SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



THE 1905 APPLES. 



So far as it was possible to do so, many apples grown last 

 year were held in storage until after our report for 1905 was 

 made up, hence it seems proper to refer to their sale. The 

 prices in some cases were well nigh record-breakers and deserve 

 mention in this report. 



The six hundred barrels grown in the $2850 orchard referred 

 to in last year's report were sold for $3.50 per barrel. So thai 

 the crop went a long way toward returning the purchase money 

 in less than one year from the purchase of the orchard. This 

 year (1906), it may be added, this orchard produced two hun- 

 dred barrels. 



One grower in Skowhegan had 264 barrels of Ben Davis for 

 which jie received $1056 at the railroad station in that town. 



Eighty barrels of Gravensteins from the Pope orciiara 

 returned a check for $360. 



A carload of apples from the Staples' orchard, containing 

 ninety-one barrels of No. 2 and no barrels of No. i, sold in 

 the Boston market for a net sum of $911.91. The Northern 

 Spy in the lot sold for $8 per barrel. Hall & Cole stated that 

 this was the most money paid for a carload of apples sold in 

 Boston during the season. 



BETTER CULTURE. 



Our people are beginning to realize the value of the orchard, 

 and they realize as never before that to produce the best results 

 the orchard must have the best treatment. It is interesting to 

 note that the most productive orchards this year are those that 

 have received the most intelligent care. As one goes about over 

 the State the evidence of this accumulates. More orchards are 

 plowed and harrowed; more orchards are the feeding grounds 



