 the opinion of all the members of the Maine State Pomological 

 Society. And in a simple, friendly way, I think I can sincerely 

 say that it has been one of the greatest aims of the Maine State 

 Pomological Society to get within its membership the growers 

 of fruit. I noticed a short time ago that a committee picked 

 out to judge fruit was picked out in this way, — a wholesaler, a 

 retailer, a consumer. Where does the producer come in, — the 

 grower of fruit? 



It has been told me in the history of grape fruit that the pro- 

 ducer raised the fruit, and then he had to educate the consumer 

 that he needed the fruit before the wholesaler and the retailer 

 would handle it. And when we come to the Mcintosh apple, 

 and look back a few years ago and find it way down among 

 the lowest and now way up among the fancy articles, we can 

 say the same of that as we could of the grape fruit. It was 

 something that the grower had and the consumer didn't know 

 anything about it. The grower knew it was good to eat, and 

 the consumer didn't. Therefore the producer had to use his 



