STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. SI 



their trees. Others, more conservative, were content with less 

 summary methods, and turned their attention to seakiiig fruit of 

 finer quality, which they could sell for consumption as fruit, by 

 engrafting their orchards with the finest varieties which they could 

 find, selecting from a range far and wide. As a rule, these efforts, 

 when conducted with any tolerable degree of skill and prudence, 

 were remarkably successful. The trees continued to grow well, 

 they soon came anew into bearing, and continued to bear freely 

 for many years. This was the golden age of fruit culture in Maine. 

 It was during this stage of progress that the Baldwin apple was 

 introduced. Grafted in this way, it was generally found to be suflS- 

 ciently hardy — and by degrees it was proved to possess such a 

 combination of desirable qualities, strength, vigor and productive- 

 ness in the tree, fine appearance, good quality and late keeping in 

 the fruit, that before very long it came to be esteemed as a general 

 favorite, especially as a profitable orchard fruit. 



We now approach another phase oS experience in fruit culture. 

 By degrees, as the orchards just referred to advanced toward old 

 age, attention became turned to the setting out of new orchards. 

 Naturally enough, these orchard ists were desirous to have all their 

 trees produce choice fruit, and, as a labor-saving measure, they 

 adopted the plan of having the trees grafted, or budded, in the 

 nursery while yet young. The success attending this method was 

 less uniform. 



The experience of the past forty or fifty years has taught us some 

 lessons, and demonstrated some truths to which it will be well for 

 us to give heed if we would have as good success in the future as 

 has been experienced in the past. Among these may be mentioned: 



1 St. It has been shown by experience that the improved varie- 

 ties of fruit,, coming to us as they have from a large area of terri- 

 tory embracing diverse climates and soils, are not alike in regard 

 to hardihood, vigor, productiveness and other essential qualities of 

 the tree. We can judge of the worth of a fruit with comparative 

 readiness and certainty ; but whether the tree which produces that 

 fruit is well fitted to our climate, whether it bears freely or scant- 

 ily, whether it be permanently healthy and vigorous, or gradually 

 shows signs of feebleness and sickness, can only be determined by 

 a trial of years in different locations and aspects and soils. 



2d. Experience has shown that some varieties of fruit grow 

 vigorously and make well formed trees when grafted in the nur- 

 sery, and that they continue to grow as well and bear as well when 



