Q STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



knowledge he had of the country. Moreover, he is charged by the 

 editor of his works, (page 6,) with a " dislike to the Massachusetts 

 government and people, which * * * may not unfairly be 

 connected with his brother's political and religious differences with 

 Massachusetts." This, together with his exclusive residence in 

 Maine, gives to his rare and valuable works a local character, 

 which is my only justification for having quoted from them so freely 

 as I have done. 



From these early plantings, most likely originated the trees near 

 "Old Orchard beach" in Saco, now well known as a place of 

 summer resort. " This name arose from a growth of apple trees 

 formerly near the beach, planted at a very early period ; some of 

 them remained as late as 1770." (Hist. Saco and Biddeford, p. 

 314 ) The apple tree is of comparatively slow growth, and, under 

 favorable conditions, of long duration ; and if we assign to these 

 trees, which a hundred years ago were in the last stages of decay, 

 the average longevity of their kind, it will carry the date of their 

 planting back to an early period in the history of New England. 



When we find scattering trees known to be of great age, the 

 early individual history of which is not known, (as is the case with 

 most of the very old trees in Maine,) we may well infer that 

 originally there were others in the same locality, and that it is not 

 those which were first planted wliich have survived the longest. 



Happily, however, we are not left altogether to conjectures 

 and inferences. We have well authenticated examples of trees 

 planted and bearing fruit, in this State, early in the seventeenth 

 century, and trees now standing indicating an age of more than 

 two hundred years ; a few of which will be cited. 



The Maine Historical Society, in their field-day exercises at 

 York, the site of the ancient " Agamenticus " or " Gorgeana," in 

 1870, had pointed out to them, the trunks of two apple trees, very 

 much decayed indeed but one ot them still bearing fruit. For the 

 following particulars, which have not been published, I am in- 

 debted to Rufus K. Sewall, Esq., a member of the Society, and 

 himself an indefatigable historian. 



" The bearing tree stood on land which was originally the home- 

 stead farm of Thomas Gorges, an early mayor of " Gorgeana," and 

 Governor of the Province, who established himself there about the 

 year 1641. Tradition averred that this tree had been brought 

 over from England in a tub, and re-planted where it then stood, 

 more than two hundred years ago. The heart of the tree was 



