68 STATE POMOLOmCAL SOCIETY. 



better adapted to our soil and climate than those brought from 

 abroad, and I am glad to see this Societ3' organized, and using 

 its influence to encourage our people to engage in the nursery 

 businetss. 



Mr. J. D. Dudley, of Readfield. I came here this afternoon to 

 hear this discussion and have been deeply interested in it, though 

 somewhat surprised to hear gentlemen advocate the idea that we 

 cannot raise our fruit trees here in Maine. To me, that does not 

 seem reasonable, because it has been done, and what has been 

 done can be done again, as has been said. I have never had 

 much experience in orchards, but T have an orchard of young 

 trees started, and I raised all the trees myself. I have raised 

 several nurseries and have been successful. I have raised trees 

 that made a growth of two or three feet the first year ; the second 

 j-ear they were as large as whip stocks, when I set them out, and 

 they all did well. I do not want to set out a tree that has grown 

 five or six years and is stunted, but prefer to set a tree not over 

 three years old and graft in the limbs. I have seen considerable 

 of the New York trees, and from my observation (not experience) 

 they are not worth the gift wlien we can get good State of Maine 

 trees. The question has been raised here, whether we can grow 

 trees at a profit. I have sold quite a lot of trees at ten cents 

 each and I thought they paid me as well as raising stock or any- 

 thing else, to sell. 



The President. There has been one statement made this after- 

 noon to which I wish to call your attention. Probably it was not 

 made intentionally, and that is that trees grown in the State of 

 Maine cannot be purchased to any considerable extent. The im- 

 pression will go out, if it is not corrected, that an order for 25 

 trees could not be filled in the State of Maine. I think we should 

 hardly allow that to go out uncorrected. The general statement 

 that our nurserymen could not supply the demand of the State of 

 Maine at the present time is certainly correct ; but still we have 

 nurserymen who can readily fill orders for twenty-five or probably 

 twenty-five hundred trees at a time, if called upon. 



Hon. Hannibal Belcher, of Farmington, oflered the following 

 resolution, which was unanimously adopted, viz. : 



Eesolced, That Maine can, and ought to raise her own Fruit 

 Trees. 



Adjourned. 



