STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 47 



awkward and sometimes erratic period of adolescence and may now 

 continue its good work with the conscious vigor of joung man- 

 hood. You are now twenty-one years old. 



You will doubtless still continue to receive the fostering care and 

 aid of the State — a State of which we are all proud, and have 

 reason to be, and which now contains 700,000 of as well-governed, 

 law-abiding, thrifty, prosperous and happy people as the sun shines 

 on. 



I believe that this Society and its co-laborer, the Board of Agri- 

 culture, are in the way of being very helpful to the cause of fruit 

 growing and farming in this State, and in the name of the people 

 of these twin-villages and in behalf of our three agricultural 

 Societies, Eastern, Western and Central, I extend to you a cordial 

 welcome to this county, hoping that the leaven of your enthusiasm 

 may be an excitant to our comparative luke-warmness and indif- 

 ference. 



The response to the address of welcome was given by Secretary 

 Knowlton, who briefly gave an outline of the work being done by 

 the Society, and in behalf of the visitors present, thanked the speak- 

 er for his cordial welcome, expressing in closing the hope tha the 

 present meeting might prove the most profitable ever held by the 

 Society. 



THE PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



B}' John W. True of New Gloucester. 



Ladies and Gentlemen : 



Another year has rolled round since our last winter meeting, and 

 the tenth anniversary of my first meeting with the Maine State 

 Pomological Society has arrived. I little thought, then, that such 

 an interest would be created in this subject of "Fruit Culture" as 

 to induce me to attend every meeting of the Society for the next 

 ten years. And I can see that the knowledge and interest which I 

 have gained has shown itself in my surroundings. I feel that this 

 is one of the missions of this society to awaken interest, as well as 

 to teach the people of this good old State of Maine the art of rais- 

 ing more and better fruit, and to surround their homes with more 

 of the beauties of nature, in the way of plants and flowers, as well 

 as the luxuries in the form of an abundance of the small fruits for 



