THE CONNECriCUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 5 



peaches ; this joke idea sometimes extends to the judge on the 

 bench, but where a fruit-grower has some choice fruit that he 

 is watching till it reaches just the proper stage for picking, 

 it is annoying, to say the least, to wake up some morning to 

 find his trees stripped. Often, if these thieves are caught in 

 the act, they are let off with a mild reprimand from the court. 

 The government free distribution of seeds will probably 

 be kept up, but I would like to see our Society go on record 

 as not favoring it. If only new and choice seeds and plants 

 were distributed, there might be some excuse for it ; but as 

 it is, with the most common varieties sent out and often not 

 true to name, those who plant seeds for profit will not risk 

 a crop by planting the seeds sent. I suspect that more of the 

 seed goes for poultry feed than for growing vegetables. If 

 our law makers could be made to realize how much more the 

 people would be benefited by the parcels post, they would vote 

 to turn the money now wasted in this useless seed business into 

 that channel. 



Our annual fruit exhibition held last fall with the Rock- 

 ville Fair Association was a complete success. Through the 

 revision of our premium list, I think there was a slight decrease 

 in the number of exhibits, but there has been a constant 

 improvement in the quality of the fruit exhibited from year 

 to year. The exhibit of the Connecticut Agricultural College 

 was an exceptionally fine one, both in quality and quantit}'. 

 The policy of accepting the invitation of some other strong 

 society to hold our exhibition in connection with theirs, is 

 thought by your officers to be a good one, as more people will 

 see the exhibit, and thereby be educated to know what good 

 fruit should be, than if we were to exhibit by ourselves. There 

 have been some slight drawbacks that will probably be elimi- 

 nated in tlie future. 



The interest in our Society can only be kept up by a live 

 and large membership. The calls on our officers for institutes 

 and other work in different parts of the state are taking more 

 and more money every year. This expense is met by money 

 received from the state, but a large part of other expenses 

 must be paid for from our membership funds. 



We have now an enthusiastic membership of something 



