STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. pi 



STARTING THE ORCHARD. 

 E. Cyrus Miller, Haydenville, Mass. 

 Ladies and Gentlemen: 



I have come a long distance to see you. I have enjoyed being 

 here; I have enjoyed the people, and the beauty of your coun- 

 try ; but I really came down here to bring you a message. You 

 remember the little story that was so mfich in vogue a few years 

 ago, the message to Garcia, that had such a wonderful circu- 

 lation. It was a simple story, but still a story of wonderful 

 truth. It was a story of taking a message to Garcia, in Cuba, 

 and the adventures of the one who took it, showing the spirit 

 of the man who took the message. 



I believe I have a message for you here today. I have a 

 message for every farmer and for everyone that is interested in 

 agriculture in New England. I have been preaching this for 

 years, and I believe I have this to do, and so I have come down 

 here today to give you the best that is within me, out of my 

 years of experience in establishing an orchard and studying the 

 problems that underlie it, and its different phases. I have come 

 down here to try to be helpful to you, and ask you now to just 

 give me a few moments of your time. 



I have brought with me a few photographs which I shall now 

 take the liberty to start in circulation, and which will give you 

 an idea of some of the points on which I propose to touch. 



I have spoken about the charm of the people and the beauty 

 of your scenery. Yesterday, instead of attending your meet- 

 ings here, I wandered away over the fields to visit and enjoy 

 the hospitality of one of your most successful and prominent 

 fruit growers. And I want to assure you it was a most delight- 

 ful day to me, a day of pleasure, and also a day that widened 

 and broadened my experience, as far as understanding the 

 natural conditions as they exist in your state, as applied to the 

 growing of the apple. 



My good friends, you do not comprehend the wealth of these 

 hillsides that are spread out over your beautiful State of Maine. 

 I wish you might see how those naked fields might be clothecf 



