112 STATE POMOLOaiCAL SOCIETY. 



and was, to my mind, the only one that in all respects equalled 

 the Maine apples. The^e were good, sound, smooth, nicely col- 

 ored apples, susceptible of high polish, and in every sense first- 

 class fruit. In this collection alone were found well grown 

 specimens of the Blue Pearmain equal in size to ours. The 

 Gravensteiu and Yellow Bellflower (persistently called by them 

 Bishop Pippin) excelled ours. 



From Quebec was a large collection of apples, many of which 

 were seedlings, such as we consign to the cider-mill. 



The exhibition of fruit from Ontario had been long on the tables, 

 and hence was stale, so that we could not judge of its merits. 



I was disappointed in the show of fruit from Minnesota. It 

 was but little more than half the size of our samples. Pennsyl- 

 vania too, was scarcely up to our standard in size, and made but 

 little effort to display fruit. Iowa had a fine collection of artificial 

 fruits. These were all of wax, in natural colors, and if they were 

 fair representativ^es, I judge that Iowa produces good fruit. Per- 

 fection of outline, enormous size and high colors are more easily 

 attained in wax than grown iipon trees. We were not favored 

 with any New York fruit at this time, — neither from any New 

 England State save our own. There were most excellent samples 

 of evaporated fruits on exhibition, of which, in the absence of a 

 proper knowledge of the methods of preparing, and the profits of 

 the business, I can say nothing — except that the idea would ap- 

 pear to force itself upon us, that here is an opportunity for the 

 profitable consumption of our surplus fruits in the over-bearing 

 years. Some of us have been faint-hearted, when we have looked 

 out upon the bountiful harvest, and ready to cry out, "the busi- 

 ness is overdone — it will not pay." Perhaps, with these new 

 processes of preparing fruit so that it will keep in perfection an 

 indefinite length of time, richer harvests await us. There need 

 be no fear of overdoing the fruit raising of Maine. In some por- 

 tions of this State the crop of apples was entirely cut off the past 

 year, but prices ruled low on account of the enormous crops 

 raised in Massachusetts and farther West. 



It is a singular occurrence, when in the markets of Maine a 

 barrel of apples may be bought for the price of two bushels of 

 potatoes, or less. Notwithstanding the extremely low prices of 

 apples in the month of October, good winter fruit has brought 

 $1.00 per bushel since the middle of December. Let us, then, 

 seek to grow such varieties as shall meet the demand in our 



