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LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


i8e3' 


DATE  DUE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
LIBRARY 


SB 

354 

M234 

1894 


TRi^N^SA-CTIOIsrS 


OF    THE 


Maine  State  Pomological  Society 


FOE  THE  YEAR  1894 


INCLUDING  THE  PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  WINTER  MEETING, 
HELD  IN   FOXCROFT,  JANUARY  8th  AND  9th,  1895 


EDITED  BY  THE  SECRETARY 


D.  H.  KNO^VLTOlSr 


AUGUSTA 

BURLEIGH   &  FLYNT,   PRIXTERS  TO  THE  STATE 
189.5 


JLi:.:ARY_ 


um 


AMllEubl,  WA^o. 


4  =■  '^' 


^    " 


A 


0 


6 


/^ 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Report  of  Secretary  3 

Officers  for  1895 9 

Members,  Life,  of  tlie  Society 10 

Annual 11 

Treasurer's  Report 12 

List  of  Premiums  Awarded  at  the  Annual  Exhibition 14 

Sununary  of  Awards 26 

List  of  Premiums  Awarded  at  the  Winter  Meeting 26 

Business  Transactions 28 

Meetings  of  Executive  Committee 30 

Programme  of  Public  Meetings 35 

State  Fair  Meeting 37 

Phillips  Meeting 37 

Apples — Their  Culture,  Handling  and  Marketing,  by  Joliu  W. 

True 37 

Small  Fruits  and  their  Culture 40 

Winter  Meeting 42 

Address  of  AVelcome,  by  Dr.  H.  A.  Robinson 42 

President's  Annual  Address,  by  John  W.  True 47 

The  Young  Orchard,  by  Charles  E.  Wlieeler 50 

Some  Plant  Diseases  and  Their  Remedies,  by  Prof.  AN'.  M. 

Munson • 53 

Apj)le  and  Pear  Culture,  by  O.  B.  Hadwen 63 

Discussion 69 

Progress    of    Orcharding '  and    Fruit  Culture    in    Piscataquis 

County,  bjr  Calvin  Chamberlain 72 

Condition    and  Prospects   of    Fruit    Culture    in    Piscataquis 

County,  by  H.  L.  Leland 79 

The  Model  Fruit  Garden,  by  J.  F.  Xorris 85 

Discussion 89 

A  Discussion  as   to   what   shall   be   Maine's  Flower  in  the 

Xatioual  Garland,  by  Janet  L.  Dingley 92 

For  Columbia's  Garland,  Poem  by  Miss  Julia  11.  Maj- 95 

Discussion 96 

Study  of  Plant  Life,  by  Supt.  John  R.  Duuton 104 

Goud  Food  from  the  Garden,  by  Miss  Anna  Barrows 112 

Boiled  Salad  Dressing 117 


?L3C"]   >f 


2  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Secretary's  Portfolio 119 

Au  Enthusiastic  Horticulturist 121 

John  Jacob  Thomas 124 

The  Uusscts 126 

Auiericau  Goldeu  Russet 127 

Goldeu  Russet 129 

English  Russet  130 

Books  for  Reference  in  Studying  Varieties  of  the  Apple 131 

Scale  of  Points  for  Collective  Exhibits 132 

Explanation 133 

Scale  of  Points 135 

Index  137 


CHARLES   S.   POPE, 

Manchester. 

President  Maine  State  Poniological  Society  1SS4-1S95. 

[See  page  121.] 


REPORT  OF  THE  SECRETARY. 


Again  it  becomes  the  duty  of  your  secretary  to  present  an 
annual  report  of  the  transactions  of  the  Society.  During  the  year 
it  has  afforded  me  great  pleasure  and  assured  me  of  the  progressive 
work  in  the  State  that  a  larger  number  all  the  while  are  becoming 
interested  in  fruit  culture.  Some  men  living  secluded  lives  in  rural 
homes,  with  little  reading  have  often  in  years  past,  almost  or  quite 
ignored  the  words  of  horticultural  societies.  Unwilling  to  admit 
they  do  not  know  all  there  is  of  fruit  culture,  they  behold  the  grand 
success  of  others,  but  they  are  like  those  in  ancient  days  having, 
eyes  they  see  not.  Many  of  these  are  now  seeking  knowledge 
which  only  their  vanity  in  the  past  has  denied  them.  As  illustra- 
tive of  this  an  intelligent  fruit-grower  inquired  about  the  best  vari- 
eties to  plant.  I  gave  him  all  the  points  I  could,  and  he  concluded 
by  saying  that  he  knew  of  no  better  variety  than  the  Baldwin  and 
he  was  going  to  set  a  lot  of  those  in  the  spring.  He  remarked  that 
one  of  the  most  successful  orchards  in  the  county  was  developed  in 
this  way,  but  failed  to  note  that  the  cold  of  winter  in  this  case 
twice  froze  back  the  tops  before  the  trees  were  acclimated.  The 
provoking  thing  in  this  particular  case  is  that  the  man  has  grown 
fruit  for  nearly  half  a  century.  Other  men  realize  the  necessity 
for  knowledge  and  are  willing  to  seek  it.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
encouraging  features  of  the  situation.  For  those  who  seek  knowl- 
edge in  these  days  will  find  it. 

THE    1894    CROP. 

The  fruit  crop  in  Maine  has  been  large,  though  it  can  hardly  be 
called  a  full  crop.  Many  dealers  have  assured  me  that  the  crop  is 
really  much  larger  than  in  1893.  Travelling  among  the  orchards  in 
the  autumn,  one  could  not  fail  to  notice  that  many  of  the  trees  were 
nearly  barren.     The  statistics  have  been  deceptive  again,  so  much 


4:  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

SO  that  we  are  iuclined  to  give  them  little  consideration.  Here  in 
Maine  the  young  trees,  that  are  coming  into  bearing  may  explain 
the  deception,  but  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  most  of  the  large 
orchards  bore  small  crops  of  fruit. 

CAUSES    OP    BLIGHT. 

In  most  parts  of  the  State  there  was  a  full  bloom,  and  just 
what  caused  the  blight  later  has  been  much  discussed  and  has  not 
yet  been  fully  settled.  There  is  however  the  best  of  evidence  that 
the  scab  fungus  was  one  of  the  most  active  agents.  The  scab,  or 
some  other  cause  on  trees  in  the  writer's  neighborhood  acted  appar- 
ently on  the  foliage,  blossom  and  fruit.  Early  in  the  season  the 
trees  were  dotted  with  yellow  shrivelled  leaves,  aad  all  through  the 
season  an  examination  of  the  leaves  revealed  the  presence  of  dis- 
ease, and  scientific  men  assure  us  that  it  is  the  scab.  Whatever  it 
may  be,  if  it  continues  a  tew  years  longer  the  indications  are  that 
many  trees  will  die.  Good  results  have  followed  spraying  as  will 
be  seen  in  Professor  Munson's  paper,  which  forms  a  part  of  the 
present  volume. 

THE    MARKET. 

So  far  the  market  for  apples  has  offered  only  low  prices  for  fr^iit. 
A  large  part  of  the  crop  was  sold  early  in  the  season  at  $1.50  for 
No.  1  fruit,  but  the  buyers  found  no  profit  in  paying  that  price. 
Apples  from  several  points  have  been  shipped  in  bulk  to  western 
cities.  The  only  selection  called  for  was  that  the  red  apples 
should  be  dumped  into  the  same  car.  One  lot  contained  at  least 
twenty  kinds.  For  fruit  in  this  condition  the  buyers  have  paid  SI 
per  barrel.  These  apples  were  shipped  to  western  cities  to  be  sold 
in  bulk  to  hawkers.  While  the  growers  may  get  fair  pay  for  their 
fruit,  the  reputation  of  Maine  apples  will  surely  suffer.  Some 
political  writers  have  charged  a  part  of  the  low  price  to  the  action 
of  the  new  tariff.  Of  course  Canadian  fruit  now  pays  a  less  tariff 
than  under  the  previous  law,  and  to  this  extent  the  price  must 
yield.  Later  in  the  winter  fruit  sold  higher  where  it  had  been  held 
by  the  growers. 

STYLE    OF    PACKING. 

The  agents  of  English  buyers  are  assuring  the  public  of  better 
prices  for  the  remainder  of  the  season.  They  also  emphasize  the 
new  style  of  packing  and  claim  that  the  fruit  carefully  wrapped  in 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY,  O 

paper  and  packed  in  cases  has  brought  satisfactory  prices.  The 
matter  has  often  been  discussed  at  our  meetings,  but  our  fruit 
o-rowers  have  still  to  learn  that  an  inferior  apple  is  not  improved 
by  being  concealed  among  better  fruit,  or  wrapped  in  paper.  Oa 
the  other  hand  it  would  seem  that  Maine  fruit  has  already  suffered 
too  much  from  dishonest  packing  to  permit  it  in  this  case. 

THE    society's    FUNDS. 

The  .last  legislature  increased  our  appropriation  to  one  thousand 
dollars.  In  consequence  of  an  oversight  in  the  engrossing  of  the 
appropriation  bills  only  the  usual  sum  of  $500  was  granted.  After 
consulting  araoijg  ourselves  and  with  the  governor  and  others  the 
omission  was  sorely  regretted.  An  extension  of  our  work  had 
been  planned  along  various  Unas,  and  the  coQclusioQ  was  reached 
that  the  interests  of  the  society  and  of  the  cause  it  represents  made 
it  necessary  to  carry  forward  the  additional  work.  This  has 
accordingly  been  done,  and  to-day  we  find  the  society  in  debt  in 
consequence.  Some  of  the  State  officials  argued  that  the  money 
in  full  ought  to  be  paid  t:)  our  society,  but  all  seemed  to  agree  that 
it  was  wise  to  increase  our  work.  It  is  now  proposed  to  ask  the 
legislature  to  make  good  the  deficiency  by  granting  us  the  aid  the 
last'legislature  overlooked.  Later  on  the  present  legislature  with- 
out dissent  granted  the  funds  to  meet  the  deficiency. 

FALL    MEETING. 

The  fall  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  was  held  in  Phillips, 
November  8th.  The  Grange  cordially  opened  its  hall  for  our  use. 
The  meeting  was  well  advertised  and  well  attended.  There  was  an 
excellent  display  of  fruit,  showing  in  the  most  conclusive  manner 
that  favorable  conditions  exist  among  the  hills  of  Franklin  county 
for  fruit  culture.  The  exercises  of  the  meeting  were  well  received 
and  reported  by  the  papers.  In  the  opinion  of  the  Secretary  this 
meeting  was  one  of  the  most  profitable  held  by  the  society. 

STATE    FAIR    MEETING. 

The  public  meeting  held  Thursday  evening  of  the  State  Fair  was 
a  well  attended  one.  On  this  occasion  Mrs.  Alonzo  Towle  of 
Freedom,  N.  H.,  delivered  an  entertaining  address  on  flower  cul- 
ture, entitled  "Behind  the  Hedge  Row." 


STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


OUR    WINTER    MEETINGS. 

Secretary  McKeen  has  urged  us  to  hold  our  winter  meeting  ear- 
lier, so  that  the  work  of  the  agricultural  department  may  be  closed 
up  before  the  new  year  begins.  The  plan  is  a  good  one,  and  it 
will  be  a  pleasure  to  co-operate  with  him.  This  year  circumstances 
were  adverse  to  this  arrangement,  owing  to  conditions  that  are  not 
likely  to  exist  in  the  future.  The  two  organizations  are  working 
so  harmoniously  together  in  promoting  the  interests  of  agriculture 
that  no  effort  should  be  spared  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  both. 

ANNUAL    EXHIBITION. 

Our  annual  exhibition  was  held  as  usual  with  the  State  Agricul- 
tural Society  in  Lewiston,  The  first  days  of  September  are  too 
early  for  a  representative  exhibition  of  fruits,  but  this  year  there 
was  such  a  profusion  of  flowers  that  the  exhibition  as  a  whole  was 
the  fullest  3'our  Secretary  has  seen  in  the  State.  Mrs.  Towle 
served  as  a  judge  on  flowers  and  her  work  was  entirely  acceptable. 
We  were  unable  to  obtain  a  competent  judge  on  fruits  within  a 
reasonable  distance  outside  the  State.  The  exhibitors  are  much 
better  satisfied  when  judging  can  be  done  by  experts,  and  in  this 
case  it  was  no  fault  of  the  officers  that  it  was  not  done  so  at  this 
exhibition. 

Several  important  changes  were  made  in  the  premium  list,  one  of 
which  was  a  premium  on  each  correctly  named  variety  of  apples 
and  pears.  The  object  of  the  premium  was  to  secure  a  full  exhi- 
bition of  the  fruit  grown  in  Maine.  We  show  in  our  list  a  prefer- 
ence by  specifying  certain  varieties  on  which  we  pay  a  one  dollar 
premium,  and  for  others  not  given  in  our  list  and  correctly  named 
we  give  a  fifty-cent  premium.  This  brought  out  a  large  number  of 
varieties  that  heretofore  have  not  been  shown.  In  all  111  varieties 
were  exhibited.  The  cost  to  the  society  was  not  very  great,  and 
the  exhibition  is  made  much  more  valuable  to  visitors.  Several 
objects  of  interest  were  shown  by  the  devotees  of  horticulture. 
Mr.  Edward  K.  Whitney,  one  of  our  oldest  and  most  successful 
fruit  growers,  sent  in  for  our  examination  a  plate  of  well-grown 
figs.  They  were  examined  with  great  interest,  and  many  wishes 
were  expressed  for  the  health  and  happiness  of  the  exhibitor. 
Some  freaks  in  fruit  culture  were  presented  to  the  Secretary.  One 
of  these  was  a  Sops-of-Wine  apple   which  grew  on  a  tree   whose 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  7 

limbs  interlaced  a  Flemish  Beauty  pear.  In  shape  it  was  a  perfect 
pear,  but  in  other  respects  it  was  an  apple.  In  another  case  an 
apple  was  shown,  the  blossom  end  of  which  was  a  beautiful  red 
Baldwin,  and  the  stem  end  a  well-developed  Russet.  These  freaks 
suggest  that  in  years  to  come  some  skilful  horticulturist  may  be 
able  to  bring  forth  new  fruits,  that  may  excel  those  we  now  have. 
When  we  are  able  to  work  more  fully  with  nature's  laws  we  are 
likely  to  be  rewarded  by  fruits  far  better  than  the  present  favorites. 

AGENCIES    AT   WORK. 

There  has  been  an  active  and  cordial  co-operation  on  the  part  of 
the  press  in  the  State.  The  Secretary  desires  to  express  his  per- 
sonal gratitude  to  the  Maine  Farmer,  Lewiston  Journal  and  Ken- 
nebec Journal  in  particular.  Special  prominence  has  been  given 
to  horticultural  subjects  by  the  gentlemen  having  in  charge  the 
agricultural  departments  of  these  journals.  They  have  not  only 
given  fruit  matters  intelligent  consideration,  but  in  many  cases 
have  diligently  and  ably  investigated  for  themselves,  and  they  have 
generously  given  the  public  the  benefit  of  these  labors.  The  Lew- 
iston Journal  recently  published  in  answer  to  the  inquiries  of  its 
agricultural  editor  results  reached  by  fruit  growers  of  the  State  in 
spraying  for  the  destruction  of  fungi  and  insects.  The  experience 
of  several  fruit  growers  was  found  very  readable  and  the  conclu- 
sions will  prove  helpful  to  others.  So  much  is  found  in  the 
papers  on  fruit  culture,  prepared  by  writers  or  speakers 
from  other  sections  of  the  country,  it  is  worth  a  great  deal  to  have 
these  conclusions  reached  on  Maine  farms  and  in  a  Maine  climate. 
Even  those  speakers  who  visit  us  and  talk  of  fruit  culture,  forget 
that  they  are  away  from  home,  and  tell  us  just  how  these  things 
are  done  in  New  York  or  New  Jersey.  It  is  not  an  easy  task  to 
adapt  their  talk  and  theories  to  Maine  conditions.  Information 
was  sought  upon  this  question,  "Can  farmers  afford  to  raise  apples 
for  $1.25  a  barrel?"  It  was  ably  d'scussed  by  several  writers  and 
the  conclusion  reached  that  intelligent  care  bestowed  upon  orchards 
in  Maine  would  pay  as  well  or  better  at  this  price  than  many  other 
farm  crops.  The  Secretary  would  add  to  this,  that  with  our  low 
priced  orchard  land  the  minimum  cost  of  raising  apples  has  not 
yet  been  reached.  It  is  not  kuown  how  cheaply  apples  may  be 
grown  in  Maine,  and  until  this  feature  of  the  problem  is 
considered    it    is    largely    guess    work.     The    fruit    growers   of 


8  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Maine  are  squarely  facing  the  question,  and  some  of  us  may  live 
to  know  how  much  our  fertile  hillsides,  under  the  skilful  manipula- 
tion of  the  horticulturists,  may  be  made  to  produce.  We  are  just 
getting  down  to  the  question  in  good  shape,  and  the  next  four 
years  are  promising  many  interesting  revelations. 

Our  society  is  also  indebted  to  these  and  other  journals  in  the 
State,  which  have  published  our  notices  and  full  reports  of  our 
meetings,  and  we  find  with  us  at  this  our  annual  meeting  a  full 
representation  of  the  press.  We  are  glad  to  welcome  them  here 
and  to  greet  them  as  co-laborers  in  carrying  forward  the  great 
industry  which  we  represent. 

We  were  gratified  at  the  full  reports  published  of  our  annual 
meeting.  We  are  always  glad  to  welcome  the  members  of  the 
press  at  our  meetings,  but  we  recognize  them  as  co-laborers  in  car- 
rying forward  the  great  industry  which  we  represent. 

D.  H.  KNOWLTON,  Secretary. 


OFFICERS    FOR    1895. 


Presiilent. 
JOHX  ^y.  TBUE,  Xew  Gloucester. 

Vice  Presidents. 
S.   H.   DAWES,  Harrison. 
D.   P.   TEUE,  Leeds  Center. 

Secretary. 
D.   H.    KXOWLTOX,  Farmin^ton. 

Treasurer. 
CHARLES  E.   WHEELER,  Chesterville. 

Executive  Committee. 

The  President  and  Secretary,  ex-officio;  A.  E.  Andrews,  Gardiner; 

W.  M.  Muuson,  Orono;  C.  H.  George,  Hebron. 

Trustees. 

Androscoggin  County,  Charles  L.  Emerson,  South  Turner. 

'■  J.  W.  Dudley,  Castle  Hill. 

"  S.  R.  Sweetser,  Cumberland  Center. 

"  Herman  Corbett,  Farmiugton. 

"  C.  G.  Atkins,  BucUsport. 

"  E.  A.  Lapham,  Pittston. 

"  Alonzo  Butler,  Union. 

"  H.  J.  A.  Simmons,  Waldoboro'. 

"  S.  M.  King,  South  Paris. 

"  C.  A.  Arnold.  Arnold. 

"  H.  L.  Leland,  East  Sangerville. 

'•  A.  P.  Ring,  Richmond. 

"  James  S.  Hoxie,  Xorth  Fairfield. 

"  A.  M.  Mansur,  East  Dixmont. 


Aroostook  ' 

Cumberland  ' 

Franklin  ' 

Hancock  ' 

Kennebec  ' 

Knox  ' 

Lincoln  ' 

Oxford  ' 

Penobscot  ' 

Piscataquis  ' 

Sagadahoc  ' 

Somerset  • 
Waldo 

Washington  "        . 

York  '■•        John  Hanscom,  Saeo. 

Meraber  of  Experiment  Station  Council. 
Chas.  S.  Pope,  Manchester. 

Committee  on  Xomenclature. 

Z.  A.  Gilbert,  Xorth  Greene;  D.  P.  True,  Leeds  Center; 

C.  M.  Weston,  Belgrade. 

Committee  on  Xev:  Fruits. 

A.  S.  Ricker,  Turner;  E.  C.  Hackett,  West  Gloucester; 

Willis  A.  Luce,  South  Union. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  SOCIETY 


Note.— Any  errors  or  changes  of  residence  should  he  promptly  reported  to  the 
Secretary.  Memhers  ■will  also  confer  a  favor  hy  furnishing  the  Secretary  with 
their  full  Christian  names  -where  initials  only  are  given. 


LIFE   MEMBERS. 


Andrews,  A.  Emery Gardiner 

Andrews,  Charles  E Auburn 

Arnold,  C.  A Arnold 

*Atberton,  H.  N Hallowell 

Atherton,  Wm.  P Hallowell 

Atkins,  Charles  G Bucksport 

Atwood,  Fred Winterport 

Averill,  David  C Temple 

Bailey,  AV.  G Freeport 

Bennoch,  John  E Orono 

Boardman,  Samuel  L Augusta 

Briggs,  D.  J South  Turner 

Briggs,  .John Turner 

Burr,  John Freeport 

Butler,  Alonzo Union 

*Carter,  Otis  JL Etna 

Chase,  Henry  M.,  14  Quincy  St.,  Portland 

Chase,  Martin  V.  B Augusta 

*Clark,  Eliphalet Portland 

Cole,  Horatio  G Boston,  Mass 

Corhett,  Herman Farmington 

Crafts,  Moses Auburn 

*Crosby,  William  C Bangor 

Dana,  Woodburj'  S Portland 

Dawes,  S.  H Harrison 

DeRocher,  Peter Bradentown,  Fla 

Dirwanger,  Joseph  A Portland 

Dunham,  W.  W North  Paris 

Dyer,  Milton Cape  Elizabeth 

*Emerson,  Albert Bangor 

Emerson,  Charles  L South  Turner 

Farnsworth,  B.  B Portland 

Frost,  Oscar  F Monmouth 

*Gardiner,  Robert  H Gardiner 

Gardiner,  Robert  11 Boston,  Mass 

George,  C.  H Hebron 

Gilbert,  Z.  A North  Greene 

Goddard,  Lewis  C Woodfords 

*Godfery,  John  E Bangor 

*Deceased. 


Gurney,  Lemuel Hebron 

Hackett,  E.C  West  Gloucester 

Hansconi,  John Saco 

Harlow,  S.  C Bangor 

*Harris,  N.  C Auburn 

Harris,  N.  W Auburn 

Harris,  William  M. .  Auburn 

Harvey,  F.  L , Orono 

*Hersey,  T.  C Portland 

Hobbs,  M.  Curtis West  Farmington 

*Hoff ses,  Elmas Warren 

Hoxie,  James  S North  Fairfield 

Hoyt,  Mrs.  Francis Winthrop 

Ingalls,  Henry Wiscasset 

Jackson,  F.  A Winthrop 

*Jewett,  George Portland 

Johnson,  Isaac  A Auburn 

*Jordan,  Francis  C Brunswick 

*Kenniston,  E.  H Arnold 

Knowlton,  D.  H Farmington 

Lapham,  E.  A Pittston 

Lombard,  Tburston  M Auburn 

*Low,  Elijah Bangor 

*Low,  S.  S Bangor 

Luce,  Willis  A South  Union 

McLaughlin,  Henry Bangor 

Merrill,  T.M West  Gloucester 

*Metcalf ,  M.J Monmouth 

Moody,  Charles  H Turner 

Jloore,  William  6 Monmouth 

Moor,  F.  A Waterville 

Morton,  J.  A Bethel 

Morton,  William  E Portland 

*Noyes,  Albei't   Bangor 

Perley,  Clias.  I. ..Seward's  (Vassalboro') 

Pope,  Charles  S Manchester 

Palsif er,  D.  W Poland 

Purington,  E.  F West  Farmington 

♦Richards,  F.  G Gardiner 


STATE    POMOLCGICAL    SOCIETY. 


11 


LIFE  MEMBERS— Concluded. 


