74 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



farmers' who never read at all, are the ones that make a 

 market for the fraudulent tree agents. They are, in fact, 

 victims of all sorts of frauds, and always will be. Every 

 sort of villiany and quacking thrives on the ignorance of the 

 people. The only remedy is to educate, educate, educate. 

 They (the ignorant class) will always furnish abundant prey 

 to the human hawks, wolves and hyenas who live by plunder- 

 ing and swindling." 



Whatever I have said respecting the discouraging aspects 

 of orcharding in consequence of the disastrous failures of 

 Avestern trees in this State, will, I trust, not cause any abate- 

 ment of the present interest in the apple tree planting and 

 culture. The orchardists of Maine have great inducements 

 to persevere in their efforts to elevate the standard of their 

 profession. Light and knowledge are taking the place of the 

 gross ignorance of the past, and thoroughness in all processes 

 of cultivation and general treatment of fruit trees, is succeed- 

 ing in some measure the abuse and neglect of the orchards 

 of former times. With the success attending the cultivation 

 of the Russian and other hardy trees, there is hardly a spot in 

 our State where good apples may not be raised, and every 

 household be supplied to some extent with home-grown fruits. 



Adjourned. 



EVENING SESSION. 

 The President presented the following report on 



THE NURSERY BUSIN^ESS IN MAINE. 

 We have established the fact, based upon the opinions of 

 prominent orchardists of the State, that we can produce here 

 a stock of fruit trees, small fruits, vines, &c., in quantity and 

 quality adequate to the demand. 



It has been suggested that we should take measures to learn 

 the amount of nursery business done in the State, and I have 

 returns from a number of individuals and firms, in answer to 

 a circular which I issued some time since, asking for reports 

 from those engaged in the business, which I will read. 



