6 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



important factor in measuring up the apple situation in the 

 United States. This is the largest crop thus far credited to 

 Maine. 



LARGER ORCHARDS AND BETTER CARE. 



In going about among the fruit growers of the State several 

 facts are noted. One is the increase in the size of the orchards. 

 Twenty-five years ago a man with a thousand apple trees was 

 called an "Apple King." Today there are many orchards^ in the 

 State that contain many more trees than that, and quantities of 

 farmers have five hundred or more trees. The extent of the 

 industry is a genuine surprise to all, and it is very doubtful if 

 more than one-half of the trees have come into bearing. This 

 is indeed significant of what the future has in store for us. 



Another fact to which attention was called in the last report 

 of the Secretary is the better care the orchards are receiving. 

 It is apparent in all parts of the State, that the trees are better 

 fed, better pruned, and it will not be many years when our 

 growers will not permit their trees to bear themselves to death. 



OUTGROWN THE CAPACITY OF THE GROWERS. 



Another interesting and astonishing fact is that the industry 

 seems to have outgrown the capacity of the growers to handle 

 the fruit economically. As a result of this one finds thousands 

 of barrels of fruit unpicked and ruined by the cold. The cellars 

 and store rooms are full of fruit and thousands of barrels of 

 apples are today stored in open sheds and outbuildings, and the 

 slump in the market to no small degree may be traced to the 

 rush of the growers to get their apples into the market before 

 they froze at home. 



So far as conditions in fruit growing have improved in the 

 State our society may justly claim a large share of credit. Ever 

 since its organization the society has held up before the people 

 of the State the possibilities of fruit culture that are being real- 

 ized today. At the same time they have always urged a rational 

 and kindly treatment of the apple tree. 



They have advised against the planting of nursery freaks and 

 steadily held up before the fruit growers the best and most 

 reliable of varieties. Alas, in many cases the oily, polished 

 words of the tree agent have overshadowed all this, and not a 

 few growers have come to grief in consequence. 



