SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 3 



the best of fruits, and I believe we have the men who will grow 

 this fruit in the near future, in a much larger degree than at 

 present. 



Other state organizations are working in accord with us 

 in their special lines to bring out the possibilities of our soil. 

 Ill this the Connecticut Agricultural College is an important 

 factor. The w(^rk of our former President, Professor Gulley, in 

 instructing our young men at the college along practical pomo- 

 logical lines, is beginning to bear fruit on our farms, and will 

 be e\-en more appreciated in the future. The practical work 

 and knowledge of profital)le varieties gained by the instruc- 

 tion at the college is valuable. There are now^ in bearing on 

 the college grounds, 100 varieties of apples, 25 of pears, 40 of 

 peaches, 30 of plums, 15 of cherries, and over 50 of grapes, 

 none of which were there when that department was placed in 

 Professor Gulley's charge. This does not include a long list 

 not yet fruited nor the plantation of ornamental plants. From 

 this it will be seen that the facilities for practical outside work 

 liave been made first-class, and that through this thorough 

 work the college has been able to make exhibits of varieties 

 at our annual exliibition and at several of the fall fairs, which 

 ha\e been object lessons of much value and interest to all lovers 

 of good fruit. 



The special need at the Agricultural College now is for an 

 up-to-date greenhouse and a building for practical winter 

 instruction in horticultural lines. We hope the present Legis- 

 lature will realize that it is for the public good to provide the 

 necessary l)uil(lings. 



It is a cause for congratulation that our State Entomolog- 

 ist, Professor Britton, with the help of the State Board of 

 Agriculture, was promptly on the ground to head off the Gypsy 

 moth on its first entrance into our State. The surprising part 

 of the matter is that it was known locally that the pest was 

 present, six months before being reported to the proper au- 

 thority. It is almost certain that it will appear in other parts 

 of the state in the near future; if so, let us hope that it will be 

 promptly reported. 



No class of farm dwellers are more interested in good 

 roads than fruit growers. The growers who market their 



