42 STATE POMULOGICAL SOCIETr. 



for culinary purposes) should not be expressed and distilled into 

 alcoholic beverage, or cider, to curse our race, but converted into 

 vinegar, or fed to our stock, whose health and gratitude will more 

 than compensate us, and the profit of which will richly repay us 

 directly or indirectly. 



We need have little if any fear, that Orcharding as a business 

 will ever be overdone. If ever the time come that our markets or 

 country are so flooded with apples as to render them worthless for 

 market purposes, then let the farmers throughout the country, 

 holding apples for market, feed one-half to three-fourths to their 

 stock ; then the balance would bring them as much money as the 

 whole, thus saving one-half to three-fourths of the fruit for their 

 stock. 



When we have seen fruit displayed at the town, county and 

 state fairs, has there not at the same time come over us a feeling 

 of exquisite gratification that we could almost taste? And have 

 we not been led to exclaim, Oh, how beautiful ! Can it be possible 

 that such beautiful fruit can be grown in Maine ! 



Last autumn, while attending the Poraological Exliibition held 

 at the City Hall in Portland, and also the Sagadahoc County Fair 

 at Topsham, and the various town fairs at Monmouth, Wales, 

 Litchfield and Gardiner, for the purpose of studying the different 

 varieties of apples, pears and plums grown in Maine, I would often 

 hear from the lips of gentlemen and ladies \A attendance the above 

 remarks, or others similar, " How delicious !" " How beautiful !" 

 "Is it possible V &c.; and would at the same time instinctively 

 reach out their hands to touch the fruit. I was often led to re- 

 mark to them, that the trees on which this fruit grew were well 

 cared for, and persistently fed with all the elements that go to 

 make good fruit, and were not robbed by grass and the scythe, 

 which always takes the lion's share. 



All who attended the Pomological Exhibition at Portland, or 

 the county or town shows, and viewed the long tables, spread 

 with delicious fruit of all kinds and varieties — grown on the highly 

 cultivated trees of Maine — must have been impressed with the 

 fact that Maine can grow as good apples and pears as any of her 

 sister States, and much better adapted for shipping to foreign 

 countries. 



Now what are the practical lessons to be learned by all who 

 attended the various shows of fruit, and viewed the rich and beau- 

 tiful agricultural products, grown and presented by intelligent 