Richards,  John  T Gardiner 

*B,ichardsou,  J.  M Gardiner 

Ricker,  A.  S Tomer 

Roak,  George  M Auburn 

Rohinson,  Henry  A Foxcroft 

Rolfe,  Samuel Portland 

Sanborn,  Miss  G.  P    Augusta 

Sawyer,  Andrew  S Cape  Elizabeth 

Sawyer,  George  B Wiscasset 

*Shaw,  Stillman  W West  Auburn 

Simmons,  H.  J.  A Waldoboro' 

Skillings,  C.  W North  Auburn 

*Smith,  Alfred Monmouth 

Smith,  Henry  S Monmouth 

Starrett,  L.  F Warren 

Stetson,  Henry Auburn 

*Stetson,  Isaiah Bangor 

Stilphen,  Asbury  C Gardiner 

Stanley,  Charles  Winthrop 

Stanley,  O.  E Winthrop 

Staples,  G.  K Temple 

Strout,  S.  F West  Falmouth 


Strattard,  Mrs.  A.  B Monroe 

Sweetser,  S.  R Cumberland  Center 

*Taylor,  .Joseph Belgrade 

Taylor,  Miss  L.  L.,  (Lakeside)  Belgrade 

Thomas,  William  W.,  Jr Portland 

Thomas,  D.J North  Auburn 

Tilton,  William  S Boston,  Mass 

Townsend,  Mrs.  B.  T Freeport 

True,  Davis  P Leeds  Center 

True,  John  ^V New  Gloucester 

*Varney,  James  A... The  Dalles,  Oregon 

Vickery,  James Portland 

Vickery ,  John A uburu 

Wade,  Patrick Portland 

Walker,  Charles  S Peru 

Waterman,  Willard  H East  Auburn 

*Weston,  James  C Bangor 

Wharff,  Charles  S Gardiner 

Wheeler,  Charles  E Chesterville 

Whitney,  Edward  K Hari'ison 

Woodard,  Mrs.  S.  M Gardiner 

Woodman,  George  W Portland 


AXXUAL  MEMBERS,  1894. 

Bickford,  A.  K Monmouth    Nowell,  F.  E Fairfield 

Chandler,  Mrs.  Lucy  A Freepoi-t    Prescott,  G.  N East  Monmouth 

Cummings,  Mrs.  Anthony Auburn    Ridley,  B.  H Jay 

Cobb,  J.  O Union    Ring,  A.  P Richmond  Corner 

Eastman,  A.  A.  Dexter    Robbins,  R.  B Union 

Glover,  G.  A Naples    Shurtleff,  S.  G South  Liverniore 

Grover,  Mrs.  F.  D Bean's  Corner    Sleeper,  F.  H -    Lewiston 

Hawkins,  M.  P Auburn    Snow,  G.  W Newburg 

Judkins,  Charles  H Chesterville    Spratt,  Lillian  A Kenduskeag 

Keith,  Walter  E Winthrop    Stoddard,  Edith  A Belfast 

King.S.  M South  Paris    Tarr,  E Castle  Hill 

Klusener,  Mrs.  E Auburn    Tolman,  I.  B Union 

Leland,  H.  L East  Sangerville    Toothaker,  L.  P Dixmont 

Leland,  W.  E East  Sangerville    Varney,  F.  L East  Lowell 

Lemont,  J.  M  M'est  Bath    Waterman,  Mrs.  C.  E East  Auburn 

Merrow,  J.  H South  Smilhfleld    Willard,  S.  D Geneva,  N.  T 

Miller,  Chas East  Union    Wright,  Fred Bath 

Muuson,  W.  M  .   Orono    Wright,  L.  E West  Bath 


ANNUAL  MEMBERS,  1895. 

Crooker,  W.  W M'jnson    Munson,  SV.  M Orono 

Judkins,  Charles  H Chesterville    Norris,  J.  F Foxcroft 

Larrabee,  O.  L We&t  Levant    Ridley,  B.  H Jay 

Leland,  H.  L East  Sangerville 


TEEASUEER'S   EEPOET. 


Statement  of  the  Financial  Condition    of  the   Maine  State    Pomo- 
logical  Society  for  the  Year  ending  December  31,  1894. 


RECEIPTS. 


Casli  on  hand  Jamiary  1st,  1894 $92  65 

From  the  State  Agricultural  Society 500  00 

From  the  State  of  Maine 538  64 

From  life  membership 40  00 

From  annual  membership 39  00 

Interest  from  permanent  tund 38  00 

Loan  600  00 

$1,848  29 
EXPENDITURES. 

Premiums $789  45 

Loan .',00  00 

Salary  of  the  Secretary  for  1893 140  00 

Expense  of  officers 132  47 

Expense  of  Executive  Committee 115  29 

Expense  of  State  Fair  and  phmts  for  chiklren 87  47 

Printing  and  binding 6171 

Judges  at  Fair 27  00 

Interest  on  loan 1  25 

Cash  on  hand  December  31,  1894 193  65 


S1,84S  29 

FINANCIAL  CONDITION. 

ASSETS. 

Bounty  due  from  the  State 81,000  00 

Property  owned  bj-  Society 200  00 

Permanent  fund 719  73 

Cash  on  hand 193  65 

$2,113  38 
LIABILITIES. 

Due  on  loan,  First  National  Bank,  Farmington    $600  00 

Outstanding  orders 125  00 

$725  00 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  13 

PERMANENT  FUND. 

CREDIT. 

Bj-  fees  of  114  life  members  to  Decemljer  31,  1S93 $1,140  00 

of  Lewis  C.  Gociaaril 10  00 

of  Herman  Corbett — 10  00 

of  Miss  G.  P.  Sanborn , 10  00 

of  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend 10  00 

$1,180  00 

V 

DEBIT. 

To  deposit  in  Wiseasset  Bank S  19  73 

Farmiugtou  National  Bank  stock 400  00 

Merchants'  National  Bank  stock,  Gardiner 200  00 

Farmiugtou  water  stock 100  00 

due  from  the  Society  December  31, 1895  460  27 


$1,180  00 
CHARLES  E.  WHEELER,  Treasurer. 


List  of  Premiums  Awarded  at  tlie  Aumial 
Exhibition . 


Class  1-APPLES. 

For  best  general  exhibition  of  apples  :  S.  H.  Dawes,  Harrison, 
first,  $15  ;  C.  I.  Perley,  South  Vassalboro,  second,  810  ;  Walter  E. 
Keith,  Winthrop,  third,  $6  ;  B.  H.  Ridley,  Jay,  gratuity,  $5. 

For  best  general  exhibition  of  apples  grown  in  Androscoggin 
county  I).  J.  Briggs,  South  Turner,  first,  S8  ;  D.  P.  True,  Leeds 
Center,  second,  §6. 

For  same  in  Aroostook  county:     E.  Tarr,  Castle  Hill,  first,  $8 

For  same  in  Cumberland  county:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $8  ;  J 
W.  True,  New  Gloucester,  second,  $6. 

For  same  in  Franklin  county :  M.  C.  Hobbs,  West  Farming 
ton,  first,  88  ;  Herman  Corbett,  Farmington,  second,  86  ;  G.  K 
Staples,  Temple,  third,  $3. 

For  same  in  Kennebec  county  :  J.  Pope,  Manchester,  first,  S8 
W,  R.  Wharfl,  Gardiner,  second,  $6  ;  R.  H.  Gardiner,  Gardiner 
third,  $3. 

For  same  in  Knox  county:  Alonzo  Butler,  Union,  first,  S8 
Willis  A.  Luce,  South  Union,  second,  $G. 

For  same  in  Lincoln  county :  H.  J.  A.  Simmons,  Waldoboro 
first,  $8. 

For  same  in  Oxford  county :  C.  H.  George,  Hebron,  first,  $8 
S.  M.  King,  South  Paris,  second,  $6  ;  Lemuel  Gurney,  Hebron 
third,  $3. 

For  same  in  Penobscot  county  :  C  A.  Arnold,  Arnold,  first,  S8 
L.  P.  Toothaker,  Dixmont,  second,  86  ;  G.  W.   Snojv,  Newburg, 
third,  83. 

For  same  in  Piscataquis  county  :  W.  E.  Leland,  East  Sangerville, 
first,  $8  ;  H.  L.  Leland,  East  Sangerville,  second,  $6. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  15 

For  same  in  Sagadahoc  county :  Frederick  Wright,  Bath,  first, 
$8  ;  L.  E.  Wright,  Woolwich,  second,  $6  ;  J.  M.  Lemont,  West 
Bath,  third,  $3. 

For  same  in  Somerset  county:  J.  S.  Hoxie,  North  Fairfield, 
first,  S8  ;  F.  E.  Nowell,  Fairfield,  second,  S6  ;  J.  H.  Merrow,  South 
Smithfield,  third,  $3. 

For  same  in  Waldo  county:  Mrs.  A.  B.  Strattard,  Monroe,  sec- 
ond, S6. 

Collection  Crab  Apples:  J.  S.  Hoxie,  first,  $1  ;  Alonzo  Butler, 
second,  50c. 

SINGLE    PLATES. 

Baldwins  :  A.  P.  Ring,  Richmond  Corner,  first,  $5  ;  R.  H.  Gard- 
iner, second,  $3  ,•  S.  H.  Dawes,  third,  82. 

Gravenstein  :  A.  S.  Ricker,  Turner,  first,  S3  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  sec- 
ond, $2  ;  D.  J.  Briggs,  third.  Si. 

Hubbardston  Nonsuch :  J.  Pope,  first,  S3  ;  W.  R.  Wharff,  sec- 
ond, S2. 

Northern  Spy:  R.  H.  Gardiner,  first,  S3  ;  C  I.  Perley,  second, 
$2;  W.  A.  Luce,  third,  Si. 

Rhode  Island  Greening:  A.  K.  Bickford,  Monmouth,  first,  So; 
A.  S.  Ricker,  second,  S3  ;  Lemuel  Gurney,  third,  82. 

Roxbury  Russets  :  Walter  E.  Keith,  first,  $3  ;  R.  H.  Gardiner, 
second,  82  ;  G.  N.  Prescott,  East  Monmouth,  third.  Si. 

Talman's  Sweet:  A.  S.  Ricker,  first,  S3  ;  Alonzo  Butler,  second, 
S2;  S.  H.  Dawes,  third.  Si. 

Tompkins  King:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  S3  ;  W.  R.  Wharff,  second, 
S2;  J.  W.  True,  third,  Si. 

Yellow  Bellflower:  R.  H.  Gardiner,  first,  S3;  W.  R.  Wharff, 
second,  82  ;  J.  H.  Merrow.  third,  $1. 

Alexander:  M.  C.  Hobbs,  first.  Si  ;  S.   H    Dawes,  second,  50c. 

American  Golden  Russet:  H.  J.  A.  Simmons,  first,  Si  ;  W.  A. 
Luce,  second,  50c. 

Ben  Davis :  W.  E.  Rose,  Greene  Corner,  first,  SI  ;  Lemuel  Gur- 
ney, second,  50c. 

Deane  :     H.  Corbett,  first,  $1 ;  M.  C.  Hobbs,  second,  50c. 

Duchess  of  Oldenburg:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  SI ;  M.  P.  Hawkins, 
second,  50c. 

Early  Harvest :  C.A.Arnold,  first,  Si;  H.  J.  A.  Simmons, 
second,  50c. 


16  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Fallawater :     J.  Pope,  first,  SI  ;  C.  I.  Perley,  second,  oOc. 

Fall  Harvey:  C.  H.  Judkins,  Chesterville,  first,  $1;  A.  S. 
Ricker,  second,  50c. 

Fameuse  :     A.  K.  Bickford,  first,  $1  ;  S.  M.  King,   second,  50c. 

Garden  Royal:  B.  H.  Ridley,  Jay,  first,  $1;  T.  J.  Wheeler, 
Chesterville,  second,  50c. 

Granite  Beauty :  C.  I.  Perley,  first,  $1;  H.  J.  A.  Simmons, 
second,  50c. 

Jewett's  Fine  Red :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1;  F.  E.  Nowell, 
second,  50c. 

King  Sweeting:  F.  E.  Nowell,  first,  $1  ;  J.  S.  Hoxie,  second, 
50c. 

Large  Yellow  Bough:  F.  H.  Sleeper,  Lewiston,  first,  $1  ;  I.  B, 
Tolman,  Union,  second,  50c. 

Mcintosh  Red:  Chas.  Miller,  Union,  first,  Si;  C.  I.  Perley, 
second,  50c. 

Mildiug :  C.  I.  Perley,  first,  $1  ;  H.  J.  A.  Simmons,  second,  50c. 

Mother:  R.H.Gardiner,  first,  $1;  A.  J.  Kenniston,  second, 
50c. 

Munson  Sweet:  H.  Corbett,  first,  $1;  Hall  and  Wheeler,  sec- 
ond, 50c. 

Peck's  Pleasant:  R.  H.  Gardiner,  first,  $1. 

Pomme  Royale  :  C  H.  George,  second,  50c. 

Porter:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1  ;    AS.  Ricker,  second,  50c. 

Pound  Sweet:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1  ;  J.  M.  Lemont,  second, 
50c. 

President:  A.  S.  Ricker,  first,  $1  ;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second,  50c. 

Primate  :  G.  K.  Staples,  first,  $1 ;  J.  S.  Hoxie,  second,  50c. 

Pumpkin  Sweet:  Walter  E.  Keith,  first,  Si;  J.  Pope,  second, 
50c. 

Red  Astrachan :  H.  Corbett,  first,  $1;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second, 
50c. 

Russell:  B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  $1. 

Somerset:  F.  E.  Nowell,  first,  Si ;  J.   H.  Merrow,  second,  50c. 

Stark:  J.  W.  True,  first,  Si. 

Starkey :  J.  Pope,  first,  $1  ;  C.  I.  Perley,  second,  50c. 

Tetofsky :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1  ;  J.  S.  Hoxie,  second,  50c. 

Wagener:  G.  W.  Snow,  first,  SI  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second,  50c. 

Wealthy:  J.  W.  True,  first,  Si  ;  I.  B.  Tolman,  second,  50c. 

William's  Favorite:  S.  M.  King,  first,  $1  ;  W.  A.  Luce,  second, 
50c. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  17 

Winthrop  Greening  :  E.  A.  Lapham,  Pittston,  Si  ;  R.    H.   Gar- 
diner, second,  50c. 

Yellow   Transparent:  C.  H.  George,   first,  $1;  M.   C.   Hobbs, 
second,  oOc. 

Sweet  Russet:  A.  S.  Ricker,  second,  25c. 

Newtown  Pippin:     I.  B.  Tolman,  first,  50c. 

AVestfield    Seeknof urtlier :       S.    H,    Dawes,    first,   50c;    C.    H. 
George,  second,  50c. 

Orange  Sweet:     C.  H.  .Tudkins,  first,   50c;    Hall  and   Wheeler, 
second,  25c. 

Maiden's  Blush:     A.    K.   Bickford,  first,   50c;   F.   E.   Nowell, 
second,  25c. 

Minister:     A.  S.  Ricker,  first,  50c;  Alonzo  Butler,  second,  25c. 

Ribston    Pippin:     A.J  S.    Ricker,    first,   50c;    E.   A.    Lapham, 
second,  25c. 

Kilham  Hill :     A.   S.   Ricker,  first,  50c ;  J.   S.  Hoxie,   second, 
25c. 

Twentj' Ounce  :     D.  P.  True,  first.  50c;  ^Y.  S.  Phinney,  Stan- 
dish,  second,  25c. 

Gloria  Mundi :     B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  50c;  D.   P.   True,    second, 
25c. 

Swaar :     D.  P.  True,  first,  50c. 

Golden  Ball :     J.  M.  Leniont,  first,  50c. 

Mann:  G.    N.   Prescott,    f^ast   Monmouth,    first,   50c;    J.    M. 
Lemont,  second,  25c. 

Sutton  Beauty :  S.  G.  Shurtleff,  South  Livermore,  first,  50c. 

Princess  Louise  :  S.  G.  Shurtleff,  first,  50c. 

Shiawassa  :  S.  G.  Shurtleff",  first,  50c. 

Geneva  Pippin:  J.  S.  Hoxie,  first,  50c. 

Fall  Jenneting  :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c;   J.  S.  Hoxie,  second, 
25c. 

Pennock :  J.  S   Hoxie,  first,  50c ;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second,  25c. 

Grimes'  Golden  :  C.  H.  George,  first,  50c ;  Alonzo  Butler,  sec- 
ond, 25c. 

Gano :     J.  S.  Hoxie,  first,  50c. 

Pomme  Gris  :     J.  S.  Hoxie,  first,  50c. 

Pewaukee  :    E.   A.   Lapham,  first,  50c;  Hall  aud  Wheeler,  sec- 
ond, 25c. 

Benoni :     Charles  Miller,  East  Union,  first,   50c;  J.  S.  Hoxie, 
second,  25c. 
2 


18  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

■   Gideon  :     J.  S.  Hoxie,  first,  50c. 

Spitzenberg :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c;  C.  I.  Perley,  second, 
25c. 

New  York  Pippin  :     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

Lady  Sweet:  C.  H.  George,  first,  50c;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second, 
25c. 

Bailey  Sweet:     S   H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

River:    B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  50c;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second,  25c. 

Fall  Greening :     I.  B.  Tolraan,  first,  50c. 

Black  Oxford:  A.  K.  Bickfoi*d,  first,  50c;  C.  H.  Judkins, 
second,  25c. 

Fall  Orange  :     S.  M.  King,  first,  50c. 

Maxim  Seedling :     S.  M.  King,  first,  50c. 

Garden  Beauty :     S.  M.  King,  first,  50c 

York  Imperial:     S.  M.  King,  first,  50c. 

Foundling:  S.  M.  King,  first,  50c;  C.  H.  George,  second, 
25c. 

Franklin  Sweet:     Hall  &  Wheeler,  first,  50c. 

St.  Lawrence  :  Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c  ;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second, 
25c. 

Caleph  Sweet:     B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  50c. 

Parker  Sweet :     B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  50c. 

Mammoth:     B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  50c. 

Acme  :     B.  H.  Ridley,  first,  50c. 

Hurlbut :     G.  "W.  Snow,  first,  50c  ;  Alonzo  Butler,  second,  25c. 

August  Greening :     F.  E.  Nowell,  first,  50c. 

Blue  Pearmain :  C.  I.  Perley.  first,  50c;  W.  A.  Luce,  second, 
25c. 

Moses  Wood  :     C.  L  Perley,  first,  50c. 

Poughkeepsie  Russet :  Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c  ;  W.  A.  Luce, 
second,  25c. 

Hightop  Sweet:     F.  E.  Nowell,  first,  50c. 

Sops-of-Wiue  :  Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c ;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second, 
25c. 

Haas  :     C  A.  Arnold,  first   50c. 

American  Golden  Pippin  :     Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c. 

Colvert:     Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c;  F.  E.  Nowell,  second,  25c. 

Hawley  :     Alonzo  Butler,  second,  25c. 

Jersey  Sweet :     Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c. 

Rambo  :     Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  19 

Keswick  Codlin  :     Alonzo  Butler,  first,  oOc. 

Cooper's  Market :  Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c ;  F.  E.  Nowell, 
second,  25c. 

Liscomb :     W.  A.  Luce,  first,  50c. 

Golden  Sweet:     TV.  A.  Luce,  first,  50c. 

Garden  Sweet:     E.  A.  Lapham,  first,  50c. 

Fall  Pippin  :  E.  A.  Lapham,  first,  50c  ;  C.  H.  George,  second, 
25c. 

Superb  Sweet :     C.  H.  Judkins,  first,  50c. 

Strawberry  Sweet :     Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c. 

Chenango  Strawberry :     C.  H.  George,  first,  50c. 

English  Russet:     C.  H.  George,  first,  50c. 

Class  2-PEARS. 

For  best  general  exhibition  of  pears  :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $10  ; 
C.  I.  Perley,  second,  S8  ;  D.  J.  Briggs,  third,  85. 

Clapp's  Favorite:  A.  S.  Ricker,  first,  S3;  S.  H.  Dawes, 
second,  $2. 

Bartlett:     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  S3  ;  A.  S.  Ricker,  second,  $2. 

Belle  Lucrative  :  G.  N.  Prescott,  first,  $1;  Walter  E.  Keith, 
second,  50c. 

Beurre  d'Anjou :  S.  H.  Jawes,  first,  $1  ;  Walter  E.  Keith, 
second,  50c. 

Beurre  Bosc  :     J.  W.  True,  first,  SI. 

Beurre  Superfin  :  D.  P.  True,  first,  81  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second, 
50c. 

Beurre  Clairgeau :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1;  G.  N.  Prescott, 
second,  50c. 

Buffum :     Walter  E.  Keith,  first.  Si  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second,  50c. 

Doyenne  Boussock :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1  ;  C.  H.  George, 
second,  50c. 

Duchesse  d'Angouleme  :  S.  H.  Dowes,  first.  Si  ;  Alonzo  But- 
ler, second,  50c. 

Fulton  :     D.  P.  True,  first.  Si. 

Goodale  :     C  I.  Perley,  first,  81. 

Howell:     C.  I.   Perley,  first.  81;  S.    H.  Dawes,    second,  50c. 

Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  SI  ;  D.  P.  True, 
second,  50c. 

Seckel :     A   S.  Ricker,  first.  Si  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second,  50c. 

Sheldon:     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,   $1;  A.   S.  Ricker,  second,  50c. 


20  STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

Souvenir  du  Congress:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1;  D.  P.  True, 
second,  50c. 

Lawrence :  Lemuel  Gurney,  first,  $1  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second, 
50c. 

Vicar  of  Wakefield :  Alonzo  Butler,  first,  50c ;  D.  P.  True, 
second,  50c. 

Beurre  d'Amalis  :  Walter  E.  Keith,  first,  50c  ;  H.  J.  A.  Sim- 
mons, second,  50c. 

Bloodgood :     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

Rostiezer:     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

Brandywine :     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

Rutter :     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

Tyson  :     S.  G.  Shurtleff,  first,  50c  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second,  25c. 

Gurber:     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c. 

Kieffer:     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  50c;  D.  P.  True,  second,  25c. 

Edmunds  :     Walter  E.  Keith,  first,  50c. 

Margaret:     S.  G.  Shurtleff,  second,  25c. 

Eastern  Belle :     J.  S.  Hoxie,  first,  50c. 

Flemish  Beauty :  A.  J.  Kenniston,  Simpson's  Corner,  first, 
50c;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second,  25c. 

Glout  Morceau :     C.  I.  Perley,  first,  50c. 

Swan's  Orange  :     C.  I.  Perley,  second,  25c. 

Ellis  :     D.  P.  True,  first,  50c. 

Class  3-GRAPES. 

Collection  open  air  grapes:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $5;  G.  A. 
Glover,  Naples,  second,  $o. 

Sweetwater:     A.  P.  Ring,  first,  $1. 

Class  4-PLUIviS. 

For  best  general  exhibition:  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $6;  W.  A. 
Luce,  second,  $4  ;  D.  P.  True,  third,  $2. 

Bavay's  Green  Gage :     W.  A.  Luce,  second,  50c. 

Bradshaw:  W.  A.  Luce,  first,  $1  ;  D.  H.  Knowlton,  Farming- 
ton,  second,  50c. 

Coe's  Golden  Drop :  S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1;  C.  H.George, 
second,  50c. 

Prince's  Imperial  Gage:  H.  J.  A.  Simmons,  first,  $1  ;  Charles 
Miller,  second,  50c. 


STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  21 

Purple  Gage:     Lemuel  Gurney,  first,    Si  ;  D.  P.  True,  second, 

50c. 

Red  Gage  :     D.  P.  True,  first,  $1. 

Guii :     A.  A.  Eastman,  Dexter,  first,  $1. 

Jefferson:     J.  W.  True,  first,  $1  ;  S.  H.  Dawes,  second,  50c> 

Lawrence:     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1. 

Lombard  :     S.  H.  Dawes,  first,  $1  ;  C.  H.  George,  second,  50oo. 

Magnum  Bonum :     M.  P.  Hawkins,  first,  $1. 

McLaughlin:  J.  W.  True,  first,  fl  ;  A.  A.  Eastman,  second,. 
50c. 

Moore's  Arctic:  W.  A.  Luce,  first,  SI  ;  A.  A.  Eastman,  second, 
50c. 

Quackenbos  :     W.  A.  Luce,  first,  $1. 

Washington  :     D.  H.  Knowlton,  first,  $1. 

Yellow  Egg:  Lemuel  Gurney,  first,  SI;  J.  W.  True,  second, 
50c. 

Abundance  :     S.  G.  Shurtleff,  gratuity,  $1. 

Fellemberg :  S.  G.  Shurtleff,  gratuity,  $1  ;  D.  H.  Knowlton, 
gratuity,  50c. 

Class  S-SMALL  FRUITS  IN  GLASS. 

