24 STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



^fteriaooii Session. 



Mot at 2 o'clock P. M . when the President, Hon. R. H. 

 Gardixei!, nuide his annual address, which was listened to with 

 close attention. 



Opexixg Address of the President. 



This is the eleventh year of the existence of the Alaine State 

 Pomological Society, and in accordance with custom, your President 

 will say a few words of introduction to the various exercises of tliis, 

 our winter meeting. In the few years that we have existed as a 

 Society, we think it will generally be acknowledged that we have 

 accomplished a good work, and at any rate, never in the history of 

 our State, has so much attention been given to orcharding as now, 

 and very man}' farmers begin to realize that a good orchard well 

 cared tor, yields more income and at a less cost than any other 

 product of the farm. 



Our last winter meeting was held at Biddeford, which was in many 

 respects a very satisfactory meeting, with a fine display of fruit, and 

 where we were cheered b}- the presence of Friend Taylor, so devoted 

 and enthusiastic a member of oui' Society from the beginning, who, 

 notwithstanding his advanced age, had driven in a sleigh to attend 

 the meeting, some ninety miles, the thei'mometer a portion of the 

 time twenty degrees below zero, and bringing with him some 

 eighteen or twenty varieties of handsome apples for exliibition. 

 Alas ! his presence no longer greets us, but at all our meetings he 

 will ever be remembered with affection and respect. 



The summer of 1882 will ever be noted for the long continued 

 drouth, in consequence of which, the larger portion of the apple 

 crop, which had been so very promising, fell off or was affected with 

 worms, and was generally small and not well colored. Heavy 

 I'ains fell the middle of September, which in some instances wonder- 

 fully improved the apples both in size and color, but it came too late 

 to be of very general benefit. As the supply of apples in Maine 

 was far from abundant, high prices were expected ; but from the 

 supply of windfalls, the apples from Massachusetts, wdiere the 

 crop was abundant but very inferior, and also the best qualities of 

 apples from Missouri and Arkansas — one county in the latter State 

 produced over a million of barrels — the prices ruled low till late in 

 the season. Our autumn exhibition was held the last of September 

 in connection with the State Fair, and taking into consideration the 



