STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 69 



porters, but I see nothing so far as the interests of the State Agricul- 

 . tural .Society and the public are concerned that would not make these 

 annual gatherings within tlie Society's grounds more popular and vastly 

 more educational. I have read the doings of various national gather- 

 ings during the American Fat Stock Shows in Chicago. Can any one 

 doubt the value of the work done by them? So potent are they that 

 the direct influence of these meetings is felt from the Atlantic to the 

 Pacific, on the Maine farm, the western cattle rauche and even in the 

 balls of Congress. 



SOME ONE NEAR TO EXPLAIN. 



The exhibits may be made more instructive in many instances, if 

 there could be some one near at hand familiar with them to explain 

 them to the crowd. One of the most valuable exhibits of the last 

 fair in Lewiston was a fine display of the various ingredients of 

 which commercial fertilizers are made. The exhibit was made by 

 our State College at Orono, and had there been at hand a professor 

 or a corps of students to have explained to the farmers the exhibit 

 in detail, it would have been an excellent advertisement for the Col- 

 lege and a grand opportunity of lielping the fjinners. This is no 

 more than one ol our we&lein agriculiural colleges is doing. We 

 can do a little more in our department in the same way, though I 

 think exhibitors for various reasons are likely to be found near their 

 own fruits a large part of the time, and so far as it has been ray 

 privilege to meet them they are always ready to give any informa- 

 tion in their power. 



MORE AGRICULTURAL TEACHING NEEDKO. 



The larger part of our people are engaged in agricultural pursuits, 

 and it is a lamentable fact in view of this to know how little agri- 

 cultural teaching is done in the public schools. There are studies 

 with reference to future industrial pursuits, but agricultuie is not 

 among them. There would be no difficudty in introducing the study 

 of natural history, which would include our domestic animals, the 

 birds, reptiles and insects. Among these are found the enemies to 

 fruit culture, and their habits once learned in the school-room would 

 the more easily enable future generations to prevent or in a meas- 

 ure ccmtrol their ravages. Children are naturally very fond of flow- 

 ers, and will enjoy their study. This study carried a little further 

 covers the entire production of the soil. It would help the farmer 



