STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 39 



gible guide, and would save to the beginner many mistakes and 

 perhaps the loss of much time.* 



Pears are to receive much more attention among us than has 

 been given them in the past. Fruit growers are learning that 

 they may be successfully grown to a large extent. Yet there is 

 great lack of knowledge as regards varieties and their adaptation 

 to Maine, and there is anxious inquiry for facts by which to be 

 governed. The varieties of pears should be written up, that all 

 may avail themselves of the most advanced knowledge available 

 in the State. It would save a vast amount of experimental work, 

 the results of which are largely a knowledge of what not to do. 

 We want to assist in enabling people to lay out work that will 

 result in something positive. Negative results may assist pos- 

 terity, but will not grow pears for the hungry thousands who 

 want them at the present time. 



A list of fruits for amateurs should early receive the attention 

 of the Society. To convince us of the importance of this we have 

 only to go into the fruit gardens of those who have planted with- 

 out an extensive knowledge of varieties, and see the mistakes 

 made in their selections. There is a call here for information which 

 the Society is able to give. No better method presents itself than 

 to raise a committee to prepare a list and present the same to the 

 Society at a future meeting. 



A supplementary list of apples should be prepared, embracing 

 all the varieties tested or grown in the State. There are many 

 standard varieties not now on the list which have been, introduced 

 here and there, but are confined to narrow limits. It is quite 

 probable that some of these are worthy of extensive dissemina- 

 tion. They should be catalogued and described, and the success 

 attending their cultivation given to the public. 



The extreme northerly portion of the State is giving greatly 

 increased attention to the planting of fruit trees, chiefly apple 

 trees. Cultivators there succeed very well with some of the hardy 

 varieties of autumn apples, j^et they have not formed a satisfactory 

 list of winter apples for their locality. Great inquiry is made 

 through Washington, Aroostook and northern Penobscot, Piscat- 

 aquis, and Somerset counties, for good winter apples that are suf- 

 6ciently hardy for their climate. Their seasons are short, and 

 most of those varieties of winter apples which are grown to a 



*The catalogue of fruits as published in this volume was revised by the Society at 

 the Winter meeting, in accordance with the suggestions here made. — Sec. 