Currants:     A.  A.  Eastman,  first,  50c. 
Gooseberries :     A.  A.  Eastman,  first,  50c. 
Raspberries  :     A.  A.  Eastman,  first,  50c. 
Strawberries  :     A.  A.  Eastman,  first,  50c. 

Class  6-MISCELLANEOUS. 

Quinces:     S.  H.  Dawes,  gratuity,  $1. 

Figs:     E.  K.  Whitney,  Harrison,  gratuity,  $1. 

Blackberries:     Alonzo  Butler,  gratuity,  $1. 

Collection  Canned  Fruit,  etc.  :  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  $8  ;  Mrs. 
F.  D.  Grover,  Bean's  Corner,  second,  $5. 

Canned  Blackberries  :  Mrs.  D.  P.  True,  first,  50c ;  Mrs.  Fran- 
cis Hoyt,  Winthrop,  second,  25c. 

Canned  Blueberries  :     Mrs.  D.  P.  True,  first,  50c. 

Canned  Gooseberries:  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  D.  P. 
True,  second,  25c. 

Canned  Peaches :  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  50c ;  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt, 
second,  25c. 

Canned  Pears:  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  H.  Corbett, 
second,  25c. 


22  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Canned  Plums :  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  D.  P.  True, 
second,  25c. 

Canned  Quinces :  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c ;  Mrs.  H.  Corbett, 
second,  25c. 

Canned  Raspberries  :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c. 

Canned  Strawberries:  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  H.  Cor- 
bett, second,  25c. 

Canned  Tomatoes :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Preserved  Apples :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Preserved  Currants :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c. 

Preserved  Cherries  :  Miss  E.  B.  Butler,  Union,  first,  50c  ;  Mrs. 
F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Preserved  Pears  :  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  H.  Corbett, 
second,  25c. 

Preserved  Plums:  Mrs.  F.  Hoj^t,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  D.  P.  True, 
second,  50c. 

Preserved  Quince:  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  H.  Corbett, 
second,  25. 

Preserved  Raspberries:  Miss  E.  B.  Butler,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  H. 
Corbett,  second,  25c. 

Preserved  Strawberries:  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  F. 
Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Assorted  Pickles  :  Mabel  E.  Grover,  Bean's  Corner,  first,  50c  ; 
Blrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Tomato  Catsup  :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c. 

Collection  Apple  Jellies :  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  82;  Mrs.  F. 
D.  Grover,  second,  $1. 

Apple  Jelly:  Mrs.  F.  D.  Grover,  first,  81;  Mrs.  H.  Corbett, 
second,  50c. 

Crab  Apple  Jelly:  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt, 
second,  25c. 

Currant  Jelly :  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  50c ;  A.  A.  Eastman, 
second,  25c. 

Grape  Jelly :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Quince  Jelly:  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  50c:  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt, 
second,  25c. 

Raspberry  Jelly  :     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Rhubarb  Jelly:     Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second,  25c. 

Strawberry  Jelly :  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  50c  ;  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt, 
second,  25c. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  23 

Maple  Syrup :  C.  H.  George,  first,  Si  ;  Joseph  Hibbs,  Hebron, 
second,  60c. 

Evaporated  Apples  :     Walter  Keith,  first,  $3. 

Celery  Relish:     S.  B.  Scribner,  Lewiston,  gratuity,  50c. 

Maple  Sugar  :     Lemuel  Gurney,  gratuity,  2oc, 

Tomato  Pickles  :     Mrs.  F,  A.  Conant,  Lewiston,  gratuity,  25c. 

Preserved  Tomato  :     Mrs.  F.  A.  Conant,  gratuity,  50c. 

Strawberry  Jam:     Mrs.  F.  A.  Conant,  gratuity,  25c. 

Class  7-FLOWERS. 

Display  of  Cut  Flowers:  (professional)  C.  S.  Goddard  & 
Son,  Woodfords,  first,  810. 

Display  of  Cut  Flowers  :  Mrs.  Charles  Stanley,  Winthrop,  first, 
$10  ;  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  Freeport,  second,  $8  ;  Mrs.  A.  B. 
Strattard,  Monroe,  third,  $o. 

Exhibition  of  Dahlias:  Mrs.  Charles  Stanley,  first,  82;  Mrs. 
B.  T.  Townsend,  second,  $1. 

Chinese  Pinks :  Charles  S.  Walker,  Peru,  first,  $2  ;  lola  Agnes 
Walker,  Peru,  second,  $1. 

Lilies:     Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  second,  81. 

Asters:  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  81;  Mrs.  S.  T.  Good- 
speed,  Turner  Centre,  second,  50c. 

Pansies  (named)  :     Mrs.  A.  B.  Strattard,  second,  81. 

Pansies  :     Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  81. 

Zinnias:  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  81  ;  Mrs.  Franc's  Hoyt, 
second,  50c. 

Phlox  Drummondii :  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  82;  Willard 
H.  Waterman,  East  Auburn,  second,  81. 

Stocks:  Lucy  A.  Chandler,  Freeport,  first,  81;  Mrs.  G.  K. 
Staples,  second,  50c. 

Sweet  Peas:  E.  C.  Pope,  Manchester,  first,  81;  Mrs.  S.  T. 
Goodspeed,  second,  50c. 

Balsams:  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  first,  81  ;  Mrs.  Chas.  Stanley,  second, 
50c. 

Gladioli:  Lucy  A.  Chandler,  first,  $2;  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  sec- 
ond, 81. 

Petunias:  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  $1  ;  Mrs.  A.  B.  Strat- 
tard, second,  50c. 

Verbenas  :  Lucy  A.  Chandler,  first,  81  ;  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt,  second, 
50c. 


24  STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

Vase  of  Cat  Flowers :  Mrs.  E.  Klusener,  Auburn,  first,  $3  ;  Mrs. 
H.  Coi-bett,  second,  $2;  Mrs.  Anthony  Cummings,  Auburn,   $1. 

Six  Batton-hole  Bouquets  :     Perez  S.  Burr,  Freeport,  second,  $1 . 

Professional  Floral  Design :  Miss  G.  P.  Sanborn,  Augusta , 
first,  $8  ;  C.  S.  Goddard  &  Son,  second,  $5. 

Corsage  Bouquet:     Perez  S.  Burr,  first,  $2. 

Amateur  Floral  Design:  Lucy  B.  Burr,  Freeport,  first,  $5; 
Mrs.  A.  B.  Strattard,  second,  S3. 

Dish  of  Cut  Flowers  :  Mrs.  H.  Corbett,  first,  S2  ;  Mrs.  F.  Hoyt, 
second,  $1. 

Basket  of  Cut  Flowers :  C.  S,  Goddard  &  Son,  first,  $2  ;  Mrs. 
F.  Hoyt,  second,  $1. 

Collection  of  Floral  Designs  :      Miss  G.  P.  Sanborn,  gratuity,  $5. 

Exhibition  of  Greenhouse  plants:  C.  S.  Goddard  &  Son,  first, 
$20;  Miss  G.  P.  Sanborn,  second,  S15;  W.  G.  Bailey,  Freeport, 
third,  $10. 

Exhibition  of  pot  plants :  Lucy  A.  Chandler,  first,  $10;  Mrs. 
Anthony  Cummings,  second,  $8. 

Exhibition  of  Ferns:  C.  S.  GoddardJ  «fe  Son,  first,  $3  ;  W.  G. 
Bailey,  second,  $2. 

Exhibition  of  Geraniums  :  Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  first,  $2  ;  W.  G. 
Bailey,  second,  $1. 

Exhibition  of  Foliage  Begonias:  W.  G.  Bailey,  first,  $2  ;]  Mrs. 
B.  T,  Townsend,  second,  $1. 

Exhibition  Tuberous  Begonias  :  W.  G.  Bailey,  first,  $2  ;  Mrs. 
B.  T.  Townsend,  second,  $1. 

Exhibition  of  Coleus :  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  S2  ;  W.  G. 
Bailey,  second,  $1. 

Exhibition  of  Gloxinias:  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  $2;^ 
Mrs.  C.  E.  Waterman,  second,  $1. 

Double  Geranium  :     Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  first,  50c. 

Single  Geranium :     Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  second,  25c. 

Foliage  Begonia  :  Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  first,  50c  ;  W.  G.  Bai- 
ley, second,  25c. 

Flowering  Begonia:  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,' 60c ;  W.  G. 
Bailey,  second,  25c. 

Tuberous  Begonia:  W.  G.  Bailey,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  B.  T. 
Townsend,  second,  25c. 

Coleus :  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  50c ;  Mrs.  C.  E.  Water- 
man, second,  25c. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  25 

Fuchsia:  Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  first,  50c;  Mrs.  E.  Klusener, 
second,  25c. 

Carnation  :     W.  G.  Bailey,  first,  5Gc. 

Ever-blooming  Rose:     Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  first,  $1. 

Single  Pot  plant :  Mrs.  B.  T.  Townsend,  first,  S2  ;  Mrs.  A. 
Cummings,  second.  Si. 

Climbing  plant:     Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  second,  Si. 

Pair  Lawn  Vases  (filled) :     Mrs.  A.  Cummings,  first,  S3. 

Cut  Wild  Flowers  :     Mrs.  C.  E   Waterman,  first,  S3. 

Pressed  Wild  Flowers  :  Edith  M.  Stoddard,  Belfast,  first,  S5  ; 
Lillian  A.  Spratt,  Kenduskeag,  second,  S3  ;  F.  L.  Varney,  Eapt 
Lowell,  third,  $2. 


WINDOW  GARDEN  DEPARTMENT. 

Geraniums.  First  Premiums  :  Ethel  Drake,  Lora  Bearce,  Fred 
Greenleaf,  Harry  Prince,  Angle  Welch,  Clinton  Bailey,  Gertrude 
Stetson,  Belle  Jordan,  Sadie  Tracey,  Amy  Cushman,  Gladys 
Lothrop,  George  Bower,  Lester  Brett,  Elwin  Nutter,  Auburn ; 
Rosa  Buckfield,  Ethel  Hunt,  Edith  Davis,  Belle  Bushby,  Arthur 
Handy,  John  O'Brien,  Bennie  Armone,  Goldie  Ware,  Alice  Cart- 
land,  Ethel  Lewis,  Lewiston,  30  cents  each. 

Second  Premiums  :  Walter  Hunt,  Forest  Atwood,  Maude  Pre- 
ble, Charlie  Woodbury,  .James  Gould,  Wallace  Philoon,  Vargie 
Pulsifer,  Harold  Furbuah,  Wallace  Clement,  Maud  Stearns,  Ever- 
ett Davis,  Carl  Currier,  Lizzie  Briggs,Paul  Preble, Helen  Sprague, 
Delia  Brabson,  Vertie  Edwards,  Ralph  Chase,  Grace  Bowen, 
Auburn  ;  May  Joyce,  Fred  Nandtke,  Eugene  Boucher,  James  Daly, 
Alvin  Riley,  Willie  Nason,  Ray  Smith,  Lewiston,  20  cents  each. 

Coleus.  First  premiums  :  Guy  Mixer,  Lin  Smith,  E^thel  Storah, 
Maude  Larrabee,  Lilla  Stetson,  Chester  Kilgore,  Arthur  Decker, 
Auburn  ;  Lewis  Noland,  Mary  Cotton,  Nellie  Durgin,  Frank  Crow- 
ley, Lewiston,  30  cents  each. 

Second  premiums :  Adelbert  Morse,  Florence  Palmer,  Annie 
Brabson,  Mabel  Coombs,  Ernest  Lord,  Lula  Yeaton,  Allie  Garce- 
lon,  Goldie  Miller,  Ruby  Randall,  Auburn;  George  Robinson, 
Arthur  Thompson,  Harry  Lunt,  Fannie  Love,  Lewiston,  20  cents 
each. 


26  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


SUMMARY     OF     AAVARDS. 

Apples — General  exhibitions S219  50 

Specials 61  00 

Single  plates 90  00 

$370  50 

Pears — General  exhibitions  and  single  plates 64  25 

Grapes 9  00 

Plums 35  50 

Fruits    in   glass,  etc 4  00 

Canned  fruits 40  50 

Plants  and  Flowers — Cut   Flowers $57  00 

FloralWork 41  00 

Plants 96  50 

194  50 

Specials— Wild  Flowers $13  00 

Children's  Plants 16  20  29  20 

Total $747  45 


LIST  OF  PREMIUMS  AWARDED    AT    THE    WINTER    MEETING, 
HELD  IN  FOXCROFT,  JANUARY  8th   and   9th,    1895. 

Collection  Apples:  B.  H.  Ridle}',  Jay,  85;  G.  K.  Staples, 
Temple,  $4;  0.  L.  Larrabee,  West  Levant,  $3;  S.  R.  Sweetser, 
Cumberland  Center,  gratuity,  83. 

Best  Plate  American  Golden  Russets:  Charles  H.  Judkins, 
Chesterville,  81  ;  B.  H.  Ridley,  Jay,  50c. 

Baldwin:  J.  W.  True,  New  Gloucester,  81;  Chas.  S.Pope, 
Manchester,  50c. 

Ben  Davis:  J.  W.  True,  New  Gloucester,  $1;  B.  H.  Ridley, 
Jay,  50c. 

Falla water :  O.  L.  Larrabee,  West  Levant,  50c;  H.  L.  Leland, 
East  Sangerville,  25c. 

Fall  Harvey:  B.  H.  Ridley,  Jay,  50c;  H.  L.  Leland,  East 
Sangerville,  25c. 

Fameuse :  B.  H.  Ridley,  Jay,  50c;  H.  L.  Leland,  East  San- 
gerville, 25c. 

Hubbardston  Nonsuch:  Chas.  S.  Pope,  Manchester,  $1  ;  Wm. 
R.  Wharf,  Gardiner,  50c. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETA.  27 

Jewett's  Fine  Red:     D.  H.  Kuowlton,  Farmingtou,  50c;  J.  W. 

True,  New  Gloucester,  '25c. 

Milcliug:     H.  L.  Leland,  East  Sangerville,  $\  ;  G.  K.  Staples, 

Temple,  50c. 

Mother:     Wm.  R.  Wharf,  Gardiner,  SI. 

Northern  Spy  :     C.  H.  Judkina,  Chesterville,  §1  ;  L.  A.  Rouse, 

Farmingdale,  50c. 

Pound  Sweet :     J.  AV.  True,  New  Gloucester,  Si  ;  B.  H.  Ridley, 

Jay,  50c. 

Rhode  Island  Greening:     E.  W.  Dunbar,  Damariscotta,  Si  ;  S. 

R.  Sweetser,  Cumberland  Centre,  50c. 

Rolfe  :     O.  L.  Larrabee,  West  Levant,  SI. 

Roxbury  Russets  :  Charles  S.  Pope,  Manchester,  SI  ;  H.  L. 
Leland,  East  Sangerville,  50c. 

Starkey:     Charles   S.    Pope,   Manchester,   $1;   H.    L.   Leland, 

East  Sangerville,  50c. 

Stark :      A.    A.    Eastman,    Dexter,    50c ;   J.    W.    True,    New 

Gloucester,  25c. 

Talman's  Sweet:     Charles  S.  Pope.  Manchester,  61  ;  C.  H.  Jud- 

kins,  Chesterville,  50c. 

Tompkiu's  King:     G.    K.    Staples,    Temple,    $1;    William    R. 

Wharf,  Gardiner,  50c. 

Wagener :      B.    H.   Ridley,  Jay,   50c;   O     L.   Larrabee,    West 

Levant,  25c. 

Wealthy:     S.  R.  Sweetser,  Cumberland  Centre,  $1. 

Yellow  Bellflower:  A.  E  Andrews,  Gardiner,  $1  ;  William  R. 
Wharf,  Gardiner,  50c. 

Winter  Pears  :     D.  P.  True,  Leeds  Centre,  $1. 

Lawrence  Pear:     D    P.  True,  Leeds  Centre,  SI. 

Vicar  of  Wakefield  :     D.  P.  True,  81. 

Keifer:     D.  P.  True,  SI. 

Canned  Apples  :     Charles  E.  Wheeler,  Chesterville,  $2. 

Winter  Nelis  Pear:     Charles  S.  Pope,  Manchester,  SI. 

Beurre  Clairgeau  :     D.  P.  True,  $1. 

We  notice  some  very  nice  small  fruits  put  up  in  small  bottles  bj' 
W.  W.  Crooker  of  Monson ;  also  four  glass  jars  of  gooseberries, 
currants  and  raspberries,  put  up  by  A.  R.  Dodge  of  Dexter;  for 
all  of  which  your  committee  would  recommend  a  gratuity. 

The  committee  add  in  closing  their  report : 

We  also  notice  some  quinces  exhibited  hy  D.  P.  True,  Leeds 
Centi'e,  that  are  well  grown  and  nicely  preserved,  and  worthy  of  a 
gratuity. 


Business  Transactions  at  the  Annual  ^leetina'. 


September  6,  1894.  The  members  of  the  Society  met  in  the  hall 
provided  for  the  purpose  on  the  Fair  grounds,  in  Lewiston,  at  6.30 
P.  M.  Proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers  for  1895.   [See  page  9.] 

Professor  Munson  stated  that  legislation  referring  to  the  exter- 
mination of  black  knot  seems  to  be  inexpedient  at  the  present  time, 
and  the  committee  was  accordingly  granted  time  to  prepare  a  final 
report  for  the  Winter  Meeting. 

AT   THE    WINTER    MEETING    JANUARY    8tH    AND    9tH,    1895. 

By  invitation  of  Mr.  H.  L.  Leland  in  behalf  of  local  organiza- 
tions and  citizens  of  Piscataquis  county  the  annual  Winter  Meet- 
ing was  held  in  Opera  House,  Foxcroft,  January  8th  and  9th,  1895. 
Secretary  McKeen  joined  with  the  Society  and  the  meeting  was  held 
with  the  most  cordial  good  will  and  approval  of  all  concerned. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  the  appointed  hour  by  the 
President,  and  the  Treasurer  and  Secretary  presented  their  annual 
reports.     [See  preceding  pages.] 

The  Committee  on  Legislation  appointed  at  the  last  Winter 
Meeting  reported  as  follows  : 

After  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  subject  your  committee  deem  it 
unwise  at  present  to  urge  legislative  action  looking  toward  the  sup- 
pression of  the  "black  knot"  of  plum  and  cherry  trees.  It  is 
found  that  trees  apparently  free  from  disease  may  be  infected  from 
diseased  trees  at  least  three-fourths  of  a  mile  distant.  As  the  cul- 
ture of  plums  is  comparatively  a  small  industry,  while  the  wild 
plum  and  cherry  trees  of  our  forests  are  an  ever  present  menace  it 
is  doubtful  if  any  law  could  prove  effective.  Public  sentiment  is 
not  yet  sufficiently  strong  to  insure  the  enforcement  of  such  meas- 
ures as  would  be  necessary. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOOIETr.  29 

It  therefore  remains  for  each  grower  to  continue  the  fight  single 
handed  and  for  this  society  to  continually  agitate  the  question  of 
how  to  deal  with  plant  diseases.  It  now  seems  probable  that  black 
knot  may  be  held  in  check  by  the  timely  use  of  Bordeaux  mixture. 
If  this  be  the  case,  the  progressive  grower  will  have  a  more  valu- 
able aid  than  a  mere  statute  which  from  the  nature  of  existing 
conditions  must  be  inoperative. 

W.    M.    MUNSON,  "^ 

W.  A.   Luce,        >  Committee. 
S,  H.  Dawes,     ) 

Committees  on  exhibition  of  fruits,  consisting  of  S.  H.  Dawes 
and  J.  F  Norris,  was  appointed  by  the  President.  [See  page  14  for 
report  of  premiums  awarded  ] 

Committee  on  Resolutions,  consisting  of  Charles  S.  Pope,  W.  M. 
Munson,  and  B.  H.  Ridley,  was  appointed,  and  before  the  close  of 
the  meeting  reported  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  That  the  Maine  Pomological  Societ}'  fully  appreciates 
the  cordial  welcome  extended  by  the  citizens  of  Dover  and  Fox- 
croft,  and  the  assistance  rendered  in  making  the  program .  of 
interest. 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  society  are  due  to  the  hotels  of 
the  two  villages  and  to  the  railroads  for  the  reduced  rates  given. 

A  special  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  and  report  on  the 
recommendations  contained  in  the  President's  address.  The  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  composed  the  committee  :  Charles  S.  Pope,  Dr. 
H.  A.  Robinson  and  A.  A.  Eastman.     [See  page  50.] 

The  following  resolution  was  presented  by  the  Secretary  and 
unanimously  passed  : 

Whereas,  We  recognize  that  fruit  growing  is  one  of  the  most 
important  industries  of  agriculture  in  the  State  ;  and  whereas  we 
believe  that  the  various  agricultural  societies  in  the  State  should  do 
more  to  develop  this  particular  industry  by  offering  more  liberal 
premiums  for  exhibitions  of  fruit ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  recommend  for  the  consideration  of  the 
societies  the  propriety  of  a  premium  of  at  least  five  dollars  for  the 
best  exhibition  of  correctly  named  varieties  of  apples,  the  collec- 
tion to  consist  of  at  least  fifteen  varieties  ;  that  premiums  of  at 
least  fifty  cents  per  plate  of  five  specimens  be  offered  for  the  fol- 
lowing named  varieties,  or  as  many  of  them  as  possible : 


30  STATE    POMOLOaiCAL    SOCIETY. 

Alexander,  Golden  Russet,  Ben  Davis,  Deaue,  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burg, Fallawater,  Fall  Harvey,  Fameuse,  Garden  Royal,  Granite 
Beauty,  Jewett's  Fine  Red,  King  Sweeting,  Large  Yellow  Bought 
Mcintosh  Red,  Milding,  Munson  Sweet,  Peck's  Pleasant,  Porter, 
Pound  Sweet,  Primate,  Pumpkin  Sweet,  Rolfe,  Somerset,  Stark, 
Staikey,  Wagener,  Wealthy,  William's  Favorite,  Winthrop  Green- 
ing, Yellow  Transparent,  Baldwin,  Gravenstein,  Hubbardston 
Nonsuch,  Northern  Spy,  Rhode  Island  Greening,  Roxbury  Russet, 
Talman's  Sweet,  Tompkins  King,  Yellow  Bellflower. 

The  Pomolog'cal  Society  has  very  largely  increased  the  size  of 
its  exhibition  by  offering  less  premiums  for  single  plates  of  other 
correctly  named  varieties  in  addition  to  the  list  given. 

The  object  of  these  recommendations  is  in  no  way  an  effort  to 
dictate  to  any  of  the  societies,  but  rather  to  urge  upon  them  the 
importance  of  giving  the  fruit  industry  of  the  State  the  prominence 
its  magnitude  entitles  it  to  receive. 

Voted,  That  the  foregoing  resolution  be  given  a  passage,  and 
respectfully  referred  to  the  Board  of  Agriculture  for  its  consider- 
ation. 

A  copy  of  this  resolution  was  sent  to  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture and  the  following  note  was  passed  by  that  body  : 

ENDORSED    BY    THE    STATE    BOARD    OF    AGRICULTURE. 

This  resolution  was  read   and    a   vote   taken,   that   the    Board 

endorse  the  resolution  of  the  Pomological  Society  as  passed  at  its 

meeting  at  Foxcroft,  January  8th  and  9th,  1895. 

Attest : 

A.  R.  Smiley,  Clerk. 

B.  WALKER  McKEEN, 

Secretary  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

Later  in  circular  form  the  above  was  sent  to  each  agricultural 
society  in  the  State. 

MEETINGS    OF    EXECUTIVE    COMMITTEE. 

March  16,  1894.     Met  at  Elm  House,  Auburn. 

Voted,  To  adopt  a  scale  of  points  for  judging  single  plates  of 
apples  and  pears,  no  plate  to  receive  a  first  premium  that  scores 
less  than  75  per  cent ;  a  second  that  scores  less  than  60,  and  a 
third  that  scores  less  than  50. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  31 

The  schedule  of  premiums  was  revised  for  the  next  annual  exhi- 
bition. 

April  13th.  The  Secretary  received  from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Maine  State  Agricultural  Society  a  copy  of  vote  passed  by  the 
trustees  of  that  Society,  arranging  terms  of  exhibition. 

