36 CONFERENCE OF GOVERNORS. 



college for any portion of my income; my only Tisible means of 

 support is the farm and the orchard, of which fact I am truly and 

 profoundly proud. My knowledge of the theoretical phases of 

 orchardiag has beeii acquired through burniag the midnight oil, 

 and my practical training has been in establishing, developing and 

 maintaining one of the largest orchard propositions in New Eng- 

 land. The experience which I have thus gained, together with 

 the result of observation in all sections of our New England States, 

 leads me to certain conclusions as to the absolute necessity of cer- 

 tain legislative action in all of our States to better promote and 

 conserve the interests of our farmer fruit growers, as well as to 

 advertise to the world at large the effort that is being made to 

 assist in the development of an industry that, in my opinion, should 

 be second only to our great dairy industry. Nature has richly 

 endowed us with suitable soils, favorable climatic conditions and 

 splendid varieties, and we have but to work with her to produce 

 conditions which should at least approximate the ideal. 



In my judgment, each of our New England States should have 

 a State Orchardist, whose duties, in a broad and general way, 

 should be to promote the interests of fruit growing, and whose 

 special work should be to assist and counsel those who already 

 have orchards or those who may desire to become orchardists. He 

 should be well grounded in theory, and should have had a practical 

 experience that will have demonstrated the correctness of his 

 theories. We have our commissioners and secretaries of agricul- 

 ture. "We have our agricultural colleges, with their corps of well- 

 trained men m their special departments. But I ask you frankly, 

 do we have any one who fills the place of one that should be ap- 

 pointed to do a certain work and to promote a particular industry? 

 While success, primarily and finally depends upon the individual, 

 much of the agricultural uplift of which we hear much of late 

 must come through taking to the door and iuto the home of the 

 farmer certain truths, and presenting them in an earnest, tactful 

 and businesslike manner. 



There should be uniform laws in each of our New England States 

 to protect farmers and orchardists against the ravages of the deer. 

 I shudder at the thought of some time finding our young apple 

 trees injured by these animals, as I have found them in many 

 sections of New England. As the laws are now framed, orcharding 

 in many sections is a most hazardous and uncertain proposition. 

 To macerate and mutilate a young fruit tree is a most serious 

 thing, in my judgment. It robs the farmer of time, — a most valu- 

 able asset to the orchardist. 



