38 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY, 



and over the canons of the Sierras, across waterless deserts, and 

 thrniig^h the Hoosac Mountains — shall he, must he, lay down van- 

 quished at the approach of a crawling caterpillar, a codling moth, 

 or a curculio ? The idea is actually too serious to be ridiculous. 



Notwithstanding the season was so unfavorable to the produc- 

 tion of fruit, our exhibition at Portland succeeded in drawing 

 together a very creditable collection of fruits — excellent in sample 

 and certainly satisfactory in extent and variety. This success in 

 such a season proves conclusively that we have secured a hold 

 upon the leading fruit growers of the State which may be relied 

 on at all times. This is certainly encouraging to our youthful 

 Society. While its officers and members are struggling to make 

 its exhibitions successful and its meetings useful, and are laboring 

 in all ways to promote the interest they have in hand, it certainly 

 is encouraging to know they have the good wishes and can depend 

 on the assistance of prominent individuals interested in pomology. 

 The arrangement of holding the exhibition in connection with that 

 of the State Agricultural Society, gave good satisfaction to the 

 friends of our Society, inasmuch as it gave opportunity at the same 

 time, and without additional expense, to visit the general exhibi- 

 tion. The business relations between the two societies were car- 

 ried out it) a manner perfectly satisfactory to all concerned, and 

 with perfect harmony and understanding. It is a question, how- 

 ever, wliether the distinctive usefulness of our Society is promoted 

 to that extent in a combined exhibition that it would be separate 

 and distinct. It is true we get more visitors to a combined exhi- 

 bition, yet the interest is not concentrated so closely upon this 

 one department, and there is less opportunity and less inclination 

 to stud3' it in detail. The future course of the Society in this 

 regard should, and doubtless will, receive careful consideration. 



The Catalogue of Fruits, published in the last report, and to the 

 preparation of which was given much careful attention, on the 

 whole was well received by the intelligent fruit growers of the 

 State. It is a difficult matter for even our best informed fruit grow- 

 ers to arrange a catalogue of fruits that will be satisfactory even to 

 themselves, and still more difficult is it to satisfy a discriminating 

 public. The list, however, needs some careful pruning. In the 

 small fruit class it should be more elaborate, and should be fol- 

 lowed b}' a full description of varieties and the success attending 

 their cultivation in this State. Thus it would become an intelli- 