This  vote  as  agreed  upon  is  as  follows  : 

Voted,  To  accept  proposition  from  State  Pomological  Society 
for  joint  exhibition  for  1894.  The  State  Agricultural  Society  to 
pay  the  Pomological  Society  8500  on  condition  that  the  pomologi- 
cal premiums  shall  not  be  reduced  from  last  year  ;  the  State  Soci- 
ety to  furnish  two  policemen  the  last  day  if  requested  ;  to  issue 
two  single  admission  tickets  to  annual  and  the  usual  ticket  to  life 
members,  not  members  of  the  State  Society  ;  also  to  furnish  single 
admission  to  children  only  who  furnish  plants,  and  that  the  trus- 
tees shall  determine  the  amount  of  alterations  in  tables  for  which 
they  will  be  responsible. 

August  21.  Meeting  called  in  Lewiston  to  arrange  for  exhibi- 
tion. Visited  the  exhibition  building  and  agreed  upon  such 
changes  as  seemed  best  and  instructed  IMessrs.  Andrews  and  the 
Secretary  to  carry  the  same  into  effect. 

November  8.     Meeting  held  at  the  Barden  House,  Phillips. 

The  Secretary  presented  schedule  of  premiums  awarded  at  the 
exhibition  and  the  Treasurer  was  authorized  to  hire  money  to  pay 
the  same  so  far  as  it  may  be  necessary. 

Voted,  To  accept  the  invitation  offered  in  behalf  of  the  citizens 
of  Pisctitaquis  county,  to  hold  the  meeting  at  some  accessible 
point  there  ;  that  the  time  and  place  of  holding  the  meeting  be 
referred  to  the  President  and  Secretary. 

Voted,  That  premiums  be  offered  at  the  Winter  Meeting,  not  to 
exceed  those  of  last  year,  and  that  the  Secretary  be  instructed  to 
prepare  the  schedule. 

January  9,  1895.  Meeting  of  committee  in  Foxcroft  following 
the  Annual  Winter  Meeting. 

Voted,  That  the  President  and  Mr.  Andrews  visit  Augusta  and 
take  such  action  to  secure  the  deficiency,  the  past  two  years  as 
their  judgment  may  determine. 


PUBLIC    MEETINGS 


OF    THE 


Maine  State  Pomological  Society 


PAPERS,  DISCUSSIONS,  Etc. 


ANNUAL  MEETING, 
Lewiston,   September  6,    1894. 

Special  Meeting,  Coiuliictecl  by  the  Executive 
Committee. 

Phillips,  November  8,  1894. 

UNION  WINTER  MEETING, 

Foxcroft,  January  8  and  9,  1895. 


PUBLIC  MEETINGS. 


PROGRAMMES, 


AXXUAL  MEETIXG  DURIXG   THE   EXHIBITIOX. 

Music,  conducted  by  A.  R.  Smile}'. 
Election  of  officers. 
Address  by  Mrs.  Alonzo  Towle,  Freedom,  N.  H., 

"Inside  the  Hedge  Row." 

SPECIAL  MEETIXG,   PHILLIPS. 

Apples  :  Their  Culture,  Handling  and  Marketing, 

Conducted  by  President  Pope. 
Paper,  John  AY.  True,  New  Gloucester. 

The  Enemies  of  Fruit,  A  short  talk  by  Prof.  W.  M.  Munson. 

Discussion,  Small  Fruits  and  Their  Culture. 

The  subject  will  be  opened  by  President  Pope,  and  followed  up 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Society  and  others. 

Fruit  growers  were  invited  to  bring  in  specimens  of  fruit  grown 
in  North  Franklin. 

UXIOX  AVIXTER  3IEETIXG   AT  FOXCPtOFT,   Jax.   S  and   9,  1S95. 

TUESDAY,    10    A.    M.       BUSINESS    MEETING. 

Report  of  Treasurer. 
Report  of  Secretary. 
Other  Business. 

AFTERNOON. 

Address  of  Welcome,  H.  A.  Robinson,  D.  D.  S.,  Foxcroft. 

Response. 

President's  Annual  Address,  John  AY.  True,  New  Gloucester. 

The  Young  Orchard,  Chas.  E.  AVheeler,  Chesterville. 


36  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

EVENING. 

Enemies  of  Fruit  Culture  and  How  to  Subdue  Them, 

Prof.  W.  M.  Munson,  Orono. 
Cultivation  of  Orchard  and  Small  Fruits, 

O.  B.  Hadwen,  Worcester,  Mass. 

WEDNESDAY,    A.    M. 

Progress  of  Orcharding  and  Fruit  Culture  in  Piscataquis  County, 

Calvin  Chamberlain,  Foxcroft. 
Discussion — Condition  and  Prospects  of  Fruit  Culture  in  Piscata- 
quis County,  H.  L.  Leland,  E.  Sangerville. 
The  Home  Garden,  Chas.  S.  Pope,  Manchester. 

AFTERNOON. 

A  Discussion  as  to  what  shall  be   Maine's  Flower  in  the  National 

Garland,  Janet  L.  Dingley,  Auburn. 

State  Chairman  of  the  Maine  Floral  Emblem  Society. 

After  the  discussion  there  will  be  a  ballot  for  the  flower  preferred. 

Study  of  Plant  Life,  Superintendent  John  R.  Dunton,  Rockland. 

EVENING. 

Good  Food  from  the  Garden, 

Miss  Anna  Barrows,  School  of  Domestic  Science,  Boston. 

FRCIT    EXHIBITION. 

There  will  be  an  exhibition  of  fruit,  to  which  all  fruit  growers  in 
the  State  are  cordially  invited  to  contribute. 

EXHIBITION    RULES. 

1.  The  same  general  rules  will  govern  this  exhibition  as  the 
Other  exhibitions  of  the  Society. 

2.  All  entries  must  be  made  with  the  Secretary  on  or  before 
1  o'clock  of  the  first  day  (January  8),  and  the  fruit  must  be  in 
place  by  that  hour. 

3.  Five  specimens  of  apples  or  pears  will  constitute  a  plate. 
Exhibitors  will  please  take  notice. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  37 

4.  The  Society's  premiums  are  open  for  competition  to  all  per- 
sons residing  in  the  State  ;  but  when  premiums  or  gratuities  exceed- 
inw  Si. 00  and  less  than  S20.00  are  awarded  to  a  person  not  a  mem- 
ber of  this  Society,  a  fee  of  $1.00  will  be  deducted  therefrom  ;  and 
when  premiums  and  gratuities  amounting  to  $20.00  or  more  are 
awarded  to  a  person  not  a  life  member  of  this  Society,  the  fee  for 
life  membership  will  be  deducted  therefrom,  and  a  certificate  of 
membership  will  be  issued  accordingly. 


PAPERS,  DISCUSSIONS,  ETC.. 

AT  THE    STATE  FAIR  MEETING. 

The  address  by  Mrs.  Alonzo  Towle  of  Freedom,  N.  H., — "Inside 
the  Hedge  Row" — was  an  eloquent  appeal  for  flowers  in  the  home 
garden.  She  urged  the  planting  of  them,  described  them,  and 
gave  cultural  directions  of  value  to  all  interested  in  flowers.  She 
illustrated  her  lecture  from  her  own  experience  in  the  care  of 
flowers. 

Excellent  music  was  furnished  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  A.  R. 
Smiley. 

AT  THE  PHILLIPS  MEETING. 


APP1>ES— THEIR  CULTURE,  HANDLING  AND  MARKETING. 

President  Pope  with  a  few  appropriate  words  introduced  the  sub- 
ject of  the  afternoon,  and  briefly  called  attention  to  some  of  the 
essentials  of  successful  fruit  culture  in  Maine.  He  then  intro- 
duced Mr.  John  W.  True  of  New  Gloucester,  who  read  the  follow- 
ing paper : 

In  order  to  raise  good  apples  and  do  it  successfully  some  one  has 
got  to  begin  with  the  young  trees  and  have  them  properly  set  and 
cared  for,  a  number  of  years  at  least,  and  any  one  not  having  a 
taste  for  that  kind  of  labor  should  never  attempt  it,  for  if  he  does, 
failure  is  sure  to  follow  ;  but  any  one  with  a  love  for  the  work  and  a 
real  interest  in  it,  one  that  can  truly  enjoy  working  around  the 
young   trees,  seeing  them  grow   and  form  their   tops,  can   raise 


38  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETT. 

apples  and  harvest  them  ;  but  that  is  not  the  money  in  his  pocket. 
He  has  then  got  to  market  them  and  it  is  all  too  true  that  many  of 
us  fruit  growers  and  farmers  are  very  poor  market-men.  In  order 
to  be  a  good  market-man,  one  has  got  to  follow  the  market  reports, 
keep  himself  posted  as  to  the  supply  of  and  demand  for  the  article 
he  is  producing,  in  order  to  get  the  most  for  his  labor  and  skill  in 
his  particular  line  of  work. 

If  he  does  not  do  this  it  is  equal  to  a  tax  on  what  he  has  pro- 
duced. After  a  fine  crop  of  apples  has  been  grown  it  is  of  the 
first  importance  that  they  should  be  well  marketed.  Now  one  of 
the  greatest  questions  of  the  day  is  how  shall  that  be  done?  It  is 
now  the  fashion  to  sell  them  to  some  shipper  ^'■riglil  through"  and 
he  takes  them  all  and  packs  them  himself,  in  that  way  the  fruit 
grower  gets  rid  of  all  his  apples,  at  a  low  price  to  be  sure,  but  he 
gets  them  all  marketed.  A  large  fruit  grower  told  me  within  a 
week  that  he  had  shipped  the  last  of  his  apples,  810  barrels,  and 
the  packers  took  practically  all  of  them.  It  would  seem  to  a  dis- 
interested party  that  that  sort  of  business  would,  in  the  end,  react 
on  the  producer  a  few  years  later ;  next  year  or  a  little  later  our 
apples  will  not  stand  quite  as  high  in  the  markets  of  the  world  and 
consequently  shippers  cannot  pay  quite  as  much  for  them  and  we 
shall  be  obliged  to  take  a  little  less  for  them. 

Now  it  is  one  of  the  easiest  things  in  the  world  for  a  person  to 
find  fault,  tear  down  and  pick  methods  and  systems  into  pieces, 
but  not  so  easy  a  matter  to  substitute  something  better  for  the  old, 
institute  reforms  that  are  an  improvement.  But  it  would  really 
seem  as  though  the  growers  of  large  quantities  of  apples  could  do 
better,  get  more  money  out  of  the  business,  if  they  would  put  a 
little  more  time  and  business  tact  into  them,  by  packing  them 
themselves,  doing  it  well  and  honestly,  and  then  put  their  own 
name  and  residence  on  every  package.  In  that  way,  in  time,  con- 
sumers would  find  out  who  raised  and  packed  good  apples,  and 
there  would  be  a  call  for  good  fruit,  well  packed,  at  an  advanced 
price. 

As  the  business  is  now  conducted  it  is  the  "barrel"  the  world  over, 
prices  all  over  the  world  are  quoted  by  the  '■'■barrel"  One  of  the 
questions  that  is  being  asked  many  times  over  is  this  :  Is  the  barrel 
the  best  thing  to  pack  apples  in,  and  if  it  cannot  be  shown  that 
there  is  more  money  in  packing  them  in  some  other  way  then  it 
will  remain  barrels  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.     In  favor  of  the  barrel 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  39 

we  can  say  that  it  makes  one  of  the  strongest  packages  there  is,  it 
is  also  one  of  the  easiest  handled  and  where  second-hand  ones 
can  be  bought  it  is  one  of  the  cheapest,  but  the  question  is  being 
agitated  as  to  boxes  being  used,  some  growers,  if  I  am  rightly 
informed,  in  this  State  are  using  boxes  this  year.  If  boxes  are  to 
be  used  it  would  seem  as  though  some  care  should  be  used  to  have 
them  of  some  standard  size,  that  is,  when  we  see  quotations  of 
apples  by  the  box,  we  should  know  what  kind  of  a  box  is  referred  to . 

A  number  of  articles  have  appeared  in  the  papers  quite  recently 
advocating  boxes  or  cases  for  apples,  one  of  the  recommendations 
is  for  a  box  "with  two  compartments  one  foot  square  each  (inside 
measurement)  "  for  ^'■table  apples'^  each  apple  to  be  wrapped  in  paper. 
And  there  is  no  doubt  but  what  it  would  pay  to  take  that  amount 
of  care  with  our  nice,  high  colored  fruit,  for  they  are  better  than 
oranges  and  I  have  no  doubt  would  bring  a  higher  price  if  the 
same  care  was  taken  with  them.  If  such  cases  were  used,  the 
grower  would  then  feel  as  though  he  would  like  to  have  his  name 
go  upon  each  package.  The  same  writer  also  recommends  a 
case  for  shipping  apples  with  two  compartments  each  to  be 
fifteen  and  one- half  inches  square  which  would  hold  about 
the  same  quantity  as  a  barrel,  the  case  to  be  made  of  one- 
half  inch  boards  for  top,  bottom  and  sides,  and  inch  boards 
for  ends  and  division  in  the  center,  but  such  a  box  I  am  convinced 
would  be  too  large  and  expensive  to  handle.  It  would  seem  as 
though  there  ought  to  be  a  call  for  a  package  holding  about  a 
bushel  or  one-third  of  a  barrel,  the  box  to  go  with  the  apples,  such 
a  box  is  already  made  for  canned  goods  called  a  three  pound  box, 
very  neat,  and  costing  about  ten  cents. 

We  know  that  apples  that  go  into  our  retail  stores  by  the  barrel 
and  then  are  measured  out  and  sent  to  the  consumer  get  very  much 
bruised  and  half  spoiled,  when  if  the  customer  could  buy  a  box 
and  the  box  go  with  the  apples  he  could  well  afford  to  pay  the 
extra  expense  for  the  package.  On  making  inquiry  I  also  find 
that  the  box  with  two  compartments  one  foot  square  inside  meas- 
urement is  more  expensive  than  one  of  some  other  shape.  We 
have  had  one  made  as  a  sample  that  is  practically  the  same  size, 
each  compartment  measuring  nine  inches  wide,  ten  and  three-quar- 
ters deep,  and  eighteen  inches  long,  this  box  will  hold  one-half 
barrel  and  is  in  our  opinion  as  heavy  as  it  is  practical  to  handle 
well,  we  would  like  to  hear  this  question  discussed  in  all  its  bear- 


40  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

ings,  that  we  may  perhaps  learn  a  better  way,  a  way  that  will  give 
the  producer  a  better  return  for  his  labor. 

Prof.  W.  M.  Munson  of  the  State  College  made  a  short  talk  on 
the  "-Enemies  of  Fruit."  The  same  subject  was  taken  up  more  at 
length  at  the  Annual  Meeting  and  the  paper  may  be  found  in  sub- 
sequent pages  of  the  Transactions. 

S3IALL  FRUITS   AND   THEIR  CULTURE. 

President  Pope  gave  an  account  of  his  experience  in  growing 
strawberries.  A  few  years  ago  he  did  not  believe  it  would  pay 
him  to  attempt  to  grow  strawberries,  but  after  attending  a  good 
many  meetings  of  the  Society  he  was  persuaded  to  try  it  for  a  year 
or  two.  He  selected  a  piece  of  moist,  rich  land  where  he  could 
make  a  few  long  rows,  so  as  to  easily  cultivate  them  with  a  horse. 
The  first  crop  satisfied  him  that  he,  could  not  afford  to  buy  berries 
for  his  family  when  he  could  so  easily  raise  all  he  wanted  at  slight 
cost.  The  horse  does  a  large  part  of  the  work.  He  has  not  been 
without  a  bed  of  strawberries  since.  The  plants  need  frequent 
cultivation  and  some  cutting  back  of  runners.  Spring  is  the  best 
time  to  set  the  plants,  and  in  the  fall  just  before  the  ground  freezes 
he  mulches  lightly  with  strawy  horse  manure.  He  has  successfully 
raised  several  varieties.  The  Crescent  Seedling  and  Charles  Down- 
ing grow  well  together.  The  Bubach  is  a  good  grower  with  him, 
but  he  does  not  like  it  so  well  as  some  of  the  other  varieties.  He 
assured  his  hearers  that  any  who  wished  could  raise  strawberries, 
but  he  urged  them  not  to  be  afraid  of  getting  the  soil  too  rich  or 
hoeing  the  ground  too  often.  "You  can  raise  these  berries  much 
cheaper  than  you  can  buy  them,  and  you  will  not  do  without  them 
after  you  have  raised  them  a  single  year." 

Secretary  Knowlton  followed  with  a  talk  on  growing  raspberries, 
blackberries,  currants  and  gooseberries.  Nothing  seemed  so  nice 
in  his  family  as  an  abundance  of  good  fruit.  As  the  season  opens 
with  the  strawberry  we  are  often  led  to  the  belief  that  this  is  by 
far  the  best  of  the  small  fruits.  It  is  good  and  much  enjoyed,  but 
he  believed  it  could  not  take  the  place  of  the  raspberry  or  the 
blackberry.  As  a  fresh  fruit  for  dessert  it  is  the  best,  though  the 
finest  supper  he  ever  ate  consisted  of  luscious  blackberries  and 
nice  bread  with  a  cup  of  tea.  In  other  words  each  of  the  small 
fruits  has  its  place  and  we  seem  to  want  one  about   as    much   as 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  41 

another,  while  for  canning  and  cooking  the  raspberry  and  black- 
berry are  certainly  superior  to  the  strawberry. 

Any  good  corn  laud  is  good  enough  for  these  fruits.  The  plants 
for  convenience  should  be  set  in  rows — raspberries  two  feet  and  a 
half  and  blackberries  three  feet  apart.  The  rows  of  the  former 
should  be  at  least  five  feet  apart  and  of  the  latter  six  or  seven. 
The  cap  varieties  of  raspberries  should  be  set  in  rows  at  least 
seven  feet  apart- 

The  suckers  form  in  the  fall  and  are  ready  to  push  up  through 
the  soil  early  in  the  spring.  For  this  reason  it  is  much  better  to 
set  the  plants  in  the  fall,  from  the  middle  of  September  to  the 
middle  of  October.  In  setting  cut  the  canes  back  to  a  foot  in 
length  or  even  less.  The  Cap  varieties  do  better  when  set  in  the 
spring.  The  ground  about  them  should  be  frequently  cultivated, 
and  only  three  or  four  of  the  new  suckers  should  be  allowed  to 
grow.  When  the  canes  are  about  three  feet  high  pinch  off  the 
terminal  bud.  This  is  the  point  where  the  most  failures  conae  in 
raising  raspberries  and  blackberries.  Permit  not  more  than  four 
or  five  canes  to  grow  and  then  pinch  them  back.  In  the  fall  or 
early  in  the  spring  the  growth  of  the  previous  year  can  be  cut  out 
and  taken  away.  Bone  meal  and  wood  ashes  make  the  best  fertil- 
izer, but  "I  have  never  seen  a  place  too  rich  for  these  fruits  if  the 
rules  for  thinning  out  and  pinching  back  are  only  followed." 

The  Cuthbert  is  the  most  popular  market  variety,  though  it  is 
not  so  hardy  and  it  will  kill  down  occasionally,  but  the  fruit  is  large 
and  very  handsome.  The  Turner  is  hardy  but  more  like  the 
natives.  The  fruit  is  smaller  but  the  fl  ivor  is  better.  It  will 
often  bear  when  the  Cuthbert  has  been  winter-killed  and  is  a  little 
earlier.  The  Golden  Queen  is  a  seedling  of  the  Cuthbert  with  sim- 
ilar habits  of  growth  and  general  appearance.  Of  blackberries 
there  are  only  two  kinds  which  can  be  recommended.  These  are 
Snyder  and  Agawam  Both  are  hardy,  the  latter  a  little  sweeter 
but  more  likely  to  have  a  bitter  flavor. 

Currants  and  gooseberries  need  the  old  wood  trimmed  out  fre- 
quently, but  enjoy  a  ricb,  moist  soil.  The  old  fashioned  currant  is 
one  of  the  best  in  flavor  though  it  is  very  much  smaller  than  some 
of  the  newer  sorts.  Fay's  Prolific  is  a  large  fruited  kind  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best,  while  the  White  Grape  is  the  best 
white  kind. 

Of  gooseberries  the  Houghton  is  very  much  like  the  wild  goose- 
berry in  its  habits  but  it   is  much   larger  and  of   better  quality. 


42  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Most  grjwers  prefer  the  Downing,  whose  fruit  is  larger  and  if  any- 
thing better.  These  are  American  varieties  and  entirely  free  from 
mildew.  There  are  several  new  varieties  but  as  yet  not  enough  is 
known  of  them  to  speali  with  certainty,  though  they  are  easily 
raised  and  mildew  does  not  trouble  them.  The  Industry  is  one  of 
these.  A  good  English  variety  is  the  White  Smith.  It  mildews 
somewhat,  but  when  sprayed  with  the  Bordeaux  mixtures,  it  is  free 
from  it.     The  fruit  is  large  and  of  excellent  qualit}'. 

Tables  were  placed  in  the  hall,  and  these  were  well  covered  with 
specimens  of  fruit  grown  in  North  Franklin.  It  was  a  surprise 
and  pleasure  to  some  of  the  committee  to  observe  the  high  color 
and  perfection  of  the  fruit.  In  closing  his  remarks  the  Secretary 
thanked  the  people  in  behalf  of  the  Society  for  bringing  out  so 
excellent  an  exhibition  of  fruit,  and  for  the  many  courtesies  that 
had  been  extended  to  the  officers  in  counec  ion  with  the  meeting. 


AT  THE  WINTER  MEETING. 


ADDRESS   OF  AVELCOME. 

By  Dr.  H.  A.  Robinson. 

Mr.  President,  Members  of  the  Maine  State  Pomological  Society  and 
Board  of  Agriculture : 

In  response  to  the  request  of  your  Secretary  and  as  a  life  mem- 
ber of  this  Society  from  its  present  organization,  it  becomes  my 
duty  and  is  also  a  very  pleasant  privilege  to  welcome  the  Society 
to  a  meeting  in  Piscataquis  county.  Although  we  claim  the  pivotal 
point  or  geographical  center  of  the  State  to  be  within  our  borders, 
and  very  near  where  we  are  now  assembled,  we  have  been  and  are 
to  a  great  extent  somewhat  isolated  or  to  one  side  of  the  great 
fruit  growing  portion  of  the  State  lying  to  the  southwestward  of 
us.  So,  therefore,  we  have  not  been  situated  to  conveniently  take 
an  active  part  in  the  meetings  and  exhibitions  of  the  Society  ;  and 
we  feel  that  it  is  very  kind  and  generous  of  you  to  come  so  far 
from  the  more  convenient  center  of  your  membership  to  a  meeting 
here. 

We  are  on  about  the  same  line  of  latitude  and  the  same  isotherm 
as  Moscow  and  Jerusalem,  in  the  western  part  of  this  State.  Here, 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  43 

north  of  the  long  and  high  range  of  Charleston  and  Garland  hills 
that  form  the  southern  boundary  of  this  county,  we  have  almost 
another  climate  from  what  you  have  who  live  south  of  that  line. 
Here  the  Baldwin  and  some  other  varieties  of  apples  are  tender 
and  liable  in  occasional  severe  winters  to  be  injured.  Pear  trees 
when  set  out  hardl}'  know  whether  it  is  worth  while  to  try  to  live 
or  not,  and  if  they  do  survive  and  grow  it  is  in  a  rather  feeble, 
half-hearted  way.  The  wood  is  stained  by  the  severity  of  winter, 
wounds  heal  with  difficulty,  and  the  fruitage  is  comparatively'  small. 
Occasionally,  however,  some  do  fairly  well  and  give  encourage- 
ment to  continue  trying.  With  grapes,  only  the  very  earliest  vari- 
eties ripen. 

