STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 23 



CO-OPERATI\'E AGRICULTURAL CREDIT ASSOCIA- 



TIONS. 



Address. by Prof. G. W. Stevens of the University of Maine. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: It will be noted on the regular pro- 

 gram that President Aley of the University was to have ad- 

 dressed the gathering at this time. To those of you who may 

 have been in some degree induced to come this afternoon in 

 the expectation of hearing President Aley, I oiler my sympa- 

 thy. I shall upon my return to Orono extend my sympathy 

 also to President Aley for his failure to have opportunity to 

 witness the magnificent display here before us, but I am re- 

 minded in this connection that there is apt to be no loss without 

 some gain and I most heartily congratulate myself upon being 

 here to have some humble relation to the program this afternoon 

 and above all to have opportunity to observe this magnificent 

 display of apple products. 



The subject to which I am to address myself for a few mo- 

 ments this afternoon is perhaps not entirely adapted to such 

 an occasion as this. It is one which in the nature of the case, 

 to be presented with any fullness calls for a mass of detail that 

 the limits of time will not permit to be presented this after- 

 noon; and it is, of course, as the chairman of the meeting an- 

 nounced, one of a general character. It has no special relation 

 to any specialized set of people in agriculture. But I am very 

 sure that this movement, which is already finding a beginning 

 in this country, if it advances to successful fulfillment will re- 

 quire as a condition of that advance the effort of just .such 

 progressive organizations as this, and therefore it is not unfit- 

 ting, I am sure, to briefly consider some of the elements con- 

 tained in this movement. 



Agriculture as an industry has made very material advance in 

 this country in the last several decades. The farmer has aban- 

 doned the more or less indifferent, slipshod methods in his 

 mdustry. He has been acquiring information as to the meth- 

 ods and processes of his industry. He has been acquiring 

 knowledge of the nature of his materials and his product. In 



