32 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the exhibition drawn out at this time, and in the exercises of 

 this convention, will be a confirmation of a continuance of the 

 same good will. 



The pomology of the State has had a valuable ally in the 

 Experiment Station connected with the University of Maine at 

 Orono. Early in its work the Station recognized the importance 

 to the State of our fruit industry, and at once entered upon 

 experimental work in its behalf. This has been continued, 

 according to the means apportioned to its use for the purpose, 

 as the bulletins of the Station have shown, up to the present 

 time. It would have been of interest to have shown the money 

 outlay made from year to year by the Station, and also by the 

 University in its support of the chair of Horticulture, but I was 

 informed by the officers in charge that the complication of 

 expenditures was such as to render their separation into distinct 

 classes impracticable. That greatly enlarged work along horti- 

 cultural lines in our State is needed every one familiar with 

 present conditions is well aware. It is known that by a recent 

 act of Congress the Government aid in support of the Experi- 

 ment Stations was substantially increased. In view of enlarged 

 working funds fruit growers would seem to be justified in look- 

 ing for increased work in behalf of the fruit industry. 



That the growing of fruit, especially of apples, is found 

 eminently profitable there is abundant evidence among our suc- 

 cessful growers. Our Society for some years has been urging 

 more attention to the culture and the care of orchards that 

 increased profits might be realized. That this teaching has 

 met a widespread response among growers of fruit the large 

 increase in the number of orchards under cultivation and the 

 increased bounty of the bearing trees in all parts of the State 

 give encouraging testimony that the efforts of the Society are 

 m.eeting an encouraging response. In this direction, however, a 

 serious obstacle stands in the way. Very few of our Maine 

 apple producers make their orchards a leading feature of their 

 farm operations. The orchard is a sort of side attachment to 

 the general farming. In far too many cases, if not a general 

 rule, the orchard gets only the time, attention and care that 

 happens to be left after the general farming has been attended 

 to. So it is that the orchard is so generally neglected and its 

 possibilities so rarely realized. When om- fruit growers make 