But  nevertheless,  this  is  the  birthplace  of  the  noble  Rolfe  apple, 
and  we  raise  apples  in  abundance  for  home  use  and  some  to  ship, 
and  we  might  raise  an  abundance  of  small  fruits  if  we  only  would. 
As  an  example  of  what  may  be  done  and  for  the  encouragement  of 
otliers,  I  can  say  that  strawberries  have  been  raised  here  at  the  rate 
of  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  and  onions  at  a  value  of  five 
hundred  dollars  per  acre  in  quarter  acre  lots.  Currants  may  be 
profitably  raised  heie.  A  Fay's  Prolific  currant  bash,  consisting  of 
a  single  twig,  brought  here  eleven  years  ago,  has  by  judicious  pro- 
pagation been  increased  a  thousand  fold  ;  and  the  sale  of  bushes 
and  fruit  has  brought  scores  of  dollars,  besides  being  a  benefit  to 
the  community  at  large,  as  is  the  introduction  of  any  superior  new 
fruit.  If  this  can  be  done  by  an  amateur,  of  course  those  who 
make  a  regular  business  of  such  things  can  do  better. 

It  often  requires  no  more  labor  to  do  things  the  right  wa}'  and 
succeed,  than  the  wrong  way  and  fail.  Hard  work  without  proper 
knowledge  is  not  usually  successful,  and  hard  work  without  proper 
management  will  meet  with  equal  failure  ;  but  the  right  thing  done 
at  the  right  time  and  in  the  right  manner  is  successful. 

People  could  if  they  only  would,  and  it  is  one  of  the  objects 
of  this  society  to  encourage  this  very  thing  ;  to  help  awaken  an 
interest  in,  and  spread  abroad  a  knowledge  of  the  "know  how," 
which  is  so  very  essential  to  the  success  of  any  undertaking. 

This  society  exists  for  the  acquisition  and  diffusion  of  knowledge  ; 
and  we  hope  and  expect  as  knowledge  is  cumulative,  that  those 
who  succeed  us  will  be  benefited  by  the  results  we  attain,  and  will 
know  more  than  we  do.  In  this  direction  there  is  one  thing  which 
is  very  creditable  to  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  New  England,  and 
in  which  they  are  nearly  all  agreed  ;  and  that  is,  they  all  want  their 


44  '  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

children  to  have  a  better  education  and  a  better  chance  in  the 
world,  if  possible,  than  they  themselves  have  had.  But  too  often 
they  overlook  one  of  the  greatest  factors  in  gaining  the  desired 
end,  and  that  is  home  influence,  training  and  instruction.  Permit 
me  a  few  words  here  in  reference  to  the  home  life  that  has  so  much 
to  do  with  the  formation  of  habits  for  life,  the  moulding  of  charac- 
ter, and  the  success  that  comes  from  knowledge. 

The  child  has  everything  to  learn,  and  it  is  the  privilege  of  the 
parent  to  be  its  first  teacher.  Have  the  dictionary,  the  cyclopedia, 
the  atlas,  and  such  other  works  of  reference  as  you  can  afford, 
handy,  and  put  them  to  daily  use.  Encourage  the  children  to  ask 
questions,  and  be  patient  in  answering  them.  Live  your  school 
days  over  again  in  the  discussion  of  their  lessons,  to  your  mutual 
advantage.  Find  out  with  them  the  pronunciation,  spelling  and 
meaning  of  the  doubtful  word.  Hunt  up  the  location  of  the  place 
about  which  you  have  been  reading,  and  find  out  all  about  it.  Talk 
over  and  discuss  with  them  the  great  events  of  the  world  at  large 
that  you  read  of  daily,  and  join  the  results  of  your  reading,  obser- 
vation and  experience  to  the  advantages  of  the  improved  methods 
of  the  schools  of  the  present  day.  Encourage  in  them  habits  of 
carefulness,  thoughtfulness,  and  thoroughness,  of  order,  method 
and  punctuality.  Tell  them  that  a  high  school  or  academic  educa- 
tion in  additon  to  a  knowledge  of  the  three  "R's"  is  net  to  enable 
them  to  live  by  their  wits,  but  to  fit  them  to  do  more  intelligently 
and  efficiently  some  part  of  the  world's  work.  The  mind  is  edu- 
cated that  it  may  the  better  direct  the  work  of  the  hands.  Try  to 
know  a  little  more  of  something  every  night  than  you  did  in  the 
morning.  This  in  one  direction  is  one  of  the  right  ways  of  right 
living,  and  as  every  year  adds  to  your  stock  of  knowledge,  so 
every  year  should  increase  your  love  of  its  acquirement. 

Children  should  be  instructed  by  their  parents  in  the  great 
problems  of  nature.  They  have  a  right  to  know  of  things  and  to 
know  of  them  in  the  right  way.  To  illustrate,  take  a  field  in  which 
you,  as  horticulturists,  are  familiar.  Tell  them  of  the  duality  of 
all  living  things  in  nature.  Begin  by  showing  the  flower  of  the 
meek  and  lowly  strawberry  plant ;  show  the  structure  of  the  flower ; 
point  out  the  pistils  and  stamens  ;  explain  to  them  that  unless  the 
pistils  are  fertilized  by  the  pollen  of  the  stamens  no  fruit  and  seed8 
will  result ;  and  if  stamens  do  not  exist  in  the  same  flower  with  the 
pistils,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  another  kind  which  has  stamens 
in  its  flowers  must  be  planted  alongside  that  by  means  of  wafting 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  45 

by  winds  and  the  visits  of  insects  the  pollen  may  be  carried  and 
fruitfulness  result.  That  a  like  condition  exists  to  some  extent 
with  some  kinds  of  grape  vines  and  pear  trees.  That  the  pollen 
from  the  tassle  of  the  corn  must  fall  upon  the  silk,  each  individual 
thread  of  which  connects  with  what  will  become  a  kernel  of  corn 
in  order  that  the  perfect  ear  result.  That  this  condition  of  things 
exists  throughout  animate  nature  with  plants  and  animals.  Their 
minds  will  then  be  prepared  to  understand  the  sexuality  of  the 
animal  kingdom  in  a  perfectly  natural  and  logical  manner  without 
a  thought  or  the  suggestion  of  a  thought  of  indelicacy.  Simple 
as  this  is  an  important  truth  has  been  unfolded,  an  important  lesson 
learned,  and  in  the  right  way. 

Of  course  you  will  not  fail  to  inculcate  a  spirit  of  that  "greatest 
thing  in  the  world,"  of  which  Prof.  Henry  Drummond  writes  so 
graphically,  and  which  distinguishes  the  humane  man  of  the  pres- 
ent, and  the  still  more  humane  man,  we  hope,  of  the  future,  from 
the  savage  type  from  which  he  has  sprung.  Knowledge  is  second 
only  to  "the  greatest  thing  in  the  world."  It  has  been  said 
"knowledge  is  power."  Let  me  add,  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge 
is  happiness. 

Education  is  of  necessity  partial  and  comparative,  the  ocean  of 
knowledge  is  so  vast.  A  person  may  be  learned  in  one  thing  and 
unlearned  in  another.  Someone  has  aptly  said,  "One  should  know 
something  of  everything,  and  everything  of  something."  That  is, 
he  should  have  some  knowledge  of  all  things,  but  a  thorough, 
exhaustive  knowledge  of  whatever  he  makes  his  life  work  or  busi- 
ness. 

You  come  to  us  amid  the  snows  and  inclemencies  of  winter.  We 
wish  it  could  be  at  some  other  season  of  the  year,  and  that  you 
could  view  some  of  the  scenery  that  nature  has  given  us  here.  For 
who  ever  knew  a  person  with  a  natural  love  of  fruits  and  fruit 
growing  in  his  heart  to  be  indifferent  to  the  beauties  of  nature  ? 

This  county  is  the  favored  location  of  some  of  the  great  scenic 
features  of  the  State.  Its  great  lake,  with  its  wonderful  Mount 
Kineo,  forms  a  portion  of  its  western  boundary.  Its  highest  moun- 
tain, Katahdin,  stands  in  majesty  on  its  eastern  border  midway  up 
the  line.  Its  greatest  river,  Penobscot,  rolls  its  flood  of  water 
across  the  county,  and  curiously  enough  passes  by  within  only  two 
miles  and  forty-seven  rods  of  the  upper  end  of  Moosehead  lake. 
Beautiful  Lake  Sebec,  with  its  unique  mountain    background,  the 


46  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETt. 

most  central  body  of  water  in  the  State,  is  within  an  hour's  drive 
of  these  villages.  We  wish  you  could  come  here  in  beautiful 
October,  and  ride  northward  on  the  railroad  through  the  towns  of 
Abbot,  Blanchard  and  Shirley,  to  Greenville.  You  would  find 
scenery  beautiful  to  behold.  Then  take  the  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
road at  the  latter  place  and  go  eastward  across  the  county,  skirting 
the  rugged  and  precipitous  southern  side  of  Boarstone  mountain, 
crossing  the  enormous  iron  trestles  of  Wilson  and  Onawa,  looking 
down  into  the  tree  tops  of  hundreds  of  acres  of  variegated  forest 
and  over  the  waters  of  placid  lakelets,  go  on  to  Henderson  junction 
in  the  town  of  Brownville,  and  up  to  the  ore  mountain  and  Silver 
lake  at  Katahdin  Iron  AVorks.  Into  Silver  lake  flows  a  rapid 
stream  called  the  Gulf  stream,  with  its  tributary  called  the  Gulch, 
which  runs  through  miles  of  true  canon,  said  to  be  one  of  the 
finest  examples  of  real  canon,  on  a  moderate  scale,  this  side  of  the 
Rocky  mountains. 

This  county,  after  losing  sixty  townships  to  Aroostook  in  1844, 
is  seven  townships  wide  and  sixteen  townships  long,  or  3,780  square 
miles  in  area.  It  would  make  a  whole  state  like  Delaware,  another 
the  size  of  Rhode  Island,  and  have  townships  enough  left  to  make 
an  ordinary  sized  county  as  counties  average.  Only  about  twenty 
townships,  however,  of  this  great  area  is  settled,  the  rest  is  wilder- 
ness. These  arr;  some  of  the  physical  features  of  our  county  you 
would  enjoy  seeing  in  October,  which  month  is  also,  in  this  region, 
the  month  for  gathering  and  storing  the  apple,  and  brings  us  back 
to  the  primary  object  of  this  meeting. 

Fruit  growing  ie  a  pleasant  and  remunerative  business,  and  the  use 
of  a  succession  of  fruits  in  the  family  is  not  only  agreeable  but 
decidedly  beneficial  and  healthful. 

Only  exceeded  by  the  pleasure  derived  from  the  actual  work  in 
caring  for  the  trees  of  the  apple  orchard,  is  that  to  be  had  in  view- 
ing the  fruition  of  that  labor  at  the  exhibitions  of  the  fruit  itself, 
when  the  long  tables  are  covered  with  red,  yellow  and  multicolored 
apples. 

I  have  visited  exhibitions  of  fruit  of  the  American  Fomological 
Society  at  Boston  and  at  Philadelphia,  and  World's  Fairs  at  Phila- 
delphia and  Chicago,  but  I  have  never  seen  finer  displays  of  apples 
than  I  have  seen  in  years  past  at  the  exhibitions  of  this  Society. 

I  want  to  congratulate  the  Society  on  having  attained  its  majority. 
It  has  safely  passed  the  perils   of  infancy  and   youth,  the  often 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  47 

awkward  and  sometimes  erratic  period  of  adolescence  and  may  now 
continue  its  good  work  with  the  conscious  vigor  of  joung  man- 
hood.    You  are  now  twenty-one  years  old. 

You  will  doubtless  still  continue  to  receive  the  fostering  care  and 
aid  of  the  State — a  State  of  which  we  are  all  proud,  and  have 
reason  to  be,  and  which  now  contains  700,000  of  as  well-governed, 
law-abiding,  thrifty,  prosperous  and  happy  people  as  the  sun  shines 
on. 

I  believe  that  this  Society  and  its  co-laborer,  the  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, are  in  the  way  of  being  very  helpful  to  the  cause  of  fruit 
growing  and  farming  in  this  State,  and  in  the  name  of  the  people 
of  these  twin-villages  and  in  behalf  of  our  three  agricultural 
Societies,  Eastern,  Western  and  Central,  I  extend  to  you  a  cordial 
welcome  to  this  county,  hoping  that  the  leaven  of  your  enthusiasm 
may  be  an  excitant  to  our  comparative  luke-warmness  and  indif- 
ference. 

The  response  to  the  address  of  welcome  was  given  by  Secretary 
Knowlton,  who  briefly  gave  an  outline  of  the  work  being  done  by 
the  Society,  and  in  behalf  of  the  visitors  present,  thanked  the  speak- 
er for  his  cordial  welcome,  expressing  in  closing  the  hope  tha  the 
present  meeting  might  prove  the  most  profitable  ever  held  by  the 
Society. 


THE  PRESIDENT'S  ANNUAL  ADDRESS. 

B}'  John  W.  True  of  New  Gloucester. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : 

Another  year  has  rolled  round  since  our  last  winter  meeting,  and 
the  tenth  anniversary  of  my  first  meeting  with  the  Maine  State 
Pomological  Society  has  arrived.  I  little  thought,  then,  that  such 
an  interest  would  be  created  in  this  subject  of  "Fruit  Culture"  as 
to  induce  me  to  attend  every  meeting  of  the  Society  for  the  next 
ten  years.  And  I  can  see  that  the  knowledge  and  interest  which  I 
have  gained  has  shown  itself  in  my  surroundings.  I  feel  that  this 
is  one  of  the  missions  of  this  society  to  awaken  interest,  as  well  as 
to  teach  the  people  of  this  good  old  State  of  Maine  the  art  of  rais- 
ing more  and  better  fruit,  and  to  surround  their  homes  with  more 
of  the  beauties  of  nature,  in  the  way  of  plants  and  flowers,  as  well 
as  the  luxuries  in  the  form  of  an  abundance  of  the  small  fruits  for 


48  STATE    PoMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

family  use.  And  that  brings  us  to  the  question,  how  can  we 
increase  our  membership  ?  Every  member  that  is  added  to  our 
society  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  an  example  to  others  in  his  neigh- 
borhood, as  it  is  almost  sure  to  result  in  better  practices,  pleasanter 
surroundings,  and  a  happier  home.  This  question  has  been  called 
up  before,  but  we  wish  it  might  have  careful  consideration,  and 
see  if  some  inducement  cannot  be  held  out  to  the  fruit  growers  and 
farmers  throughout  the  State  to  become  members  of  our  society, 
and  surely  by  gaining  members  we  should  gain  some  strength. 
Let  us  all  take  a  hand  in  this,  and  see  if  we  cannot  bring  it  to  pass. 

We  would  like  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  at  all  our  meet- 
ings and  exhibitions  a  goodly  number  of  farmers  and  fruit  grow- 
ers are  anxious  to  learn  the  name  of  some  variety  of  apples,  pears 
or  plums.  Quite  often  some  one  has  been  on  hand  who  was  well 
fitted  to  give  the  desired  information,  and  they  have  always  been 
kept  busy  during  their  stay  with  us.  It  would  seem  to  us  that  the 
subject  calls  for  more  attention,  and  that  funds  should  be  appro- 
priated, to  have  some  good  authority  on  all  the  fruits  in  which  we 
are  interested  in  attendance  at  all  our  exhibitions  and  meetings 
where  fruit  is  displayed.  I  apprehend  that  our  exhibition  in  the 
line  of  plums  is  to  increase  wonderfully  within  the  next  ten  years, 
and  with  the  best  of  care  the  naming  of  them  will  be  very  much 
mixed  and  uncertain  ;  so  that  it  will  require  a  man  that  is  fully  up 
with  the  times  in  all  the  lines  of  fruit  culture.  The  services  of 
such  a  person  will  cost  something,  but  I  think  it  would  give  great 
satisfaction,  not  only  to  our  exhibitors  and  members,  but  to  many 
of  our  visitors  who  come  to  look  over  our  exhibition,  bringing  with 
them  an  apple  or  a  pear  for  a  name. 

The  increase  of  our  State  stipend  that  was  asked  for  from  our 
last  legislature,  and  cheerfully  granted,  but  got  "side-tracked" 
before  it  got  through  the  tortuous  road  all  bills  are  obliged  to 
travel  to  get  fully  through  our  lawmakers'  hands,  should  be  care- 
fully looked  after  some  time  during  the  present  session,  and  see  if 
we  cannot  get  what  it  was  voted  for  this  society  to  have  for  the 
past  two  years.  You  will  see  by  the  last  report  of  our  Treasurer  that 
the  sum  of  $420.27  was  due  the  permanent  fund — in  other  words, 
that  amount  has  been  drawn  or  borrowed  from  the  fund.  I  wish 
to  urge  a  discussion  of  that  subject  upon  our  members  present  at 
this  meeting,  to  see  if  some  way  cannot  be  devised  to  restore  this 
amount  to  the  permanent  fund. 


STATE    P03I0L0GICAL    SOCIETY.  49 

The  "small  fruit"  industry  has  taken  on  such  proportions,  both 
for  the  family  and  for  market,  that  with  our  increased  funds  I 
should  like  to  see  our  executive  committee  hold  a  meeting  the 
first  of  July,  at  some  point  where  this  branch  of  farming  receives  a 
good  degree  of  attention,  and  offer  a  short  list  of  premiums  for 
strawberries,  and  at  the  same  time  have  a  good  speaker  present, 
thoroughly  informed  on  the  subject,  and  as  time  goes  on  I  would 
like  to  see  other  days  set  apart  for  other  fruits,  but  we  must  be 
content  with  one  thing  at  a  time. 

I  would  like  to  call  attention  to  one  of  the  many  points  for  which 
our  retiring  President  has  labored,  and  that  is  to  continually  press 
upon  the  attention  of  all  fruit  growers  and  farmers  the  fact  that 
they  cannot  afford  to  buy  their  stock  of  plants  and  trees  of  irrespon- 
sible traveling  tree  peddlers.  If  you  want  but  few  trees  or  plants, 
find  others  that  would  like  a  few  and  put  your  orders  together,  send 
to  some  reliable  dealer  for  prices,  then  forward  the  money — it  will 
not  take  half  so  much — and  you  will  get  stock  true  to  name  and  of 
good  quality.  Do  not  let  the  peddler  who  knows  absolutely  nothing 
about  fruit  growing  tell  you  what  you  want  and  persuade  you  to 
buy  it,  unless  you  have  money  to  give  away,  and  you  want  to  give 
it  to  this  particular  person,  and  in  that  case  I  would  recommend  that 
you  give  him  the  money  and  let  him  keep  the  stock,  as  I  am  per- 
suaded that  you  will  get  more  satisfaction,  in  the  end,  out  of  the 
transaction.  Especially  will  that  be  the  case,  I  am  afraid,  with  the 
comparatively  new  .Japan  plums,  where  the  utmost  care  must  be 
taken,  or  confusion  in  names  and  loss  by  worthless  varieties  will 
be  the  result. 

The  subject  of  spraying,  which  has  engaged  the  attention  of 
some  of  our  fruit  growers  for  the  past  two  or  three  years,  is  becom- 
ing a  necessity  for  all  those  who  propose  to  make  apple  growing 
profitable,  as  the  "apple  scab"  has  apparently  come  to  stay,  and  its 
destructive  propensity  has  shown  itself  to  a  greater  extent  the 
past  year  than  ever  before  and  the  importance  of  giving  the  sub- 
ject careful  attention  should  be  impressed  on  our  Experiment 
Station.  They  have  performed  good  work  for  us  in  the  past,  but 
they  must  still  keep  everlastingly  at  it,  not  only  in  finding  a  sure 
and  practical  remedy  for  the  "apple  scab,"  but  for  the  little  fellow 
called  the  Tripetea  pomonella  or  apple  maggot,  although  the 
ravages  of  this  pest  have  not  been  so  bad  in  our  section  of  the 
State  as  in  years  past,  still  we  want  to  conquer  it  if  possible. 
4 


50  STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

I  have  given  you  these  few  suggestions  hoping  that  their  con- 
sideration will  be  helpful  to  the  fruit  growers  of  our  State  and 
beneficial  to  our  Society. 

The  committee  to  whom  the  President's  Address  was  referred 
before  the  close  of  the  meeting  made  the  following  report  which 
was  accepted  : 

We  would  call  your  attention  to  that  part  of  the  address  in 
reference  to  the  engaging  an  expert  to  attend  and  assist  us  at  our 
annual  exhibition,  and  also  for  the  necessity  of  returning  the 
money  to  the  permanent  fund  which  is  now  needed  by  the  Society, 
as  soon  as  practicable.  We  endorse  the  idea  of  holding  a  summer 
meeting  for  the  exhibition  of  strawberries  and  with  the  increasing^ 
interest  in  the  culture  of  small  fruits  we  think  such  an  exhibition 
could  be  made  both  interesting  and  profitable. 


THE   YOUXG    OECHARD. 
By  Charles  E.  Wheeler,  Chesterville. 

We  consider  this  subject  to  see  if  we  can  have  better  returns  for 
our  labors  in  the  years  to  come.  None  of  us  are  so  well  advanced 
but  some  good  may  come  to  us  from  a  consideration  of  the  subject. 
One  thing  must  be  with  us  all  the  time,  "What  is  worth  doing  at 
all  is  worth  doing  well,"  but  this  must  be  in  such  a  way  that  what- 
ever is  produced  shall  be  at  the  lowest  cost  possible. 

Let  us  consider  a  young  orchard,  such  as  may  be  considered  a 
commercial  orchard,  the  fruit  of  which  is  to  be  shipped  to  some 
market,  either  as  choice  apples  or  canned  and  evaporated  apples. 
Let  us  select  our  soil,  our  trees,  and  the  kinds,  looking  after  the 
young  things  for  a  few  years  ;  and  by  that  time  others  can  go  and 
take  care  of  the  fruit.  Go  into  any  portion  of  the  State,  and  not- 
withstanding the  conditions,  you  will  find  fine  orchards.  But  the 
speaker's  ideal  place  to  plant  a  young  orchard  would  be  upon  high 
ground,  with  natural  drainage,  sloping  to  the  south  or  southeast. 
Under  these  circumstances  we  should  expect  to  find  good  strong, 
moist  soil  upon  a  granite  foundation  that  would  furnish  fine  drain- 
age. Tbere  are  many  farms  in  Maine  thus  located,  and  so  long  as 
they  can  be  purchased  at  low  prices,  it  is  doubtful  if  it  will  pay  to 
select  such  land  as  will  require  a  great  expenditure  of  time  and 
cash  to  drain. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  51 

Having  made  our  selection  of  the  farm,  the  next  consideration 
is,  where  shall  we  place  our  trees?  We  are  going  to  build  up  an 
orchard,  and  it  will  require  the  best  field.  If  you  can  turn  over 
the  sod,  and  keep  it  so  for  the  first  few  years,  using  the  cultivator 
often,  giving  the  young  trees  as  good  care  as  your  neighbor  does 
his  corn,  you  may  at  least  expect  as  good  returns.  If  you  find  it 
best  not  to  do  this,  stake  your  field  off  two  rods  each  way,  thus 
securing  a  straight  row.  Dig  around  each  stake  a  hole  from  two 
to  four  feet  across,  down  through  the  soil,  leaving  the  bottom  well 
stirred  up  with  the  spade.  Two  persons  can  do  the  work  at  much 
better  advantage  than  one.  The  turf  is  cut  in  a  circle  around  the 
stake,  quartered  and  removed  to  one  side  ;  the  soil  is  always  placed 
upon  the  upper  side,  as  it  can  be  worked  into  the  hole  easier. 
Take  home-grown  trees  and  remove  them  to  their  new  quarters  at 
once.  Two-year-old  trees,  and  even  older,  should  be  taken.  "We 
cut  all  i-oots  from  the  size  of  a  pencil  up  ;  all  damaged  ones  are 
removed,  and  if  any  have  been  wrenched  off,  we  make  a  clean-cut 
wound  of  it.  The  rootlets  take  up  the  plant  food,  and  with  a  good 
clean  cut  the  fine  roots  start  out  very  quickly,  and  begin  their 
labors.  The  long  or  large  roots  are  of  but  little  worth.  Do  not 
be  afraid  of  using  the  knife  in  pruning  the  top. 

