STATE POJrOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 25 



scarcely an effort being made to keep them in bearing condition. 

 Why is this? Is it because orcharding does not pay ? Probably it 

 does not to them. What is the answer? It occurs to me that it is 

 because of ignorance or carelessness of the farmer, perhaps in the 

 selection of varieties adapted to the soil, but more especially in be- 

 stowing upon the orchards proper care. The trees of the forest 

 srow, and why should not the trees of the orchard ? they may reason. 

 Pruning and mulching are rarely resorted to ; the result is fruit in- 

 ferior in quality and quantity, and iU-shapen trees. This ignorance, 

 if you choose so to call it, can only be remedied by educating the 

 farmer in the practical methods of caring for his orchards. Tins 

 cannot be done by theoretical treatises, for they will not be read, 

 much less practiced ; but it can be accomplished by just such exhi- 

 bitions as vou have here today ; by seeing the fine display of fruit 

 upon these tables; by conversing with the active members of this 

 Society, and especially by listening to the good, practical, common 

 sense essays, that, I doubt not, will be read before this meeting. I 

 hope means will be provided to enable the history of your proceed- 

 ings to be scattered all over our State, that all interested in fruit 

 culture may have the benefit of your wisdom. 



Again, I^Ir. President, for what your Society has done in the past, 

 for what it is now doing, and for what it proposes to do, I cordially 

 welcome you to this city, and hope your stay will be pleasant and 

 profitable. 



The Secrktaky responded as follows : 



Having been designated by the President to reply, in behalf of 

 this Society, to the cordial welcome, which has been extended to it 

 by the gentleman who has addressed us in behalf of the govern- 

 ment and citizens of Gardiner, allow me to say that in accepting 

 the invitation the Society feels itself not only highly honored by the 

 complimentary terms in which it is expressed, but grateful, also, for 

 so kindly a reception as we have met. We are not strangers to the 

 people of Gardiner ; we remember that a little more than four years 

 ago, we held in this city one of our most successful annual exhibi- 

 tions ; and that on another occasion, we held here a winter meeting, 

 similar to this, which was highly satisfactory in its character and 

 results. The pleasant recollections of these two occasions linger in 

 our memories ; the goodly number of citizens who are or have been 

 members of the Society affords another bond of sympathy, and 

 we come back to this busy and beautiful city almost with a feeling 



