84 state; pomoIvOGicaiv society. 



they could scrape because they wanted the number of barrels 

 and weren't particular for quality. 



Now here is the immediate point for the farmers of Maine. 

 Protect your interests. Protect your market. Protect the 

 quality of your fruit. Don't let that fruit displayed on these 

 tables go to face a mess of slush for some speculator to get rich. 



This neighbor I spoke of who sold his orchard for $500, said, 

 "Yes. I made a pretty good sale, but not very good after all. 

 Think how long I have been cultivating these trees." He has 

 had crop after crop almost as good as that one. I said how 

 many trees did you get these apples from ? Small orchard, only 

 part of it bearing. He said sixty trees. Less than -an acre and 

 a half of apple orchard and he got his $500 without lifting a 

 finger. Look at the profit. But then look again and see what 

 he is doing. He is killing the reputation of that farm and of his 

 neighbors by sending that stuff into market as Champlain Valley 

 apples. You farmers in Maine, it is just as important that you 

 with this reputation you have got for your beautiful long-keep- 

 ing apples, should handle that product yourselves. How can 

 you do it? Here is the commission house. The gentleman has 

 just told us of going to the commission house. Now those com- 

 mission men all know what a good apple is. They can almost 

 look through a barrel without taking of the cover. But tell 

 them what you have got at home, let them know you have got 

 an orchard up in Maine, and not you alone but fifty or twenty- 

 five of your townsmen, and that when they want Snows you will 

 send cars of Snows — if you can't yourself, you and your neigh- 

 bors clubbing together. Co-operation is something that is hard 

 to deal with in Maine and all New England among the farmers. 

 It is not hard to handle in the great West but it is hard with us. 

 I won't put my apples into a car if you are going to put yours 

 into it, and another won't put his into a car that Kinney has any- 

 thing to do with. But we have got to combine. You don't 

 know what I get for my apples. My account is with the com- 

 mission house, and he never divulges what I get or what you get. 

 That is the way we do there. One man don't fill a car alone 

 very often. One of us will see to the shipping. There are a 

 dozen to fifteen home storages in our own little island, running 

 from 2,000 down to 200 barrels in the storehouse, little houses 

 made on purpose for storing apples, nothing else. When I get a 