In  transplanting  a  tree,  one  should  hold  it  in  place  while  the 
other  works  in  the  first  few  hoes'  full  of  the  fine  soil.  Place  the 
tree  an  inch  or  two  deeper  than  it  stood  in  the  row,  and  lean  it 
towards  the  south,  so  as  to  prevent  sun  scald.  In  filling  in  the  soil, 
place  the  roots  much  the  same  as  they  were  when  the  tree  was  in 
the  nursery  row  ;  tread  the  earth  down  solid,  for  roots  do  not  grow 
or  thrive  on  air.  Fertilizers  should  be  in  the  shape  of  fine  ground 
bone  and  muriate  of  potash — 300  lbs.  of  the  former,  to  100  lbs.  of 
the  latter,  well  mixed.  Never  use  any  form  of  barn  manure  ;  just 
so  sure  as  you  do,  it  will  burn  the  roots,  and  your  tree  will  receive 
a  bad  check.  The  last  few  shovels  of  the  soil  should  remain  ;  the 
turfs  turned  upside  down  and  well  tramped  down,  then  the  remain- 
ing dirt  cleaned  up  without  tramping.  Place  mulching  around  the 
tree  ;  it  keeps  the  soil  damp,  loose  and  fresh,  free  from  weeds  and 
grass,  unlocking  the  plant  food  through  its  action  much  the  same 
as  we  do  with  the  cultivator.  Where  the  trees  are  exposed  to  high 
winds,  stake  them  up.  Trees  near  fences  where  the  snow  may 
drift,  should  be  well  protected  by  stakes  the  first  few  years,  and 
should  be  carefully  looked  after  in  the  early  spring,  when  the  crust 
is  forming  and  the  snow  settling  down. 


52  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

If  the  trees  are  seedlings,  do  not  graft  till  they  have  reached 
such  size  that  the  cleft  graft  can  be  introduced.  This  is  the  best 
form  for  the  Baldwins.  Some  trees  do  not  shape  well  until  you 
remove  the  tops.  Good  barn  manures  may  be  used  in  small 
amounts  for  fertilizer  after  the  first  year.  Leaves,  leaf  mould, 
muck,  and  other  material  lying  around  on  many  farms  could  be 
used.  Straw,  leaves,  brakes  and  water  grasses  used  as  bedding 
under  horses,  and  worked  over  by  the  pig,  make  one  of  the  very 
best  and  cheapest  of  plant  foods.  If  we  touch  upon  varieties,  the 
Baldwin,  Hubbardston,  Spy,  and  Ben  Davis,  make  a  very  full  list, 
unless  we  may  wish  for  the  Fall  Harvey,  which  sells  for  a  good 
price,  or  in  an  over  abundant  j^ear  is  one  of  the  best  for  evapora- 
ting or  canning.  Of  these  kinds,  let  the  Baldwin  and  Spy  form 
eight- tenths  of  your  orchard. 

The  borers  come  first  in  the  list  of  hurtful  insects,  and  they  are 
very  persistent.  The  trees  should  be  looked  over  in  May  and 
October.  No  better  way  is  known  of  ridding  the  orchard  of  these 
pests  tlian  to  dig  the  imps  out  with  penknife  and  wire.  The  knife 
is  all  that  is  required  the  first  year,  but  some  will  be  overlooked, 
and  then  a  wire  is  needed.  For  mice,  poisoned  barley  scattered 
along  the  stone  walls  is  good  feed.  Laths  cut  in  two  and  placed 
around  the  tree,  making  a  complete  box,  fastened  with  No  32  steel 
wire,  is  the  very  best  shield.  The  bark  louse  infests  many  Maine 
grown  trees.  Hard  wood  ashes  thrown  into  the  tree  on  a  misty 
day,  just  prior  to  its  leaving  out,  will  destroy  them,  and  is  an  easy 
remedy.  We  are  spraying  some  for  the  coddling  moth,  and  are 
very  well  satisfied  with  the  result. 


STATE    PO.MOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  53 


SOME   PLAXT   DISEASES   AXD   THEIR  REMEDIES. 
Professor  W.  31.  Muxsox,  State  College,  Oroao. 

All  known  plants  are  divided  into  two  great  classes — Phienogams 
or  flowering  plants  ;  and  Cryptogams  or  non-flowering  plants.  The 
former  are  characterized  by  the  production  of  flowers  and  seeds  ; 
and  as  a  rule  are  provided  with  a  green  coloring  matter — chlorophyll 
— through  the  agency  of  which  the  inorganic  constituents  of  the 
soil,  carried  upward  by  the  movement  of  the  sap,  are  combined  with 
the  carbon  dioxide  of  the  air  into  organic  compounds — starch, 
sugars,  oils,  etc.,  essential  to  plant  life  and  growth. 

All  cryptogams  are  without  flowers  or  seeds,  but  many  of  them, 
as  ferns,  mosses,  sea- weeds,  etc.,  contain  the  chlorophyll  necessary 
to  the  assimilation  of  inorganic  matter.  One  important  class,  how- 
ever— the  fungi — are  entirely  without  this  agent,  and  necessarily 
depend  for  subsistence  on  some  store  of  organic  material,  either 
animal  or  vegetable.  In  other  words,  a  fungus  is  a  plant ;  but 
possessing  no  green  coloring  matter,  it  cannot  utilize  inorganic 
matter  like  ordinary  plants,  and  must  live  on  materials  already  pre- 
pared by  other  plants.  This  material  may  be  found  either  in  living 
or  dead  plants  or  animals. 

That  part  of  the  fungus  corresponding  to  the  root  stem  and  leaves 
of  other  plants — the  mycelium — consists  of  very  slender  thread-like 
tubes  which  may  grow  singly,  or  may  form  intricate  masses,  the 
threads  being  more  or  less  grown  together.  As  compared  with  the 
fruiting  portion,  the  mycelium  is  very  small  and  insignificant  in 
appearance.  This  may  readily  be  seen  by  comparing  the  edible 
part  of  the  ordinary  mushroom  with  the  mold-like  "spawn."  The 
part  which  we  eat  is  really  the  fruit-bearing  part  of  the  fungus,  and 
the  spores  whicli  take  the  place  of  the  seeds  of  tbe  flowering  plants 
are  borne  on  the  gills  under  the  cap.  These  spores  which  are 
exceedingly  small  and  are  seen  as  a  black  dust  when  fully  mature. 
The  same  relation  between  fruit  and  mycelium  holds  with  most  of 
the  fungi  with  which  we  are  concerned. 

I  have  said  that  a  fungus  must  live  on  organic  matter,  either 
living  or  dead.  Fungi  are  thus  readily  divided  into  two  distinct 
classes  :  Parasites^  those  obtaining  their  nourishment  from  living 
plants  or  animals;  and  saprophytes  which  feel  wholly  on  dead 
tissue.     It  should  be  added,  however,  that  some  fungi  belong  to 


54  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETT. 

both  classes — being  parasitic  at  first  and  continuing  to  live  after 
the  host  has  been  killed.  It  is  with  the  first  class — parasitic  fungi 
— that  we  are  especially  interested  at  this  time. 

Within  the  past  fifteen  years  the  number  of  plant  diseases  has 
increased  with  alarming  rapidity  until  there  is  scarcely  a  fruit  or 
vegetable  which  does  not  have  its  specific  fungous  enemies. 

What  is  the  reason  for  this  increase?  First  of  all,  perhaps,  is 
increased  knowledge  of  the  causes  of  many  failures.  Formerly 
crops  were  injured  or  destroyed  and  the  fact  was  accepted  without 
attempt  at  an  explanation,  or  the  blame  was  thrown  on  the  moon 
or  the  weather.  Now  the  mycologist  is  called  and  with  his 
improved  means  of  study,  he  is  soon  able  to  tell  us  the  exact  cause 
and  frequently  the  whole  life  history  of  the  pest. 

Again,  many  of  the  parasitic  fungi  best  known  at  the  present 
time  originated  on  wild  plants  and  on  such  were  not  considered  of 
special  importance.  When,  however,  some  closely  related  plant  in 
garden  or  orchard  was  attacked,  attention  was  at  once  arrested  and 
it  was  said  a  new  disease  had  appeared,  (e  g.  "black  knot"  of 
plum  and  cherry,  and  "orange  rust"  of  blackberry.) 

There  are  various  ways  in  which  parasitic  fungi  injure  their  host 
plants  ;  and  no  part  of  the  plant  is  exempt  from  attack,  roots, 
stems,  leaves,  flowers,  and  fruit,  are  all  in  danger.  By  far  the 
most  common  and  important  injury  caused  by  the  parasites  is  in 
the  appropriation  of  nourishment  belonging  to  the  host.  This 
results  in  the  falling  or  deformity  of  fruit  or  leaves,  according  as 
the  attack  is  early  or  later  in  the  season. 

Again,  when  the  fungus  grows  upon  the  leaves  and  stems  of  the 
host  it  not  only  reduces  the  amount  of  the  food  supply  but  it  often 
prevents  assimilation  or  the  formation  of  a  new  supply,  thus  reduc- 
ing the  vitality  of  the  plant  affected. 

It  is  quite  probable  that  the  intensive  culture  practiced  at  the 
present  may  have  weakened  the  constitution  of  many  of  our  fruits 
and  vegetables,  rendering  them  less  able  to  resist  the  attack.  The 
tendency  of  modern  methods  is  to  cause  plants  to  va'-y  in  certain 
directions  most  valuable  to  man  rather  than  to  retain  those  charac- 
teristics best  for  the  life  and  health  of  the  plant.  If,  then,  man 
would  use  to  the  best  advantage  this  tendency  to  vary  in  certain 
directions,  he  must  provide  the  best  environment,  and  must  so  far 
as  possible,  prevent  the  attacks  of  insect  and  fungous  enemies. 

I  have  said  we  must  if  possible  prevent  attacks  of  fungous  eue- 
mies,  for  cure  is  usually  out  of  the  question.     The   fact  that  the 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  55 

mycelium  of  the  fungus  is  usually  beneath  the  surface  of  the  plant 
affected  makes  "remedies"  ineffective.  There  are  a  few  instances 
— as  some  of  the  surface  mildews — which  are  exceptions  and  v.here 
remedies  are  effective  ;  but  such  are  rare. 

In  the  treatment  of  fungous  diseases,  two  distinct  lines  should 
be  followed  :  1st,  hygienic  ;  2nd,  preventive.  There  are  definite 
laws  of  health  for  plants  as  well  as  for  animals,  and  in  either  case 
neglect  of  those  laws  invites  disease. 

Common  sense  would  demand  first  of  all  that  the  trees  or  other 
plants  be  in  good  vigorous  condition.  Healthy  vigorous  plants  are 
always  less  susceptible  to  attack  either  of  insects  or  of  fungi  than 
are  those  which  are  weakly  or  stunted. 

Next  remove  all  possible  sources  of  infection,  such  as  wild  plants 
subject  to  the  same  disease,  leaves  and  decaying  fruit  which  are 
affected  and  which  form  a  very  common  and  the  most  important 
source  of  trouble.  The  wild  plum  and  cherry  trees  are  an  ever 
present  menace  to  plum  growing  in  Maine  because  they  form  a  well 
nigh  indestructible  source  of  infection  from  black  knot.  The  wild 
blackberries  in  any  locality  often  harbor  the  orange  rust  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  render  impossible  the  cultivation  of  the  choicer 
varieties.  Diseased  fruit  and  leaves  effectually  harbor  parasitic 
fungi  during  the  winter,  and  on  the  approach  of  warm  weather  the 
spores  develop  rapidly  and  are  at  once  liable  to  be  carried  to  the 
opening  buds  by  the  first  breeze  that  stirs.  No  preventive  meas- 
ures should  be  expected  to  be  effectual  if  such  sources  of  infec- 
tion are  left  undisturbed.  It  is  not  enough  to  feed  diseased  fruit 
to  the  hogs  or  tcf  place  it  on  the  compost  heap,  but  it  should  be 
carefully  gathered  and  burned. 

The  mycelium  of  some  fungi  lives  from  one  year  to  another  in 
the  branches  or  canes  of  affected  host  plants.  This  is  noticably 
true  of  black-knot,  of  the  twig-blights  and  of  raspberry  anthracnose. 
In  such  cases  the  first  treatment  demanded  is  the  removal  and  burn- 
ing of  all  affected  canes  or  branches.  I  would  again  emphasize 
the  importance  of  burning.  A  diseased  branch  left  on  the  ground 
is  just  as  much  a  menace  to  remaining  plants  as  if  it  had  not  been 
cut.  In  some  instances,  as  in  case  of  the  dreaded  "black-knot," 
it  is  often  thought  advisable  after  removing  a  diseased  branch  to 
make  an  application  of  some  material  to  the  wound  in  the  hope  of 
destroying  any  possible  remaining  portion  of  the  mycelium. 

Dark  moist  weather,  and  damp  shady  locations  are  always  con- 
ducive to  the  development  of  fungous  diseases.     Hence  open  train- 


5S  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

ing,  and  thorough  drainage,  both  of  soil  and  atmosphere  are  always 
advisable. 

Improved  environment  and  the  removal  of  infection  will  not 
always  protect  our  plants  from  disease.  The  advance  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  nature  and  value  of  fungicides  and  of  methods  of 
application,  has  been  even  more  rapid  than  the  knowledge  of  the 
fungi  themselves. 

For  several  years  sulphur  in  some  form  has  been  used  to  a  great- 
er or  less  extent.  Powdered  sulphur  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
fungicides  we  know  for  the  treatment  of  surface  mildews  and  of 
certain  "blights."  It  has  been  found  that  the  best  results  are 
obtained  from  the  use  of  sulphur  if  the  application  is  made  on  a 
dry  day  when  the  sun  is  shining — why,  is  not  known.  For  green 
house  work  we  have  found  the  "liver  of  sulphur"  (sulphide  of 
potassium)  very  satisfactory.  For  most  plants  dissolve  one  ounce 
liver  of  sulphur  in  two  gallons  of  water. 

At  the  present  time,  some  of  the  salts  of  copper  are  regarded  as 
the  most  valuable  aids  in  dealing  with  fungous  diseases.  The  sul- 
phate of  copper  ("blue  stone")  is  the  cheapest  of  the  salts  and 
either  alone,  on  dormant  plants,  or  in  combination  with  lime  in 
the  form  of  "Bordeaux  mixture,"  is  usually  considered  the  most 
satisfactory. 

A  word  concerning  the  preparation  of  "Bordeaux  mixture"  may 
not  be  out  of  place  in  this  connection.  As  usually  prepared  the 
mixture  consists  of  six  pounds  copper  sulphate,  four  pounds  quick 
lime  and  fifty  gallons  water.  The  copper  salt  is  dissolved  in  a 
wooden  tub,  the  lime  slaked  in  a  separate  vessel  and  when  ready 
for  use  the  two  are  mixed  and  diluted  as  above, — care  being  used 
that  the  lime  is  strained  through  a  cheese  cloth  or  a  fine  wire  screen, 
to  prevent  clogging  the  nozzle. 

The  copper  sulphate  will  dissolve  much  more  quickly  if  placed  in 
hot  water,  and  it  is  found,  too,  that  the  action  is  greatly  hastened 
by  suspending  the  salt  in  a  coarse  bag  instead  of  placing  it  in  the 
bottom  of  the  vessel  and  pouring  water  over  it. 

Bordeaux  mixture  should  be  used  as  soon  as  prepared,  as  it 
soon  deteriorates  in  value  ;  but  in  spraying  large  orchards  much 
time  may  be  saved  by  preparing  stock  solutioos  of  both  the  lime 
and  the  copper  salt  as  suggested  by  Waite*  and  Swinglef  of  the 
U.  8.  Department  of  Agriculture. 

*Joiirniil  Mycology,  Vol.  VII,  p.  336.  tibiil,  p.  3G.5. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  57 

If  we  take  a  barrel  holding  just  fifty  gallons,  dissolve  fifty 
pounds  of  copper  sulphate  in  this  barrel  and  then  fill  with  water, 
we  shall  have  a  solution  each  gallon  of  which  contains  one  pound 
of  the  copper  salt. 

(It  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  amount  of  water  displaced  by 
fifty  pounds  of  copper  sulphate  is  of  considerable  importance, 
hence  the  water  should  be  brought  to  the  required  mark  after  dis- 
solving the  copper. ) 

In  the  same  manner  a  stock  preparation  of  lime  may  be  employed 
as  suggested  by  Mr.  Swingle  :  ''A  barrel  is  taken,  the  capacity  of 
which  has  previously  been  carefully  determined,  and  twice  as  many 
pounds  of  stone  lime  are  placed  in  it  as  it  holds  gallons.  The 
lime  is  then  slaked.  If  the  slaking  has  been  properly  done  the 
milk  of  lime  will  fill  two-thirds  to  three-fourths  of  the  space  ;  then 
water  is  added  to  bring  the  milk  of  lime  up  to  the  mark.  After 
stirring  thoroughly  a  gallon  will  contain  the  equivalent  of  two 
pounds  of  fresh  lime."  It  is  of  course  very  important  that  the 
mixture  be  stirred  thoroughly  each  time  a  quantity  is  dipped  out, 
as  a  gallon  of  clear  lime  water  will  contain  only  about  one-sixth 
ounce  of  lime  instead  of  two  pounds. 

Having  the  stock  solutions,  as  described,  it  is  a  very  simple 
matter  when  spraying  to  take  six  gallons  of  the  copper  sulphate 
solution,  two  gallons  of  the  milk  of  lime  and  dilute  to  fifty  gallons. 
The  mixture  should  be  very  thoroughly  stirred  with  a  paddle  before 
using. 

The  stock  solutions  may  be  kept  for  several  days  or  even  weeks 
if  carefully  covered  and  in  a  cool  moist  place. 

It  has  been  found  by  some  experimenters  that  the  addition  of 
soap  to  the  Bordeaux  mixture  greatly  increases  its  wetting  proper- 
ties and  consequently  makes  it  very  much  better  for  spraying  such 
plants  as  have  a  waxy  coating  on  leaves  or  fruit.  The  quantity  of 
soap  suggested  is  about  one-half  of  the  total  weight  of  lime  and 
copper  sulphate  used,  or  enough  to  make  the  mixture  foam  well 
when  thoroughly  stirred.  In  the  fifty*  gallons  of  mixture  described 
we  would  use  about  five  pounds  of  soap.  The  soap  is  best  pre- 
pared for  use  by  shaving  in  thin  slices  and  dissolving  in  hot  water. 
The  very  cheapest  soaps  are  as  good  for  this  purpose  as  are  the 
more  expensive  ones. 


58  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

SOME    PRACTICAL    APPLICATIONS. 

1.    Apple  Scab. 

I  doubt  not  most  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  dark  colored  spots 
or  "scabs"  which  appear  ou  some  varieties  of  apples — notably 
Fameuse,  Maiden's  Blush,  and  Golden  Pippin.  These  spots  repre- 
sent but  one  stage  in  the  life  history  of  one  of  the  parasitic  fungi 
already  referred  to,  {Fusidadiam  dendriticum.) 

The  disease  appears  on  the  leaves,  usually  on  the  under  side,  as 
brownish  or  olive  colored  spots.  These  spots  if  numerous  run 
together,  become  blackish  in  color  and  finally  the  leaf  tissue  dies. 
In  cool  wet  weather  the  fungus  often  spreads  very  rapidly  and, 
attacking  the  foliage  and  young  fruit  early  in  the  season,  causes 
almost  total  loss  of  crop  and  greatly  weakens  the  trees.  The 
leaves  are  both  lungs  and  stomach  of  the  plant,  and  any  check  to 
these  organs  must  seriously  affect  the  vitality  of  the  tree.  If  the 
attack  is  late,  after  the  season's  growth  is  completed,  no  special 
damage  is  done  except  to  injure  the  fruit. 

While  the  spots  if  recently  developed  do  not  directly  injure  an 
apple  for  immediate  use,  they  greatly  affect  its  appearance  and  will 
continue  to  grow  and  spread,  and  the  fruit  will  decay  much  sooner 
than  if  not  affected.  On  the  other  hand,  fruit  attacked  early  in 
the  season  will  either  fall  prematurely,  or  will  be  deformed  and 
cracked,  the  parasite  utilizing  all  of  the  materials  for  growth  on 
the  side  affected. 

For  several  years  I  have  conducted  careful  experiments  with  the 
hope  of  arriving  at  definite  conclusions  concerning  the  use  of  cer- 
tain chemicals  as  preventives  of  the  disease  in  question.  As  a 
result  of  this  work  I  feel  safe  in  asserting  that  we  may  to  a  large 
extent  control  the  attacks  of  the  apple  scab  by  the  use  of  the 
Bordeaux  mixture  already  described. 

In  almost  every  instance  where  comparisons  have  been  made 
there  has  been  a  marked  difference  in  favor  of  the  sprayed  trees — 
the  gain  in  the  per  cent  of  fruit  free  from  scab  amounting,  in  many 
cases,  to  more  than  half  of  the  crop. 

The  accompanying  table  shows  very  clearly  the  results  obtained 
last  year. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


59 


Treatment. 


^ 

C;        - 

X'5 

'^  "^  ^ 

^       . 

t^,=i 

>>;: 

'^  ^  ^ 

S^  2  --- 

■ti-2 

Hi 

:^li   ■ 

If 

55-2 

212 

326 

14 

546 

436 

102 

7 

Check  (not  sprayed) . 
Bordeaux  Mixture  • .  ■ 


as. 3 

79.9 


Although  the  season  was  very  dry  and  the  per  cent  of  perfect 
fruit  on  the  unsprayed  trees  was  much  higher  than  usual,  the 
sprayed  trees  showed  an  average  Increase  of  nearly  forty- two  per 
cent. 

During  the  season  just  closed  the  advantage  of  spraying  was 
even  more  marked.  The  season  was  very  wet  and  the  disease 
appeared  soon  after  the  fruit  was  formed.  As  a  result  the  crop 
was  a  total  failure  on  trees  not  sprayed,  while  on  adjacent  trees 
which  were  treated  with  Bordeaux  mixture  there  was  a  good  aver- 
age crop  relatively  free  from  disease. 

Now  it  is  not  claimed  that  we  know  all  about  the  use  of  Bor- 
deaux mixture,  for  there  are  problems  of  a  most  important  nature 
concerning  the  preparation  and  application  of  the  material,  which 
are  still  unsolved.  At  the  present  time,  I  may  sum  up  our  know- 
ledge of  the  treatment  for  apple  scab  as  follows  : 

(1)  Spray  the  trees  early  in  the  season,  before  the  buds  expand, 
with  a  solution  of  copper  sulphate — one  pound  to  fifteen  gallons 
water. 

(2)  Early  in  May,  before  the  blossoms  open,  spraj'  with  Bor- 
deaux mixture. 

(3)  As  soon  as  the  fruit  "sets"  spray  a  second  time  with  Bor- 
deaux mixture.  (It  is  well  at  this  time  to  add  Paris  green  at  the 
rate  of  one  pound  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  of  the  mixture 
to  destroy  the  larvte  of  the  coddling  moth.) 

(4)  Make  at  least  two  subsequent  applications  of  Bordeaux 
mixture  at  intervals  of  about  three  weeks. 


2.  Pear  Scab. 
A  fungus  close)}"  related  to  the  one  just  mentioned  is  the  Pear 
scab  {Fasicladium  pyrinum.)  This  fungus  attacks  the  pear  in  the 
same  manner  as  does  the  apple  scab  its  host,  and  indeed  the  resem- 
blance between  the  two  species  is  as  close  that  they  are  often  con- 
sidered identical.     It  is  because  of   this  disease  that  the  Flemish 


60  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Beauty  has  almost  been  superseded  by  less  valuable  sorts  in  many 
localities. 

Unfortunately  there  has  been  no  opportunity  for  personal  inves- 
tigation of  this  disease  at  our  experiment  station,  since  there  are 
no  bearing  trees  available.  However,  from  the  marked  success 
attending  the  work  of  other  experimenters  I  am  convinced  that  the 
treatment  suggested  for  apple  scab  will  be  satisfactory  in  this  case 
as  well.  Professor  Beach  of  the  experiment  station  at  Geneva,  N. 
Y.,  as  a  result  of  some  work  conducted  on  a  commercial  scale, 
found  that  while  the  average  cost  of  spraying  each  tree  five  times 
during  the  season  was  about  forty-eight  cents,  the  increase  in  the 
commercial  value  of  the  fruit  actually  sold  was  about  $5.  In  other 
words,  while  the  average  receipts  from  the  Seckel  trees  which  were 
sprayed  were  $5.70  per  tree,  the  average  receipts  from  the 
unsprayed  trees  were  but  ninety-three  cents.  White  Doyenne  gave 
even  better  results. 

