6 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



work with his trees and plants, some problem solved or loss 

 of crop averted, the public shown the value and appreciation 

 of fine fruits, and, best of all, our members drawn closer to- 

 gether for mutual help, protection and profit. Is not this a 

 record which we may claim with some prides- 

 It may seem to some of you like ancient history to dwell 

 upon what has been accomplished during the past year, when 

 the present and future claim our attention so insistently, but 

 we think a brief summary of the work of 1908 will be of some 

 interest and should help us in planning for the year to come. 

 To begin with, 



Our Membership 



is of first importance, for upon that depends the very life 

 of the Society. It is our aim year by year to put our strong- 

 est and best effort into this matter of membership, not only 

 to obtain new members, but to keep interested in our w^ork all 

 our old members. I regret that the results for the past few 

 years have not been more satisfactory, the number of new 

 members gained just about balancing the number of old mem- 

 bers who allow their membership to lapse. 



Yet we have no reason to feel discouraged, for Connecti- 

 cut has one of the largest Societies, in point of members, of 

 any State of its size : still, there are undoubtedly hundreds of 

 persons in our State who should be connected with the Society 

 for their own good and the good of the fruit interests of Con- 

 necticut, and it should be a part of our mission to reach these 

 people and interest them. 



From February 1, 1908, to February 1, 1909, we have 

 added 93 new members. These, with the total membership 

 of 538 which I reported to you one year ago, makes a total 

 number of names on our list for the year of 631. Since the 

 last annual meeting eight members have been lost by death, 

 and in addition we have dropped from the roll, because of 

 failure to renew memberships during the year, 108 members. 



