248 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 737 



of departure for new and fruitful work in 

 pneumococcus and similar infections. 



LuDvis Hektoen 

 Memoeial Institute tob 

 Intectious Diseases, 

 Chicago 



THE FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE 

 GOVERNORS IN NEW ENGLAND 



In these days of conventions and associa- 

 tion gatherings, it is difficult to select one on 

 the grounds of special importance or signifi- 

 cance. Among those which I have had the 

 privilege of attending in recent years, the con- 

 ference held in Boston, November 23 and 24, 

 easily surpassed all others of material im- 

 port when measured by the importance of the 

 subjects considered and the vast possibility of 

 bettering existing conditions. This was the 

 rfirst annual conference of the Governors of 

 -the New England states, called for the pur- 

 pose of considering certain natural industries 

 and utilities common to all, and legislation 

 affecting them. 



The conference was presided over by Gov- 

 ernor Curtis Guild, Jr., of Massachusetts, 

 and attended by every governor in office and 

 governor-elect with one exception, namely, 

 Governor Higgins, of Connecticut, " who had 

 married a wife and therefore could not come." 



Subjects Considered. — There were three 

 sessions, and each session was devoted to the 

 consideration of one subject, or a correlated 

 group of subjects. The first session was de- 

 voted to tree planting interests, and this was 

 divided into two parts: (1) Forest trees and 

 (2) orchard trees. 



The forest-tree side was discussed by Mr. 

 GifFord Pinchot, United States forester, who 

 showed impressively how rapidly the forest 

 supplies of the country were decreasing; how 

 vast areas of lands in New England, of little 

 or no value for farming, might be utilized; 

 the profitableness of forests as a commercial 

 enterprise; and then finally urged the pas- 

 sage of uniform legislation in New England 

 providing adequate protection of forest lands 

 against fires. This subject aroused a lively 

 discussion, and drew attention to the reason- 



able opportunities for safe investment of 

 capital. 



Orchard Trees. — The planting of apple 

 trees on the hilly lands in New England, not 

 in the valley farming lands, was urged by the 

 professor of horticulture of Cornell Univer- 

 sity. He did this on the ground that New 

 England was the natural home of the apple 

 in the United States, for it was here that the 

 leading commercial varieties of to-day origi- 

 nated ; that the land was cheap, that labor was 

 abundant, and markets both foreign and do- 

 mestic convenient. Moreover, the quality of 

 the New England apple was unsurpassed by 

 that produced in any other section. The de- 

 mand was keen, and for fruit of fine quality 

 New England markets were the best in the 

 country. 



What was needed to improve the situation 

 was reorganization of ideas and practises in 

 relation to orcharding. The slipshod meth- 

 ods of generations and the opening of new 

 irrigated fruit lands in the west discouraged on 

 the one hand the would-be planter, and on the 

 other attracted his attention to the oppor- 

 tunities in distant lands. What in his opin- 

 ion was now needed was the redirection of 

 capital to apple-growing as a staple and safe 

 industry. We should have illustration or- 

 chards, planted and conducted either by men 

 of faith in the business with sufficient capital 

 to back up the enterprise, or by the state 

 governments themselves. Such work should 

 be conducted with the energy characterizing 

 western enterprises, and guided by intelli- 

 gence and up-to-date methods. Certain legis- 

 lation was required in order to secure a uni- 

 form grade, uniform methods of packing, and 

 certain standard packages. 



The second session of the conference was 

 devoted to a consideration of the fast-disap- 

 pearing lobster and the much-preyed-upon 

 moUusks. 



These subjects were discussed by experts 

 and aroused much interest. They proved 

 their contention that these staple sea foods 

 were in a fair way to be exterminated within 

 a measurable length of time, and that with- 

 out intelligent protection a great natural re- 



