No. 4.] FRUIT GROWING. 33 



New England is the home of conservatism. It is jnst be- 

 ginning to dawn upon her that she is still an agricultural 

 factor to be reckoned with; that her soils are not worn out, 

 but only need intelligent care ; that she possesses strategic 

 advantages that are of wonderful value. With this awaken- 

 ing she needs more the spirit of the west to see her strong 

 points and let others see them also. With changing conditions 

 she must change as w^ell. The day of the general farmer has 

 gone In*. Raising an acre of corn, some potatoes, a few tons 

 of hay, dabbling in poultry, making milk to fatten the con- 

 tractors, besides harvesting what apples grew in spite of 

 neglect, have in my opinion been the curse of New England 

 agriculture. To be a poultryman, dairyman and fruit grower 

 combined has as much of logic in it as for a professional man 

 to try to be a preacher, doctor and lawyer, all in one. All lines 

 of agriculture have their rewards for those who master their 

 subject. Specialization, in my opinion, is the keynote of the 

 hour. Success depends on the man and his location. Fruit 

 growing has been my specialty ; it is on this subject and the 

 advantages New England offers along these lines that T wish 

 to speak. 



A few years ago I gave a talk on the growing of fruit in a 

 certain ^Massachusetts town within thirty miles of Boston, 

 trying to point out what a wonderful opportunity was at its 

 very door ; how the town itself was in one of the best natural 

 fruit sections of the State ; how this market called for first- 

 class apples, but Avent to the Pacific coast to get them ; how it 

 hungered for small fruits, but had to go beyond the Hudson 

 before this demand could be satisfied. Here w^as the land 

 naturally adapted to these crops within teaming distance of 

 Boston, in case the freight rates were excessive; here was the 

 market trying to get the best fruit that could be produced, and 

 able to pay for it ; yet when I told them that they could pro- 

 duce apples which would sell for as much as, or more than, 

 the highest market quotations, and small fruits also, they 

 thought I had indulged in some flight of fancy, or was carried 

 away by my enthusiasm. " What," they said, " sell apples 

 in boxes for $2 and $0 ? Why, that is all that we can expect 

 for barrels ; and, besides, the commission men w^ant them that 



