EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 71 



" Observations on Apple Growing in the Pacific 



Northwest." 



By Prof. Jo^n Ckaig, Ithaca, N. Y., Professor of Horticulture, New 

 York State College of Agriculture. 



I coil!:; rat 11 late myself on having- the privilege of again 

 meeting with the Connecticnt Pomological Society. It is a 

 privilege, gentlemen, to come before snch a large and such 

 an interested audience as this. I feel that the person who 

 comes on this platform cannot afford to spend your time on 

 presenting merely elementary subjects. I realize that he is 

 addressing an advanced class in pomology. I feel for you to- 

 dav. however, because you are having a pretty heavy pro- 

 fessorial regimen ; I am, of course, not referring to the speak- 

 ers who preceded me, but have special reference to the pres- 

 ent occupant of the platform. I think this meeting is, and 

 should be, primarily, a conference of fruit growers themselves. 

 We have passed the elementary stage, — the beginning class, — 

 when orchardists desire those elementary principles necessary 

 a few years ago. The day is past, also, when there are "pro- 

 fessors of all knowledge." The day has arrived when each 

 investigator has got to look out for his own education and 

 progress in order to keep ahead of the practical fruit grower, 

 because the practical inan in the orchard is close at his heels, 

 and sometimes a little ahead. In luy own State, when I want 

 to get the latest thing in successful orchard practice, I go 

 where there is a good example of this type of orcharding, and 

 acquire the information ; then, perhaps, steal back to my or- 

 chard — like my friend Sears — and put the things I have 

 learned into practice. 



I had a good deal of confidence in Professor Sears before 

 he started this orchard scheme of his at Amherst — I had con- 

 siderable faith in his discenmient- — but when he "broke" into 

 that orchard "stunt" up there only about a mile from his class- 

 room and students, — I have come to the conclusion that he is 

 a man of niight\' poor judgment. I had more sense than that, 



