EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING 69 



crop of '98 had been almost an entire failure, except in 

 the" case of small fruits, which had been more than usually 

 abundant, not only here, but in adjoining states. The 

 markets were flooded with them, at prices lower than ever 

 had been known before — conditions that are not likely to 

 exist again during the lifetime of the members of this 

 Society, so that there is no necessity for any discourage- 

 ment whatever. 



What apples there were in the state last season proved 

 to be of poor-keeping quality and had not marketed 

 satisfactorily. 



The Connecticut public is an appreciative and buying 

 one, and the increasing demand for fine fruit constantly 

 kept ahead of the increase in population. Even at the low 

 price of small fruit in '98, growers received greater net re- 

 turns than from the other average farm crops of the state. 

 That the general line of fruit culture is far more profitable 

 than other branches of agriculture is evinced by the fact 

 that in any section of the state where fruits are profitably 

 grown, adjoining lands of similar character, when put upon 

 the market for sale, command for fruit purposes three and 

 four times the price paid for those wanted for general 

 agriculture. 



No branch of fruit culture is receiving more attention 

 at present than the long neglected apple. For the first 

 century and a half in the settlement of our country, the 

 apple was planted entirely for the purpose of cider making. 

 In later years a moderate supply of standard varieties was 

 planted for home use, the surplus being sold in the market, 

 but only within very recent years has any considerable 

 attention been paid to this crop as a specialty of great 

 commercial value. 



Acres upon acres of so-called "abandoned farm lands" 

 in Connecticut, if planted in good varieties of red winter 

 apples might easily be made to earn dividends on land 

 value of $1,000 per acre, and yet such lands are now on 

 the tax list at prices ranging from $5 to $15 per acre. In 

 the market, just then, a bushel of good apples would sell 

 for as much as two bushels of wheat, and yet to produce 

 a dollar's worth of wheat would take thirty times as much 



