No. 4.] BUSINESS SIDE OF AGRICULTURE. 107 



sized apple was the most desirable. If you thin your apples, 

 you get larger fruit. 



Question. What size should the apples be when the 

 thinning commences ? 



Mr. Willard. That depends very much on the circum- 

 stances and the judgment of the man. Our apples are not 

 as far advanced one year at a certain time as they are another. 

 Be sure all the early droppings are over. 



Question. How large should the fruit be in size? 



Mr. Willard. Those apples were thinned the latter part 

 of June or July. They were not a quarter grown. 



The Chairman. We will now adjourn until 2 o'clock. 



Adjourned at 12.15 p.m. 



Afternoon Session. 



The meeting was called to order by Secretary Sessions, 

 who said : the vice-presidents and the executive committee 

 have asked Mr. E. W. Wood, second vice-president of the 

 Board, to preside this afternoon. 



Mr. Wood. The subject selected by the committee for 

 consideration this afternoon is in part a continuation of the 

 subject of the forenoon. If the speaker has ever been through 

 the farming sections of Massachusetts, he will have seen that 

 the subject selected for him to consider is ample ; if he has 

 ever seen our orchards, neglected as they are, where the 

 crops are simply accidental, he will see the necessity of dis- 

 cussing this question which the committee has proposed, 

 which is, "The place that fruit growing should hold in New 

 England agriculture," by S. D. Willard of Geneva, N. Y. 



Mr. Willard. It is needless for me to say to you that 

 I regard myself highly honored in having an opportunity 

 to speak to you this afternoon on the subject which has been 

 referred to. I feel it more particularly for the reason that 

 my early opportunities were not such as to fit me to address 

 an audience of this kind, and I am simply drawing from my 

 own observations and experience in what I shall say to 3011. 

 Further, my friend, Brother Hale, this morning seems to 

 have anticipated in a measure what I shall talk to you about 



