THE OXFORD BEARS FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



E. E. CONANT, MANAGER, MAINE FRUIT GROWERS' EXCHANGE AND OXFORD 

 BEARS FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



I think perhaps the best Vv^ay to begin my talk is to tell you 

 something of the conditions among farmers in Maine. They are 

 about the same as in any other section of the country. While 

 the agricultural prosperity, as measured in terms of production, 

 is equal to that of any part of the country, little effort has ever 

 been given to placing the products of the soil on the market in 

 any businesslike manner. Generally speaking, the farmer dis- 

 poses of his crops in the same hit-or-miss fashion as is common 

 the country over. 



Several years ago conditions among the apple growers in our 

 locality were especially bad. Nearly all of the crop was dis- 

 posed of to local buyers who made their own price. This price 

 the grower had to accept or let his apples rot in the cellar. 

 Under this method the farmers were bidding against one another, 

 always working to their disadvantage, and playing into the 

 hands of the buyers. When a lot of apples consisted of several 

 varieties, the price was usually fixed at the figure offered for the 

 least desirable kind. The grower would sell to the buyer who 

 would pack the largest number of barrels from the lot, throwing 

 out as undesirable the smallest number. This, of course, re- 

 sulted in a very low standard of packing. The few farmers who 

 consigned their apples to the commission houses in the cities 

 were no better off. Ignorance of commercial practices and 

 market conditions resulted in the returns being no better than 

 for apples sold to the local buyers. Cases are on record where 

 the transaction resulted in a complete loss. The returns re- 

 ceived for apples disposed of under this system — or, better, 

 lack of system — were so meager that it is little wonder that 

 the trees received only casual attention. There was little in- 