3.     Black-Knot. 

To  every  plum  grower  in  the  land  the  very  name  "black-knot" 
suggests  an  eternal  struggle  with  the  powers  of  darkness,  and  it  is 
unnecessary  to  speak  of  the  outward  appearance  of  the  disease. 

Many  have  supposed  the  "knots"  or  wart-like  excrescences  to 
be  caused  by  insects,  for  frequently  on  cutting  open  one  of  the 
warts  larvffi  will  be  found  inside.  But  in  the  first  place  insects  are 
not  always  present — never  in  the  early  stages  of  growth  ;  and  in 
the  second  place  no  gall  producing  insects  have  ever  been  found. 
There  can  no  longer  be  any  doubt  that  the  trouble  is  due  to  a  para- 
sitic fungus — Plowrightia  morbosa. 

Without  entering  into  details,  we  may  briefly  trace  the  life  his- 
tory of  the  fungus.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  knots  first 
make  their  appearance  in  the  fall,  when  they  may  be  seen  as  slight 
swellings  of  the  bark  along  the  branches.  But  little  growth  is  made 
till  the  following  spring  when  the  increase  in  size  is  very  rapid. 
This  rapid  growth  is  specially  noticeable  about  the  first  to  the  mid- 
dle of  June  when  the  bark  which  at  first  covers  the  diseased  tissue 
is  burst  open  and  the  knot  presents  a  dark  green  velvety  surface 
due  to  the  immense  number  of  spore-bearing  stalks  (conidia)  which 
are  produced  at  this  time. 

Later  in  the  season  the  surface  of  the  knot  becomes  rough  and 
covered  with  little  pimples  which  are  the  receptacles  of  another  kind 


STATE    POMOLOGIOAL    SOCIETY.  61 

of  spores  (stylospores.)  The  fungus  remains  alive  in  the  knot  till 
the  following  spring  when  it  dies  leaving  simply  a  spongy  mass  of 
dead  tissue,  which  may  as  before  remarked  afford  a  harbor  for 
insects. 

The  best  remedy  for  black-knot  is  "a  good  sharp  knife  and 
courage  to  use  it."  Many  successful  growers  favor  an  application 
of  kerosene  to  the  wound  after  removing  a  "knot."  Such  an  appli- 
cation should  be  made  with  a  small  brush,  and  care  must  be  used 
that  the  oil  does  not  run  down  on  the  bark.  It  is  well  to  add  a 
little  pigment,  as  red  lead,  to  the  kerosene  to  better  indicate  where 
work  has  been  performed. 

4.     Plum-Rot  or  ^'•Mummied  Fruit." 

Phims,  cherries  and  peaches  are  frequently  attacked  by  a  "rot" 
which  may  destro}'  the  entire  product  just  before  ripening.  This 
rot  {Monilia  fructigena)  appears  on  the  surface  of  diseased  fruits 
in  the  form  of  a  grayish  white  mould.  This  mold  consists  mostly 
of  little  tufts  of  spores,  the  mycelium  being  among  and  through 
the  tissues  of  the  fruit.  On  a  single  diseased  plum  may  be  pro- 
duced thousands  of  the  little  spores,  each  capable  of  infecting 
another  fruit. 

The  rapidity  with  which  the  disease  may  spread  in  warm,  moist 
weather  is  almost  incredible.  In  two  days,  under  favorable  con- 
ditions, a  spore  may  germinate  and  grow  sufficiently  to  produce 
more  spores. 

The  fruit  which  is  affected  often  dries  up  and  remains  on  the 
tree  ;  and  the  fungus  lives  over  winter  in  this  "mummied  fruit"  or 
in  the  twigs  which  are  sometimes  affected. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  is  that  already  suggested  in  general 
terms,  viz  :  collect  and  burn  all  affected  fruit ;  spray  the  trees 
early  in  the  season  with  the  copper  sulphate  solution  and  after  the 
fruit  has  set  spray  once  with  Bordeaux  mixture. 

A  second  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture  is  hardly  advisable 
because  of  injury  to  the  appearance  of  the  fruit ;  but  if  the  season 
is  very  favorable  to  the  growth  of  fungi,  it  is  well  to  make  an 
application  of  modified  eau  celeste.  This  material  is  prepared  as 
follows  :  Dissolve  two  pounds  sulphate  of  copper  in  two  gallons 
of  hot  water.  In  another  vessel  dissolve  two  and  one-half  pounds 
carbonate  of  soda  (sal  soda) ;  mix  the  two  solutions  and  when 
ready  for  use  add  one  and  one- half  pints  strong  ammonia  water 


62  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

and  dilute  the  whole  to  thirty-five  gallons.  It  is  well  to  make  the 
stock  solution  at  least  one  day  before  it  is  wanted  for  use,  and  to 
mix  a  considerable  quantity,  merely  observing  the  proportions  sug- 
gested. 

Conclusion  of  the   Whole  Matter. 

I  should  like  to  speak  of  several  mildews  and  blights  and  rusts 
which  are  of  special  importance  to  the  fruit  grower  ;  but  fear  I  have 
already  wearied  you.  I  cannot  close,  however,  without  urging 
upon  every  grower  here  the  importance  of  the  conflict  in  which  we 
are  engaged.  We  are  living  in  a  day  when  there  is  sharp  compe- 
tition in  all  lines  of  horticultural  work,  and  the  successful  man 
must  fight  if  he  would  win.  The  surest  financial  returns  in  fruit 
growing  lie  in  the  production  of  the  best.  Fancy  fruits  for  fancy 
markets  is  the  watchword  among  progressive  men  today. 

The  time  has  passed  when  we  could  simply  plant  and  cultivate 
and  harvest.  We  must  see  that  the  plants  are  given  suitable 
environment  and  are  protected  from  attack.  If  our  trees  are 
hungry  we  must  feed  them  ;  if  thirsty,  give  them  drink  ;  if  diseased, 
ascertain  the  cause  and  apply  remedies. 

In  all  of  the  work  science  and  practice  must  go  hand  in  hand. 
At  the  college  we  shall  continue  to  study  causes,  effects  and  reme- 
dies. It  remains  for  the  fruit  growers  of  the  State  to  apply  the 
knowledge  gained  to  individual  cases. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  63 


APPLE   AND   PEAR   CULTURE. 
By  O.  B.  Hadwex,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Our  starting  point  in  pomology  is  directly  traced  to  the  early 
settlers  and  although  for  nearly  two  centuries  progress  and  advance- 
ment were  comparatively  slow  it  was  none  the  less  firmly  rooted. 
The  science,  practice,  and  the  art  of  pomology  had  barely  dawned 
in  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  During  the  last  fifty  years 
its  advance  has  been  truly  marvelous. 

At  present  no  owner  of  lands  seems  to  regard  himself  as  a  true 
American  of  the  higher  type  who  neglects  to  plant  fruit  trees. 

But  I  do  not  propose  to  occupy  your  time  with  theories  in  fruit 
culture  for  the  scope  is  so  broad  I  can  eml)race  but  few  of  its 
phases  of  a  more  practical  nature. 

Fruit  trees  serve  a  three  fold  purpose  of  supplying  food,  orna- 
ment and  shade,  either  of  these  would  repay  their  cultivation  and 
care.  In  their  variety  fruits  succeed  fruits  week  after  week,  month 
after  month,  and  with  proper  facilities  for  preserving  and  keeping 
we  may  have  fruit  the  year  round. 

It  rarely  happens  that  one  person  can  successfully  cultivate  many 
kinds  of  fruit ;  specialties  are  found  more  condusive,  and  better 
suited  to  the  conditions  and  taste  of  each  individual. 

The  orchardist  who  succeeds  well  with  his  trees  in  grass  land  of 
great  depth  and  fertility,  should  not  recommend  or  prescribe  grass 
for  orchards  in  thin  and  impoverished  soil.  The  man  who  has  a 
shallow  soil  and  has  injured  the  roots  of  his  trees  with  the  plough, 
because  they  are  near  the  surface  of  the  earth,  should  not  object  to 
the  thorough  manipulation  of  deep  soils.  Therefore  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  each  and  every  grower  of  fruit,  to  diligently  and 
patiently  search  out  and  study  his  situation  and  surroundings,  if 
he  desires  the  best  results  to  reward  his  labor. 

Let  me  call  your  attention  to  a  few  of  the  essential  conditions 
necessary  for  producing  good  orchards  and  fruit,  where  both  cli- 
mate and  soil  are  favorable.  In  selecting  trees  we  would  choose 
those  from  two  to  four  years  from  the  bud  with  straight  stems  and 
shapely  tops  with  good  fibrous  roots,  they  should  be  carefully 
planted  out  in  deep  soil  in  generous  holes  dug  for  the  purpose,  and 
receive  liberal  treatment  for  the  first  ten  years.  The  orchard 
should  be  so  situated  that  the  trees  may  receive  the  full  benefit  of 


64  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

the  sun's  rays,  therefore  thick  or  crowded  planting  is  not  desirable. 
A  sheltered  situation  should  also  be  selected, 

Orchards  exposed  to  bleak,  and  especially  to  drying  winds,  at 
the  time  they  are  in  blossom,  are  very  liable  to  be  injured,  the 
winds  drying  and  destroying  the  adhesive  qualities  of  the  pollen  of 
the  flower,  and  wafting  it  from  and  beyond  the  uses  which  nature 
intended  it  to  serve. 

Thus  shelter  is  important  in  the  early  stages  of  fruit  growth,  as 
it  is  later  ;  at  maturity,  it  is  as  important  to  the  orchard  as  is  good 
cultivation,  and  without  shelter,  crops  of  fruit  are  more  uncertain, 
and  many  orchards  failures. 

Shelter  from  winds  is  however  easily  obtained  ;  by  planting  belts 
of  trees  upon  land  surrounding  the  orchard,  and  perhaps  no  better 
tree  can  be  found  for  that  pui'pose  than  the  European  larch,  in 
this  portion  of  the  country. 

If  set  at  the  same  time  of  the  orchard  complete  shelter  even 
before  the  trees  come  in  bearing  ;  and  even  if  neglected  at  that 
time,  they  can  be  planted  out  afterward,  and  in  six  or  eight  years 
will  be  sufficiently  grown  to  afford  protection. 

There  are  other  trees,  which  also  are  desirable  for  protection  to 
the  orchard.  The  white  pine,  the  Norway  spruce,  the  hemlock, 
these  trees  are  of  more  spreading  habit  than  the  larch  requiring 
more  room  ;  but  it  is  always  desirable  and  commendable  to  add  to 
the  beauty  of  the  landscape  ;  a  variety  of  trees,  if  judiciously 
planted,  having  a  regard  for  appearances,  will  be  both  ornamental 
and  useful. 

But  many  farmers  and  especially  those  of  the  older  school,  have 
strong  objections  to  trees,  and  cherish  the  dogma  that  they  injure 
grass  and  grain  crops,  more  than  do  the  winds,  at  the  same  time 
forgetting  all  about  the  shelter  and  advantage  they  afford  all  other 
crops. 

But  there  are  those  that  love  to  believe  that  true  economy  and 
true  taste  are  accordant,  and  that  the  graces  as  well  as  the  profits 
of  life  may  be  kept  alive  and  in  view  by  the  practical  aims  of  all 
farmers  when  well  directed. 

In  considering  the  cultivation  of  the  apple  we  have  therefore 
concluded  that  due  economy  requires  the  orchard,  and  trees  grow- 
ing out  of  the  orchard,  as  far  as  may  be  possible,  should  be  well 
sheltered  from  fierce  winds  from  any  quarter,  and  especially  from 
the  drying  winds  blowing  from  the  north  or  southwest,  to  insure 
good  crops.     If  large  annual  crops  of  fair  fruit  are   wanted  no 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  65 

Other  crops  should  be  taken  from  the  groiiad  unless  enriched. 
But  if  the  soil  is  deep  and  retentive  of  manure  and  moisture  and 
trees  are  planted  at  least  forty  feet  apart,  other  crops  may  be  taken 
from  the  land  without  apparent  injury  to  the  apples,  but  the  soil 
should  by  no  means  be  allowed  to  become  poor  and  should  annually 
receive  a  dressing  of  suitable  manure. 

Experience  teaches  that  for  extensive  orchards,  trees  planted 
forty  feet  apart  is  a  desirable  distance,  the  trees  having  space  to 
grow  shapely  and  affording  room  for  other  crops.  It  must  also 
be  remembered  that  the  roots  of  trees  occupy  and  are  nourished 
by  the  lower  strata  of  soil  to  a  considerable  extent  and  the  tops 
derive  sustenance  from  the  ocean  of  atmosphere  that  surrounded 
them.  While  we  would  cultivate  the  orchard  during  the  early 
growth  we  are  satisfied  that  continued  ploughing  is  not  essential 
for  the  best  results  ;  in  fact  the  keeping  qualities  of  fruit  are  found 
to  be  better  where  fruit  is  grown  on  soil,  not  often  ploughed,  but 
enriched.  We  are  unable  to  satisfactorily  account  for  this,  but 
from  continued  observation  we  are  confirmed  in  this  opinion. 

In  the  earlier  history  of  Pomology,  in  this  country,  the  fruit 
grower  had  but  few  insects  to  contend  with,  but  later  experience 
proves  and  it  is  fouud  that  just  in  proportion  as  you  increase  the 
cultivation  of  fruit  insect  enemies  increase. 

The  difficulty  thus  far,  it  would  seem,  is  to  bring  the  mind  of  the 
fruit  grower  to  realize  the  fact  that  insects  must  be  destroyed  to 
render  the  business  profitable.  We  are  constantly  expecting  that 
nature  will  come  to  our  aid,  and  with  some  of  her  forces,  will  all 
at  once  destroy  the  insects  that  are  destructive  to  fruit 

But  too  often  the  grower  continues  to  be  negligent,  and  the  in- 
sects to  increase,  and,  with  few  exceptions,  have  it  all  their  own 
way.  The  orchardist  cannot  find  time  to  contend  with  so  small  an 
enemy  ;  in  fact  too  often  does  not  realize  that  his  fruit  is  nearly 
worthless  until  he  is  ready  to  gather  and  sell  it.  Can  we  complain 
if  the  insects  avenge  our  neglect? 

We  have  strong  encouragement  to  make  great  efforts  to  prevent 
the  depredation  of  insects,  as  the  demand  for  fair  fruit  is  always 
good  and  prices,  both  producer  and  consumer  agree,  should  be 
higher  for  choice  and  well  grown. 

A  large  portion  of  your  State  lying  as  it  does  within  the  great 
fruit  growing  belt,  is,  both  in  climate  and  soil,  especially  favorable 
to  the  growth  of  the  apple.     Many  varieties  of  apples  have  here 


66  STATE    rOMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

had  their  origin,  thai  are  proving  valuable  wherever  they  have 
been  disseminated  and  grown. 

Care  is  the[  price  that  must  be  paid  for  the  best  of  all  agricul- 
tural or  horticultural  products.  And  care  in  gathering  and  barrel- 
ing fruit  for  storing  and  keeping  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  In 
fact  how  often  is  fruit  gathered  in  a  manner  as  would  seem  as  if 
the  chief  end  to  be  desired  would  be  to  promote  decay  as  rapidly 
as  possible.  If  apples  are  expected  to  keep  well  they  must  be 
picked  from  the  trees  and  handled  carefully. 

Barrels  are  found  the  most  convenient  package  for  apples,  but 
should  be  washed  and  thoroughly  cleansed  and  dried  before  using  ; 
care  should  be  taken  that  no  nails  protrude  through  the  staves. 
The  fruit  should  be  carefully  placed  in  the  barrels  and  gently 
shaken  and  pressed  into  them  as  compactly  as  possible  to  prevent 
any  motion  of  the  fruit  after  the  barrels  are  headed.  Each  sort 
should  be  marked  and  placed  where  the  temperature  is  low  and 
uniform  if  possible.  If  apples  are  to  be  stored  for  winter  or  late 
keeping  the  sooner  they  are  placed  in  a  cool  and  uniform  place  the 
better.  A  fruit  house  or  cellar  constructed  with  a  view  for  the 
purpose  is  best,  but  most  growers  usually  have  to  resort  to  their 
cellars. 

The  chief  requisites  for  the  preservation  of  fruits  from  October  to 
May  or  June  following  are  a  uniform  low  temperature  and  in  autumn 
may  be  obtained  by  giving  ab  indant  ventilation  on  cool  nights, 
and  be  closed  when  the  atmosphere  is  warm.  Fruit  should  be  main- 
tained or  kept  in  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  condition  when  gath- 
ered. The  gradual  ripening  process  or  the  fermentation  of  the 
juices,  premonitory  to  decay,  should  be  checked  and  kept  in  a  dor- 
mant condition,  when  maintained  nearly  at  the  freezing  point  the 
mellowing  or  ripening  process  in  the  fruit  nearly  ceases.  Fungi 
and  mildew,  the  primary  cause  of  decay,  do  not  germinate.  Under 
these  circumstances,  the  best  late  keeping  results  are  promoted, 
thereby  the  prices  which  apples  are  sold  differ  very  materially 
between  October  and  June  and  are  often  as  one  to  five,  thus  the 
growing  price  in  the  cellar  is  of  full  as  much  importance  as  the 
growing  fruit  in  the  orchard. 

New  England  is  also  favored  with  a  variety  of  soils  which  is 
found  favorable  to  the  growth  of  the  apple.  Experience  also 
teaches  that  one  kind  of  soil  is  not  adapted  to  the  growth  of  all 
kinds  of  apples.  Some  thrive  best  in  a  loamy  soil,  some  in  sandy, 
others  in  a  gravelly  or  clay.     Keeping"  these  things  in  view,  it  is 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  67 

plain  that  several  varieties  of  apples,  when  planted  in  a  sino-le 
orchard,  is  more  reliable  for  a  crop  as  seasons  come  and  go,  than 
one  variety  ;  sometimes  climatic  conditions  prove  injurious  to  one 
or  more  varieties,  when  others  in  the  orchard  are  uninjured.  In 
the  earlier  times,  and  even  now,  there  were  many  theories  not  well 
founded,  relating  to  orcharding.  Of  late  years  growers  are  chano-- 
iug  their  views,  and  the  majority  of  orchardists  endeavor  to  under- 
stand the  reason  ot  their  practice,  under  these  conditions  the  march 
of  progress  has  been  rapid,  and  success  is  in  proper  ratio  to  the 
care  the  orchard  receives.  I  have  for  some  years  given  more 
especial  attention  to  the  growing  of  apples  than  to  other  fruits.  -  In 
the  autumn  of  1843,  I  planted  the  apple  seeds  from  which  the  trees 
in  my  orchard  of  twenty  acres  are  planted,  budded  the  trees,  and 
planted  them,  and  have  watched  their  progress  of  growth  and  bear- 
ing ever  since.  The  trees  now  are  at  maturity  and  bear  full  crops, 
and  I  have  received  a  vast  amount  of  pleasure  and  a  reasonable 
amount  of  profit  from  my  husbandry. 

The  pear  is  a  fruit  that  the  average  American  is  especially  fond 
of,  and  within  the  past  half  century  has  given  a  great  amount  of 
thought  and  labor  to  its  cultivation. 

Not  only  the  orchardist,  but  everyone  owning  a  piece  of  ground, 
however  small,  does  not  feel  quite  satisfied  without  a  few  pear 
trees.  The  pear  has  drawn  out  perhaps  more  enthusiasm  than  any 
other  fruit  which  we  have  cultivated.  There  are  now  over  3,000 
sorts  that  are  recorded  and  described,  enough  perhaps  for  the  most 
ardent  cultivator.  This  number  is  perhaps  well  enough  for  those 
whose  money,  time  and  taste  permit,  but  the  orchardist,  or  those 
who  grow  pears  for  market,  or  home  use,  a  dozen  of  the  best  sorts 
are  found  sufficient  for  the  most  refined  and  cultivated  taste,  and 
requiring  far  less  care.  The  public  at  large  have  never  become  able 
to  know  or  name  even  a  dozen  sorts. 

By  reference  to  Rhind's  Vegetable  Kingdom  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  the  pear  tree  is  indigenous  to  the  northern  sections  of  the  tem- 
perate zone,  flourishing  as  far  north  as  fifty-seven  degrees,  and  it 
has  been  acclimated  and  grown  within  the  boundaries  of  twenty- 
seven  degrees. 

In  attempting  to  acclimate  and  grow  the  pear  in  a  warmer  climate 
its  primitive  habits  should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  neither  the  change 
in  the  conditions  caused  by  good  or  excessive  cultivation  of  the 
pear.  Very  high  cultivation  only  can  produce  specimens  of  fruit 
that  bring  the  highest  price  in  market,   or  receive  the  prizes  at 


68  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

exhibition.  The  primitive  conditions  of  the  pear  are  entirely 
changed  by  its  present  cultivation,  which  may  ultimately  prove  to 
be  one  of  the  causes  of  pear  tree  blight  Therefore  as  only  a  grow- 
er of  the  pear  we  approach  the  subject  of  pear  tree  blight  with  con- 
siderable caution,  well  knowing  the  diverse  and  contrary  opinions 
entertained  by  pear  growers,  as  well  as  by  scientific  men,  and  the 
mystery  hanging  about  the  whole  subject.  We  can  only  attempt 
to  re'ate,  what  would  seem  by  long  experience,  apparently  to  be 
some  of  the  causes  pointing  to  pear  tree  blight  and  the  my^ery 
about  it  which  bafHes  both  scientific  and  piactical  men. 

In  the  cultivation  of  fruit  of  any  kind  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that 
repeated  grafting  upon  stocks  grown  from  seed  for  a  long  con- 
tinued duration  of  time,  has  a  tendency  to  weaken  the  primitive 
vitality  of  the  tree. 

[Mr.  Had  wen  recommends  the  following  as  the  best  twelve 
varieties  of  pears :  Beurre  Gifford,  Clapp's  Favorite,  Bartlett, 
Sheldon,  Seckel,  Beurre  Bosc,  Beurre  Hardy,  Urbaniste,  Beurre 
d'Anjou,  Duchess  d'Angouleme,  Dana's  Hovey,  Lawrence. — Sec- 
retary ] 

The  thousands  of  acres  of  orchards  and  gardens  which  may  now 
be  seen  in  New  England,  manifest  the  strongest  contrast  with 
that  in  former  years,  and  for  many  years  New  England  was  in  ad- 
vance of  other  nations  of  the  country  in  horticulture.  The  natural 
conditions  which  govern  our  soil  and  climate  require  more  skill 
and  brain  in  its  manipulation  to  insure  success.  Special  manures 
and  fertilizers  are  found  to  be  a  necessity,  the  art  of  grafting  and 
budding,  with  other  approved  modes  of  propagating  have  to  be 
acquired  and  made  use  of  ;  judicious  pruning  is  one  of  important 
practice  in  the  orchard,  and  thinning  the  fruit  to  promote  size  and 
good  flavor,  is  equally  necessary.  It  would  seem,  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  new  fruits  of  the  last  fifty  years,  there  is  no  barrier  to  ob- 
taining by  hybridization  fruits  of  any  size,  qualit}'  or  color,  if  the 
proper  knowledge  is  used,  with  a  requisite  amount  of  skill  and 
patience,  to  produce  almost  any  desired  size  or  quality,  together 
with  fine  aroma  and  brilliant  coloring.  Science  and  practice  have 
revealed  these  possibilities  which  only  awaits  the  skilled  cultivator 
to  demonstrate  in  all  the  lines  of  fruit  growing. 

As  time  goes  on,  with  the  vast  increase  of  population  sure  to 
come,  increasing  the  demand  for  remunerative  industries,  and  the 
increased  consumption  of  fruits,  habit  and  custom  will  demand, 
with  an  educated  taste,  these  conditions  will  require  increased  area 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  69 

of  orchards  and  gardens,  which  must  become  one  of  the  foremost 
agricultural  pursuits  in  our  New  England  States,  situated  as  we  are 
midway  between  the  equator  and  the  north  pole.  Lands  that  are  now 
considered  only  fit  for  pasturage  or  wood  lands,  steep  and  uneven, 
too  rocky  to  plough,  will  in  time  be  planted  to  orchards  of  apples. 
"We  will  acquire  the  skill  to  grow  good  trees  that  will  bear  good 
fruit  without  cultivating  with  the  plough;  other  methods  of  pre- 
paring laud  will  be  acquired,  less  stirring  the  soil,  but  liberal 
dressing  will  be  in  order.  If  New  England  can  grow  better  flavored 
apples  than  other  sections,  why  not  avail  ourselves  of  this  advan- 
tage, as  Florida  does  with  the  orange,  California  with  the  grape  and: 
stone  fruits,  Delaware  with  peaches,  as  each  section  of  country  has 
its  natural  aptitude  for  its  specialties. 

