STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. I4I 



would tell me that I shouldn't put on the market only such and 

 such apples. It don't go down. It don't fit. It wouldn't with 

 me anyway. 



Now I would rather see this done, I would rather see a law 

 enacted that a man should put his name on every package of 

 apples that he puts on the market, the name of that variety, its 

 grade, and the place where he lives ; then send it to the market, 

 and when they open that barrel, if a man buys it and finds it 

 isn't what it is labeled, the grade it is said to be, if he goes to 

 market the next day and sees that same man's name there he 

 will examine that barrel of apples to see if it is like the other, 

 and if he gets bit more than once, you may rest assured that he 

 will be careful not to get bit the third time. In that way we will 

 help the grading of apples. Now before any such law could be 

 enacted, we have got to begin at the bottom and that is, grow 

 better fruit. Now we like to have people pat us on the back 

 and tell what nice things we have, what nice fruit we grow, and 

 that we can do better here than anywhere else in this great land, 

 but is that the way to do? That don't improve us one bit. 

 When we stay at home and look at ourselves, we think we are 

 somebody. When we go away and mix with other people, we 

 don't know where we are — we are not half as big as when we 

 were at home ; and so with our fruits. We have got to begin at 

 the bottom and grow better fruit, for we don't grow our fruits 

 in Massachusetts, we don't grow apples in Massachusetts, and 

 I think a majority of you here in Maine don't grow apples. 

 What do you do to grow them? Set out the trees, gather the 

 fruit, — that is about all. Now before we are ready for any such 

 legislation as is asked for, we have got to grow better fruit. 

 And then, why if we grow better fruit, and only good fruit, why 

 what use is there for this legislation? You are smart enough 

 to look out for your own interests, and I try to be to look out 

 for mine and to do what is going to give me the best returns. 

 Now these Western apples — they bring up instances of the 

 Oregon fruit, the Washington fruit, the prices they get — yes, 

 they do get big prices, but mark this — are you willing to grade 

 your apples the same as they do? Their rule is that no apple 

 shall go into a box that has any defect at all, — even if while 

 picking the stem is pulled out that apple is not packed in that 



