94 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



I listened to an address of President Eliot of Han-ard 

 University, a few years ago, before the students of the Insti- 

 tute of Technology of Boston, and he spoke of the work of 

 an engineer who built a bridge, or made a tunnel, and he 

 referred to it as being so much more durable, so much 

 greater than the work of a lawyer, minister, novelist, etc. 

 If this is true, what can be said of the man who has changed 

 the crude, worthless form of hundreds of acres of land 

 into orchards of wholesome luscious fruit, taught others 

 how to grow and pack it, developed business for railroads, 

 given employment to hundreds, inspired so many to greater 

 effort, broader knowledege and higher purpose, whom this 

 state is delighted to own and to honor, and whom the Nation- 

 al Society of Pomologists did itself the credit last year of 

 electing its president. 



Xow if you will be generous in regarding these few 

 introductory sentiments, which I feel I could scarcely abbre- 

 viate or suppress. I will turn at once to the more practical 

 phase of my subject. This seems but another occasion to 

 realize that as the years go by how much smaller the world 

 seems to be growing, how much more closely allied seem its 

 people, and how greatly the fellowship and brotherhood of 

 man is extended. 



Our fruit industry in Xova Scotia v»"as started by the 

 French, who occupied the country one hundred and tifty 

 years before those Anglo Saxons from Xew England 

 took up the work and with new varieties and larger 

 ambitions extended the orchard areas. A number of the 

 orchards planted by these immigrants are still in healthy 

 bearing condition to-day. I have such an orchard of four 

 acres, probably one hiuidred and sixty years of age. The 

 principal agency in the fruit development has been the Fruit 

 Growers' Association, established in 1863. In 1870 the fruit 

 shipment of apples began outside the provinces. In 1871 

 the orchard acreage was recorded at 13.614. To-day the 

 acreage is from eighty to one hundred thousand. In recent 

 years two-thirds of our crop has been sent to England, and 

 has increased about as follows : In 1890, 53.627 barrels : in 

 1896, 409.733 : in 1903. 550,000. This has practically come 



