26 CONFERENCE OF GOVERNORS. 



west, we are not producing 300,000,000 barrels, we are not sup- 

 plying our home demand completely, and we are not shipping the 

 surplus to the horde of waiting consumers in Europe and Britain. 

 The markets of Few England are notably high-class markets. No- 

 where else in the country is there a more discriminating class of 

 purchasers, nowhere else in the country are higher prices willingly 

 paid for the best grade of apples; yet little or no effort is made 

 right here at the door of these markets to grow the best to the 

 highest state of excellence, and secure control of the best markets 

 in America. 



Is it not passing strange that many New Englanders, apostles 

 of Horace Greeley, who go into the west, soon experience an abso- 

 lute change of point of view in regard to methods of orchard man- 

 agement? Afte^ a few years in the west we find them spending 

 more money in the care of their western orchards on the one item 

 of spraying than they were formerly in the habit of spending on the 

 maintenance of their entire New England farm in the east. This 

 is not overstating the case. We ask. Why this change of front? 

 and we are obliged to answer that such is the force of example. 

 A new country, with its imdeveloped possibilities, yet these illus- 

 trated by a few shining examples here and there, awakens faith, 

 develops optimism and encourages the adoption of new systems, at 

 the same time giving an excellent excuse for shaking off the old 

 inertia. The vigorous methods of our western friends are well 

 illustrated in the following item from one of the news mediums 

 of the west, and it gives an excellent example of tjrpical progressive 

 methods, coupled with a certain share of true western optimism, 

 — a quality which many of our growers in the east seem to lack : — 



Spokane Eailway Land and Improvement Company, of which F. 

 Lewis Clark of Spokane is president, and owning several large tracts 

 of land along the Spokane & Inland Electric Railway Company's line 

 into the Palouse country, has sold its magnificent orchard at Waverly, 

 Washington, south of Spokane, for $75,000, to the Waverly Orchards 

 Company recently organized in Spokane. The tract embraces 230 

 acres, the trees on 65 acres of which are in bearing, while the rest of 

 the land is now being pla^fted under the direction of Cyrus L. Smith, 

 horticulturist. 



The new company is composed mainly of eastern stockholders, the 

 others interested being local people. The officers are: president, A. D. 

 Thayer, Waverly; vice-president, W. E. Goodspeed, Spokane; secre- 

 tary, F. P. Tebbett, Salem, Mass.; treasurer, R. H. Blom, Exchange 

 Bank, Waverly. John S. Hughes, who has had charge of the property 

 for a year, will remain as manager, and Professor Smith will continue 



