STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 51 



Hon. Washington Gilbert of Bath. The report of the Corres- 

 ponding Secretary is of so general a character that I imagine any- 

 one called upon as I am, must feel some misgiving as to what he 

 ought to say. It is said, however, by the Chair, that some dis- 

 cussion in reference to the system of Mr. Pell may be profitable. 

 And I think so myself. 



This orchard has long been celebrated in the country, and it is a 

 matter, perhaps not so much of wonder as of regret, that the ex- 

 ample is not imitated in our own State. I am well persuaded that 

 for some varieties of long-keeping apples for shipment, the State 

 of Maine has advantages equal to any of the other States. I sup- 

 pose that by those who assume that Maine is the greatest State 

 for apple culture, as well as for almost anything else, I may be 

 considered hypochondriacal in holding that there are other States 

 that have greater general advantages than the State of Maine. 

 But I don't think that we gain anything by shutting our eyes to 

 the facts in that respect. And while I am willing to concede, and 

 do maintain, that there is a greater variety of excellent apples pro- 

 duced in some of the other States, I still contend that Maine has 

 ample scope and variety enough ; that we have large and numerous 

 tracts of land that are best adapted to the culture of apples, and 

 that by skill, and energy, and perseverance, the best varieties that 

 best thrive in these best orchard lands, and will yield the most 

 profit, can be ascertained. And while we see such vast amounts 

 of capital invested in various other enterprises, many of which 

 have been made successful only by reason of the greatest energy 

 and efibrt, by the intensity of application in the pursuits of the 

 several branches of business, which have thus been forced into 

 success, — an application as great as it is possible, in many in- 

 stances, for the human mind and the human frame to endure — it is, 

 as I said, perhaps not so much a matter of wonder as of regret that 

 this field of enterprise is not more cultivated. We content our- 

 selves with a fruit garden, or an orchard of an acre in extent, or s, 

 very few acres, at most. The examples of orchards reaching to 

 the extent of ten acres, are very rare. And we know how very 

 many farms and homesteads there are throughout the State where 

 there is not a single tree ; how many more there are where there 

 have been a few trees planted and neglected, until there is not a 

 single tree there, while thousands of hungry children are con- 

 stantly uttering devout but mute prayers for the gratification 



