MAINE STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Transactions for the Year 1893. 



REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Of the general conditions of fruit culture in the State it is gratify- 

 ing to note that among land owners there has been the past year an 

 unusual interest in all that appertains to the science and art of 

 raising fruit. There has been a wide-spread call for information 

 on fruit matters, and uniformly when public meetings have been 

 held they have been largely attended by people in search of knowl- 

 edge. At the public meetings during the fair the "Varieties of 

 Small Fruits Best Adapted to the State" was the general subject 

 under consideration, and it awakened great interest. At the meet- 

 ing of the executive committee held in VVinthrop great interest was 

 shown both in orcharding and small fruits. The State Board of 

 Agriculture at the farmers' institutes, in answer to numerous calls, 

 finds attentive and eager listeners when fruit matters receive con- 

 sideration. Again the last legislature in answer to our request for 

 an increased stipend, without the slightest objection unanimously 

 doubled the appropriation. These are but a few of the indications 

 of the wide-spread interest which people have in the industry. 



The apple crop was a small one, probably not over fifty per cent 

 of an average Of the causes that brought this about we are in 

 doubt The blossom was not heavy, and the worms were never 

 more abundant. Then in some parts of the State there were sev- 

 eral hail storms, and the disaster of the August rain and wind 

 storm was widespread. Fortunately there were many who had the 

 wisdom to make the most of the misfortune, and following the 

 example of one large orchardist, fed the windfalls to the cows. 



