STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 1/5 



talking of the other. One is, that for the first time since the 

 commissioner of agriculture was created so to speak, or since 

 the office was created, we shall have with us tomorrow Commis- 

 sioner Oilman and his full corps of institute workers to take 

 part and assist us in our meeting. It is a grand idea, because 

 it brings us into harmonious touch with the agricultural depart- 

 ment which is doing such excellent work in the State. 



Another thing which I feel proud of and want to speak of is 

 the generous outpouring of representatives who have come from 

 the University of Maine and the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, and I hope that being with us on this occasion in the 

 way they have come may be one of the features of future years 

 in the affairs of this Society. 



I have been very proud in looking over the records of the 

 Society, in noting wdiat kind of work the Society has been doing 

 in this State. And the most prominent thing I see is that all the 

 time from the very first, since this Society was organized, the 

 Society has stood boldly and squarely for the best things in fruit 

 cultare. They have advocated the best varieties, the best cul- 

 ture and the best methods of selling their fruit. Those are the 

 three things above all others for which this Society has stood. 

 I am proud to be connected with an organization that always 

 stands up for and advocates the best things. And I am pretty 

 sure of another thing, and that is the grand success of this meet- 

 ing which we are having here now will be such that the good 

 people of Gardiner and of Kennebec county \x\\\ want us to hold 

 another meeting here before a great many years, and for one, 

 if I am a member of the Society then, I shall take pride in being 

 here with you. 



]\Ir. T. L. Kinney, President \'ermont Horticultural Society. 

 A few years ago I had the opportunity of visiting various 

 parts of this State for a few days. We rode down from Mon- 

 treal, through this beautiful State, down to Portland, and up 

 this beautiful river this morning, and the exercises of today 

 indeed have filled me with such overflowing anxiety for the 

 horticultural and'the pomological interests of not only the State 

 of Maine but of New England, that I don't know bar lly what 

 to sav. It seems to me that as I think over the State of Maine 



