STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. IJ 



much interested in. The same census report for 19 lo gives us 

 some very interesting data on this subject. It reports 42,976 

 farms as having in bearing 3,476,716 apple trees. It also re- 

 ports 17,362 farms as having, not in bearing, 1,047,128 trees 

 (whether on the same farms or not I don't know), making a 

 total of 4,522,373 apple trees in Maine, and it gives the value 

 of the apple crop gathered in 1909 at $2,123,816, being 3,636,181 

 bushels, and a gain over 1899 of 1,421,773 bushels. 



I remember of reading somewhere in an old publication, I 

 think issued about 1700, in regard to the State of Maine, that 

 it was then not determined whether apple trees could be raised 

 m Maine or not. The report said that there were a few old 

 trees found living, along the coast, that it was assumed had been 

 planted by the early French settlers, but the drift of the article 

 was to the effect that apple trees could not be raised profitably 

 in this climate. 



There are many other very interesting figures that might be 

 given in regard to our orchard products, but these are enough 

 to show something of the business within our borders. The 

 past few years have demonstrated the practicability of spending 

 more time and money on the orchards. We have found that an 

 apple tree does not differ much from a hill of corn. It needs 

 plowing and harrowing, weeding, and to have the suckers re- 

 moved, and plenty of fertilizer to produce good ears or good 

 apples. The scientists have come to our aid and shown us that 

 both fungous grov.'th and insects which prey upon the trees and 

 upon the fruit can be avoided by the simple and inexpensive 

 process of spraying with chemicals and poisons. We have 

 also passed the period when we believe that an orchard can be 

 expected to bear only once in two years, — if properly fertil- 

 ized and care is taken that both years' crops are not picked at 

 one time. So, at least, I may say that we have arrived at a stage 

 in the understanding of the science of orcharding where we 

 know that trees can live and thrive in the State of Maine, and 

 this exhibition demonstrates the fact that we can produce as 

 fine fruit as is produced anywhere in the world. More than 

 this, if you will go to the agricultural department at Washing- 

 ton, you will find charts showing where different agricultural 

 products in the United States grow naturally, and as strange 



