CONFERENCE OF GOVERNORS. 37 



There should be laws more strenuously regulating the dog nui- 

 sance. The sheep and the apple industry would form a most perfect 

 combination in many sections of New England. I would like to 

 keep sheep in a portion of our orchards, but I dare not, under 

 present conditions of redress in case of loss. 



As a last suggestion, I beg to offer that of uniform legislation 

 regarding packages and the grading and marking of fruit. This 

 has got to come before the best interests of grower, dealer and con- 

 sumer are conserved. It is in this work that the State Orchardist 

 would play an important part, for the work must be largely instruc- 

 tive and educational, and penalties should be only the last resort. 



Mr. Philip H. Ayees, Francoxia, N. H., State Forester of 

 Xevt Hampshire. 



I rise chiefly to make an announcement. The bill for national 

 forests in the AATiite Mountains and southern Appalachian Moun- 

 tains passed the Senate at the last session of Congress. Through 

 the request of your Congressman, John W. Weeks and other Con- 

 gressmen, a hearing has been arranged by the House Committee 

 on Agriculture, for further consideration of this bill, on the 9th 

 of December. This is the day following that on which the Gov- 

 ernors are to meet the National Conservation CommisBion, and I 

 would like to have this meeting ask the Governors of the several 

 Xew England States to co-operate even more strongly than hitherto, 

 in order that, if possible, we may overcome the one opposition that 

 this bill has found anywhere. It has the endorsement of every 

 prominent scientific society in the country; it has the endorse- 

 ment of the people unanimously; and we have found only one 

 opposition, namely, the leaders of the House of Kepresentatives. 

 We now have a chance, however, and we want through the Gov- 

 ernors to bring the States into co-operation, so that the business 

 men and members of municipal and State governments will be 

 represented at Washington on the 9th of December, to show Con- 

 gress that the people mean business when they ask for this forest 

 reserve bill, providing one for the north and the other for the 

 south. 



WTiile I have the floor, I beg to offer one suggestion relative 

 to forest work in New England. In the State of Massachusetts 

 we have an admirably developed forest service, following the splen- 

 did example of the forest service at Washington; in the other New 

 England States we have not. There are many important forestry 

 questions before the people of New England, not the least of which 

 is the taxation of forest land. This and many other questions 



