STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY, 33 



ogists and horticulturists of the country, and the essays and dis- 

 cussions gave expression to the best thought of the age upon the 

 subjects considered. The display of fruit was the most varied 

 and extensive ever made in the country, and completely filled the 

 two large exhibition rooms in Horticultural Hall. (A large por- 

 tion of the fruit was generously donated by the proprietors for our 

 own exhibition at Bangor, and has been previously noticed in that 

 connection.) At the same time the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society made a most elaborate and beautiful exhibition of flowers 

 in Music Hall. Among the pleasing incidents connected with the 

 meeting were the reception by His Honor Mayor Pierce, of Bos- 

 ton, a complimentary breakfast at the residence of Wm. Gray, jr., 

 Esq., Boston Highlands, a visit to the celebrated villa of H. H. 

 Hunnewell, Esq., at Wellesley, and the grand closing banquet .at 

 Music Hall, ' These unexpected attentions, combined with the 

 interesting programme of the Society's meetings, made the occa- 

 sion one long to be remembered by those who participated in it ; 

 and it is but just to express here, in behalf of each one of our dele- 

 gates, their hearty individual concurrence in the unanimous 

 expressions of grateful appreciation with which the session termi- 

 nated. 



OUR AIMS AND OBJECTS. 



Opening address of Z. A. Gilbert, Esq., President of the Maine State PomolOgioal 



Society, at its annual meeting, in Bangor, September ITtli, 1873. 



Among the many blessings daily enjoyed by us, and freely scat- 

 tered abroad by an Almighty hand, we count, as of special im- 

 portance, the fruits and flowers which are so profusely distributed 

 on every hand. While they may not rank as first in importance 

 in a list of necessities, they nevertheless are necessary, and supply 

 a link, the importance of which can hardly be over-estimated. 



The growing of fruit as a business, when pursued intelligently, 

 earnestly, and perseveringly, is now, and ever has been, a profit- 

 able business. Not only can this truly be. said of those who have 

 thus followed it in other States, but here, among us, in our own 

 State of Maine, those who have engaged in it for the purpose of 

 realizing a profit therefrom have done that which those who are 

 engaged in general farming, if we take their word for it, have 



lailed to do. They have made the business pay. 

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