4 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



were shipping their fruits to the South and West. If our 

 best growers ship their fruit away, and market their culls 

 together with the fruit from our poorer growers in our home 

 market, how long will we have a reputation in our state for 

 good fruit? Will it not pay us to cultivate our own markets 

 more carefully? 



I am beginning to wonder if we have not become so much 

 absorbed in the education of the producer that we have neg- 

 lected the education of the consumer. Most of them already 

 realize that there are no other peaches or strawberries that 

 equal Connecticut-grown. Let us not rest content until we 

 have brought them to the point of believing, what we already 

 know to be true, that no better pears, apples, or grapes can 

 be grown than those produced on our Connecticut hillsides. 



Our institute work is one of the most successful methods 

 of reaching the small grower and farmer, bringing them in 

 touch with our largest and most advanced growers. The 

 effect of this work in improving the quality of the fruit grown 

 cannot be estimated. Its results are cumulative, and will be 

 appreciated more and more as the years go by. 



The year as a whole has not been a prosperous one for 

 our growers. Apples were a short crop and the peach crop 

 was a complete failure excepting a few specially favored 

 localities. Good prices have prevailed throughout, however, 

 and I doubt not that most of our members will be able to find 

 the dollar required for renewal of membership. 



One result of the failure of the peach was to make a 

 ready market for Japan plums at a remunerative price. 



The peach yellows has been unusually prevalent the past 

 season and has caused much anxiety to our growers. We 

 hope this meeting may bring out some helpful suggestions. 



Peach growers no longer fear the scale, but when it 

 attacks the old forty-foot apple tree it becomes an entirely dif- 

 ferent proposition. The spread of the scale on shrubs and 

 trees in the villages and cities, where the owners are not pre- 

 pared to fight them, means much to the fruit grower. It will 

 undoubtedly destroy many of the family apple trees, pear 