DISCUSSION. 

Ques.  What  is  the  best  method  of  applying  dressing  and  the 
best  kind  of  dressing? 

Ans.  Every  grower  has  got  to  adapt  himself  to  the  circum- 
stances and  conditions  that  surround  him.  He  would  make  no 
mistake  in  applying  any  manure.  If  he  wants  to  do  his  best 
perhaps  he  would  apply  a  variety.  It  would  be  well  to  apply  stable 
manure  ;  it  would  also  be  well  to  apply  unleached  ashes  and  fine 
ground  bones  ;  but  be  sure  to  make  an  annual  application  if  you 
want  your  fruit  to  bring  the  highest  price  in  the  market  and  your 
trees  to  have  a  healih}'  and  vigorous  growth.  If  you  expect  to  get 
a  good  crop  of  apples  or  grapes  on  an  improper  soil  you  will  be 
sure  to  be  disappointed  The  ouly  way  for  a  man  to  get  the  most 
out  of  his  fruit  culture  is  by  liberal  treatment. 

Ques.  Would  you  recommend  the  keeping  of  sheep  in  an, 
orchard  ? 

Ans.  I  have  tried  that  experiment.  Some  ten  years  ago  I 
fenced  off  about  an  acre  and  a  half  of  my  orchard,  and  bought 
some  sheep  and  put  them  in.  I  had  heard  that  they  were  good  to 
eat  apples  and  destroy  the  insects.  Experience  teaches  that  while 
they  gather  their  sustenance  from  the  ground  and  distribute  their 
droppings,  thus  benefiting  the  trees,  they  do  not  eat  the  apples. 
The  sheep  will  take  a  bite  out  of  an  apple  and  leave  the  remainder^ 
especially  where  apples  are  plenty.  I  should  rather  run  the  risk 
of  swine  for  the  benefit  of  an  orchard  than  sheep.  Still  I  should 
not  hesitate  to  put  sheep  into  an  orchard  and  it  would  probal)ly  be 


70  STATE    POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

beneficial  in  the  long  run  ;  but  if  you  expect  thej^  are  going  to  eat 
the  apples  you  will  be  disappointed. 

Ques.  Some  people  in  applying  dressing  to  trees  put  a  larger 
amount  near  the  tree  than  at  a  little  distance  from  it.  What  is 
your  opinion  about  that  ? 

Ans.  My  practice  is  to  spread  the  dressing  as  far  as  the  limbs 
extend  when  dressing  the  apple  tree  only ;  but  I  like  to  dress  the 
whole  ground.  Roots  have  a  peculiar  faculty  of  finding  their  food. 
It  is  wonderful  how  much  of  a  kind  of  root  knowledge  they  pos- 
sess. I  have  seen  an  instance  where  a  block  of  trees  were  planted 
five  feet  apart,  and  the  roots  had  started  to  grow  in  all  directions. 
Outside  of  the  block,  on  one  side,  was  a  bed  of  rhubarb  made  ver}' 
rich.  After  the  roots  of  the  row  of  trees  next  the  rhubarb  had 
started  to  grow  in  the  opposite  direction  they  stopped,  turned  and 
went  towards  the  rhubarb,  thus  showing  that  roots  do  know  some- 
thing. 

There  is  no  kind  of  trees  but  do  better  by  liberal  treatment, 
especially  ornamental  trees.  No  farmer  is  really  up  to  his  busi- 
ness who  neglects  to  plant  ornamental  trees.  I  have  some  orna- 
mental trees  which  get  a  half  cartload  of  manure  every  autumn, 
and  the  foliage  is  wonderful.  Trees  that  are  enriched  show  a  very 
marked  difference  in  the  foliage.  I  did  not  find  that  out  until, 
perhaps  a  dozen  or  fifteen  years  ago.  I  went  to  the  grounds  of 
Mr.  Hunnewell,  who  perhaps  has  the  finest  ornamental  trees  on  this 
continent,  and  I  was  astonished  to  see  how  different  his  foliage 
looked  from  mine  ;  but  when  I  came  to  lift  the  limbs  and  look 
underneath  them  I  saw  they  were  very  liberally  treated.  I  went 
right  home  and  commenced  the  same  process,  and  I  am  surprised 
to  see  the  difference  in  my  trees  which  the  liberal  treatment  pro- 
duced. 

Ques.  What  would  you  say  in  regard  to  the  protection  of 
orchards?  My  experience  and  observation  has  shown  that  some  of 
the  very  best  orchards  have  no  protection  whatever,  but  an  exposed 
location.  Of  course  this  would  allow  of  the  apples  being  blown 
off,  but  most  certainly  those  orchards  did  the  best  in  our  locality. 

Ans.  The  object  of  protection  is  to  keep  the  fruit  on  the  trees. 
Trees  will  thrive  without  protection,  but  you  do  not  want  the  fruit 
blown  off.  It  is  a  little  discouraging  to  have  fruit  blown  from  the 
tree  and  become  unmerchantable  when  you  want  to  get  full  price 
for  it ;  consequently  I  think  it  is  well  worth  while  to  protect  your 
trees. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  71 

Ques.  In  picking  apples  would  you  recommend,  instead  of  hav- 
ing your  picker  drop  his  small  apples  on  the  ground  and  put  the 
others  into  a  basket  and  empty  them  into  a  barrel,  that  he  should 
have  a  sorting  box  in  the  tree,  and  let  five  or  six  men  pick  apples 
into  baskets  as  they  would  happen  to,  and  then  one  man  take  his 
sorting  box  and  sort  them  all  out? 

Ans.  That  would  depend  somewhat  on  how  the  man  was  situa- 
ted. I  am  situated  near  a  large  market,  and  after  some  experience 
have  concluded  that  the  better  way  for  me  is  to  have  the  men  drop 
the  unmerchantable  fruit  upon  the  ground.  And  each  man  in 
emptying  his  basket  is  instructed  to  remove  the  stems  and  leaves. 
It  is  well  to  have  a  little  piece  of  old  carpeting  in  the  basket  for 
apples  are  very  sensitive  to  injury,  and  if  you  want  the  best  results 
you  must  take  the  best  care  of  them. 

Ques.     What  varieties  do  you  depend  upon  ? 

Ans.  The  Baldwin  is  the  great  apple  for  the  million.  You  can 
sell  more  Baldwins  than  you  can  any  other  variety  of  winter 
apples,  and  so  far  as  I  know  the  Baldwin  to-day  is  the  leading 
apple  in  Massachusetts.  I  think  as  time  goes  on  there  will  be 
apples  that  will  supercede  the  Baldwin,  but  those  things  take  time. 
I  have  some  apples  that  bring  me  a  dollar  a  barrel  more  than  the 
Baldwin,  but  in  no  great  quantity.  I  do  not  suppose  there  has 
been  a  Baldwin  put  in  my  house  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  ;  the 
reason  is  we  have  better  apples.  And  people  will  soon  learn  to 
discriminate  between  the  quality  of  apples.  The  Yellow  Bellflower 
is  perhaps  not  as  profitable  an  apple  to  grow  for  the  market  as  the 
Baldwin,  but  for  family  use  at  this  time  of  the  year  there  is  scarce- 
ly any  better  apple.  In  many  sections  during  the  month  of  Janu- 
ary it  is  one  of  the  best  apples  to  cook  that  I  know  of.  The  Bald- 
win lacks  quality, — is  no;  really  a  first  class  apple,  but  you  can 
sell  more  of  them  than  of  any  other  kind. 

Qaes.  To  what  extent  is  the  packing  of  fancy  fruit  in  crates 
being  carried  on  in  Massachusetts  ? 

Aiis.  To  no  very  large  exient ;  that  will  do  very  well  on  a  small 
scale,  but  if  you  have  1500  or  2000  barrels  of  apples  and  attempt 
to  put  them  into  crates  you  will  have  a  job.  The  barrel  is  stored 
more  easily  in  the  cellar,  also.  Still  I  know  of  one  verj'  excellent 
fruit  grower  in  Weare  who  puts  his  apples  into  crates.  He  has  an 
apple  called  the  Granite  Beauty,  which  is  a  first  class  apple  and 
brings  a  good  price.  If  a  person  has  plenty  of  time  to  attend  to 
this,  perhaps  it  is  all  right ;  but  with  a  large  quantity  of  apples 
you  cannot  bother  with  crates. 


72  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


PROGRESS   OF   ORCHARDIXG  AND   FRUIT   CULTURE   IX 

PISCATAQUIS   COUXTY. 

By  Calvin  Chamberlaix,  Foxcroft. 

I  propose  to  tell  you  some  things  about  orchards  ;  for  at  one 
time  Dr.  Holmes  and  I  and  a  few  other  fellows  knew  a  great  deal 
about  them  ;  but  I  shall  tell  you  about  some  other  things  first. 

I  came  to  this  Piscataquis  county  in  October,  1810.  I  came  to 
help  my  father  make  a  farm,  which  he  had  begun  to  do  alone.  I 
came  too  late  in  the  season  to  help  him  any  that  year.  I  soon 
learned  that  men  did  not  work  at  making  farms  all  the  year.  They 
did  something  else  a  part  of  the  time.  I  had  a  good  deal  to  do 
before  I  had  learned  how  to  work  all  day  with  my  father.  I  guess 
I  was  pretty  busy  the  first  year  I  was  here. 

The  next  summer,  1812,  my  father  cut  ten  acres  of  the  trees  on 
the  hillside  south  from  the  house.  There  were  many  kinds  of  trees, 
many  large  hemlock  and  spruce.  One  windy  day  in  September  my 
father  set  fire  along  the  north  side  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and 
the  fire  went  up  the  hill  so  quick,  that  the  whole  piece  was  burning 
at  the  same  time. 

In  the  summer  of  1814,  a  woman  kept  a  school  in  our  neighbor's 
barn  only  a  quarter  mile  away.  It  was  not  a  good  place  for  a 
school.  When  the  weather  was  not  good  the  door  was  shut  and  all 
the  light  came  through  the  cracks  between  the  boards.  This  place 
then  had  a  name.  I  learned  at  home  and  at  school  to  say  that  we 
lived  at  Foxcroft,  County  of  HaucocV,  and  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Mr.  Strong  was  governor.  One  man  had  a  log 
house  with  two  rooms.  The  school  was  kept  in  one  of  the  rooms 
in  the  winter.  Some  large  boys  and  girls  went  to  school  then. 
The  trees  were  all  the  wa}'  from  our  house  over  there.  A  road  was 
cut  for  a  sled. 

Our  father  had  a  pair  of  oxen  that  liked  to  take  us  over  there  on 
the  sled  and  they  would  do  it  pretty  quick  when  the  road  was  good. 
It  was  not  more  than  a  mile.  The  large  boys  and  girls  at  that 
school  had  all  moved  here  from  Oxford  county.  A  log  school- 
house  was  built  after  that.  The  walls  were  laid  up  full  six 
feet  high.  A  stone  chimney  was  in  one  end,  and  near 
the  other  end  were  two  windows  of  nine  lights  of  7x1) 
glass.       For     thorough     ventilation     no       modern     architecture 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  73 

has  improved  upon  that  structure.  There  was  no  ceiling  or  floor 
overhead,  and  no  care  for  a  tight  roof. 

You  have  all  heard  of  "the  cold  seasons,"  one  in  particular, 
1816,  I  was  here  and  know  all  about  that.  The  birds  were  so  cold 
some  days  that  I  could  catch  them  with  my  hands,  and  many 
pretty  ones  died.  I  knew  some  people  who  went  to  Ohio  then  ; 
others  would  have  gone  if  they  had  teams  and  thinrs  to  go  with. 
Some  large  boys  set  traps  for  fur  animals,  and  men  killed  bears 
when  they  came  for  the  corn  or  sheep.  Some  boys  were  hunting 
and  fishing  niost  all  the  time.  Some  of  the  men  hunted  bears  and 
other  animals.  My  father  killed  the  foxes  when  he  saw  them 
come  for  the  geese.  I  saw  my  father  set  his  gun  in  the  cornfield 
so  that  a  bear  fired  it  off  himself  and  was  killed.  Boys  who  had 
to  work  did  not  have  many  play-days  beside  the  Fourth  of  July 
and  trainings  and  muster.  My  father  was  captain  then,  and  all 
his  company  lived  in  Foxcroft  and  where  Dover  town  is  now.  I 
saw  the  men  training.  More  companies  helped  to  make  the  mus- 
ter. Mr.  Towne  had  a  large  field  and  no  stumps  on  it.  Mr. 
Towne  was  one  of  the  officers  in  my  father's  company.  Some  men 
always  came  to  our  house  on  muster  days  before  it  was  light,  and 
they  fired  awful  loud  guns,  and  then  my  father  would  ask  them  to 
come  in  ;  and  then  they  drank  something  that  was  in  the  kegs  that 
father  had  filled  at  Bangor  in  the  winter.  And  they  had  sugar 
that  came  from  Bangor. 

"What  I  have  indulged  in  saying,  is  directly  in  the  line  of  that 
sentiment  which  binds  each  of  us  in  loyal  affection  to  our  birthplace 
— to  the  home  and  liaunts  of  our  childhood — binds  us  to  the  lands 
amended  by  the  industry  of  our  ancestors — lands  improved  by  their 
wisely  directed  labor  from  the  condition  in  which  they  found  them 
in  this  unfinished  world  ; — in  the  line  of  that  sentiment  which  binds 
us  to  our  country  and  our  fellowman.  Under  favorable  conditions 
this  sentiment  gains  strength  with  our  increase  of  years,  and  at 
times  we  may  advert  to  early  experiences  with  profit. 

The  settlement  within  the  present  limits  of  this  county  was 
effected  in  the  first  years  of  this  century,  and  twelve  of  its  town- 
ships were  entered  upon  at  nearly  the  same  time.  The  census  of 
1810  gives  Foxcroft  sixty-five  inhabitants.  This  number  was 
exceeded  in  six  other  townships.  These  people  coming  from  the 
older  settlements,  missed  the  fruits  to  which  they  had  been  accus- 
tomed, and  took  immediate  steps  to  supply  themselves.  A  few 
apple  trees  were  brought  in,  but  most  people  waited  till  supplied 


74  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY, 

from  the  seeds  they  had  brought  with  them.  M}'  father  started 
with  both  methods.  He  brought  a  few  trees  from  Garland,  and 
they  were  destroyed  the  year  they  were  set,  by  grasshoppers  eating 
away  all  the  growth  of  the  year.  I  remember  the  stumps  of  those 
trees — some  of  them  having  feeble  sprouts  from  the  root.  These 
trees  were  probably  set  in  1810.  and  his  nursery  started  the  same 
year.  Some  of  the  nursery,  after  four  years'  growth,  was  ingrafted 
by  my  father  with  scions  brought  by  him  from  his  former  home  in 
Massachusetts  in  1814.  Some  of  these  grafted  trees  remained 
where  planted,  so  that  we  soon  had  good  apples  from  them.  I  feel 
quite  safe  to  claim  this  as  the  first  grafting  done  in  this  county. 

Mr.  John  Hart,  who  moved  his  family  to  Atkinson  from  the  town 
of  Penobscot  in  1815,  obtained  a  few  grafted  trees  at  Garland,  but 
they  did  not  come  to  bearing  before  he  had  apples  from  the  seeds 
he  planted.  Planting  seeds  in  all  these  towns  was  probabl}'  done 
as  early  as  these  cases  named.  A  seed  planted  in  Abbot  by  Mrs. 
Huston  before  1810,  produced  the  Rolfe  apple. 

In  1820,  Oliver  Crosby,  Esq  ,  came  from  New  Hampshire,  and 
commenced  farming  at  Atkinson  on  a  larger  scale  than  before  seen 
here.  Salmon  and  Cyrus  Holmes  came  from  Hebron  to  Foxcroft 
at  about  the  same  time. 

Mr.  Crosby  started  good  apples  soon,  as  some  of  the  older  trees 
there  are  now  bearing  the  "Canada  Red."  Capt.  Salmon  Holmes 
did  some  grafting  on  his  farm  before  1830.  Mr.  A.  Jackson  in 
♦Sangerville  and  Mr.  McClure  in  Sebec  had  grafted  fruit  that  must 
have  been  started  as  early  as  the  work  of  Crosby  and  Holmes. 
To  show  how  I  gained  and  retaine<l  my  interest  in  fruit,  I  must  here 
give  some  account  of  my  movements.  I  worked  with  my  father  a 
part  of  each  year  from  1831  to  183G  inclusive.  In  that  time  I  had 
seen  some  of  our  country  from  Eastern  Maine  to  Connecticut.  For 
a  time  I  was  employed  so  as  to  visit  the  most  of  the  farms  in  the 
then  Kennebec  county  from  Farmingtou  and  Temple  to  Readfield 
and  AVinthrop.  In  these  short  journeys  I  gave  special  attention  to 
orchards  and  their  treatment.  In  June,  1838,  my  father,  by  an 
accident,  was  removed  from  the  primary  school  of  earth  life,  leav- 
ing directions  for  me  to  occup}'  his  plaoe  on  the  farm  for  the  next 
thirteen  years.  This  event  called  me  from  Michigan  where  I  had 
entered  on  a  life-work  of  making  a  farm  in  another  wilderness. 
The  old  farm  at  that  time  had  several  acres  of  orchard,  and 
a  row  of  trees  was  set  by  long  lines  of  stonewall.  My  father's 
grafting    had    not    extended    much    bej'ond     100     trees.      The 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  75 

other     trees     bore    a    good     class    of     fruit,    coming    as     thev 
did     from     seeds     saved     from     the     grafted     fruit    first     pro- 
duced.      I    saw    little  value    ia   such    orchards.       A    few    good 
apples   could    be    sold    iu    Bangor    in  winter ;    but  of  the    main 
crop    I   could    sometimes    sell    a  load    at   harvest    time,    sixteen 
bushels  for  a  dollar.     I  tried  the  Bangor  market  for  cider,  and  soon 
tired  of  storing  it  in  cellar  to  be  hauled  in  winter.     Our  cider  mill, 
an  accommodation  affair,  was  crowded  with  work  two   months  in 
the   season.     It  look  me   only  two  years  to  ripen    a  disgust   for 
poor  apples,  and  to  form  the  resolution  to  abate  a  nuisance,  put  a 
new  head  on  the  trees  or  cut  them  away.     I  set  about  qualifyino' 
for  the  first  method.     I  had  seen  some  successful   work    done   in 
changing  the  tops  of  well  grown  trees,  and  had    seen  other   trees 
assaulted  and  ruined  b}^  ignorant  wood-butchers  trying  to  do   the 
same  thing.     I  had  seen  my  father  change  a   top,  working   by  his 
slow  method  of  setting  scions  and  enclosing  them  in  a  ball  of  clay. 
In  later  years,  elsewhere,  I  had  seen  where  wax  had  been  used,  and 
evidence  of  rapid  method  of  working.     I  went  to  Winthrop  and 
interviewed  Moses  B   Sears,  then  extensively  engaged  in  this  work. 
I  found  him  on  a  winter  day,  genial  and   full  to  overflow   at   all 
points  of  my  inquiry.     He  had  no  seciets  in  his  business.     He  took 
me  over  the  whole  field — how  and  when  to  cut  scions  ;  how  to  pre- 
serve them ;  how  to   make  wax   to  use   in    cool  or   hot  weather ; 
talked  about  an  outfit  for  the  business  ;  about  choice  of  trees,  giv- 
ing promise  of  returning  the  cost  of  the  change  ;    how  to  cut   the 
tree,  avoiding  the  removal  of  a  branch,  leaving  a  cut  that  could  not 
be  covered  by  the  subsequent  growth  ;  how  to  locate  the  scions, 
giving  proper  room  to  each,  to  utilize  the  whole  top  and  do  it  with 
the  least  possible  number  of  scions.        With   this  practical  lesson 
joined  to  my  previous  ol)servation,  I  took  up  the  work  with  confi- 
dence.    I  bought  the  fruit  books  then  published  in  this  country.     I 
obtained  scions  of  varieties  not  then  known  here.     I  prepared  for 
and  set  about  2000  scions  in  the   spring   of  1841.      Having  good 
success  with  these,  I  made  a  larger  job  the  next  3'ear.     This  work 
attracted  attention,  and  I  had  calls  to  work    for  others.      The  de- 
mand for  grafting  grew  to  a  clamor,  and  I  joined  with  my  brother, 
Luther,  and  we  made  large  operations  in  nearly   all  the   towns   of 
the  county.     After  I  left  this  intineranc3%  my  brother  and  James, 
son  of  Cyrus  Holmes,  continued  the  work  several  years. 

While  in  this  work  I   had   opportunity  to  learn  all  there  was 
of    local    fruit    history    to    that  date.       I    worked    and    talked 


76  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

for  fruit,  instructed  men  and  boys  in  the  ways  of  pruning 
and  grafting,  and  never  left  a  job  without  teaching  the 
owner  as  to  the  care  of  the  trees,  pointing  to  the  larger  branches 
that  should  not  remain  beyond  the  next  year.  I  empha- 
size the  fact  that  the  successful  change  of  a  top  is  by  a 
gradual  process.  Cases  often  occur  where  it  is  proper  to  do  this, 
but  changing  old  tops  is  not  to  be  encouraged  when  it  is  easy  to 
get  a  3'oung  tree  to  take  the  place  of  an  old  one.  When  my  care 
of  the  farm  ended,  in  1851,  I  came  to  my  present  home,  having 
then  twenty  acres — only  five  with  any  improvements,  and  these  of 
rude  character.  I  came  here  in  November  and  then  put  in  cellar 
300Q  seedling  apple  trees,  and  grafted  them  in  winter  by  the  kitchen 
fire.  I  set  these  as  a  start  for  a  nursery  ;  and  brought  one  hundred 
grafted  trees  from  the  farm  for  an  orchard.  I  increased  my  nur- 
sery in  the  three  following  years  to  about  10.000  trees.  In  that 
time  I  started  seedling  pears  and  grafted  five  hundred  of  them  in 
winter.  They  started  growth  in  the  cellar  before  they  could  be 
set.  Some  very  hot  days  following  the  setting,  nearly  all  were 
killed.     I  had  not  provided  shade  for  them. 

I  see  no  impropriety  in  showing  here  the  untoward  surround- 
ings that  menaced  my  work.  While  setting  my  nursery  in 
the  spring  of  1852,  two  prominent  citizens  came  and  looked 
on  my  work  with  apparent  curiosity.  One  ventured  the  remark, 
"You  will  have  to  fence  round  these  trees  to  save  them."^ 
I  replied:  A  fence  will  cause  the  snow  to  drift  and  spoil  them. 
''But  the  cattle  will  be  on  the  field  part  of  the  year."  To  that  I 
replied  :  They  will  not  be  on  my  field.  Then  came  the  remark  : 
'•You  will  see,"  and  they  joined  in  a  hearty  laugh.  I  had  seen  the 
custom  of  the  place.  Animals  had  the  run  of  the  roads  at  all 
times.  After  the  harvest,  all  boundary  fences  would  somehow  get 
opened  and  all  cattle  made  common  pillage  till  the  next  planting 
time.  At  that  time  my  daily  talk  was  for  gardens  and  fruit.  I 
saw  my  interest  and  safety  lay  in  inducing  my  neighbor  to  grow 
his  family  supply  on  his  own  land.  My  talk  for  fruit  was  met  by 
one  terse  expression  which  must  have  been  adopted  by  unanimous 
vote  of  all  citizens,  as  all  gave  it  in  the  same  words — "Ft  is  no 
use  to  raise  fruit,  the  boys  will  steal  it  all!"  Why  men,  claiming 
leadership  in  morality  and  public  virtue,  had  accepted  such  a 
motto  remams  a  mystery  to  me.  Boys  grew  to  manhood  while 
hearing  that  repeated.  But  this  represents  a  condition  of  forty 
years  ago.     This  is  claimed  as  an  age  of  progress,  and  we  have 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  77 

aeen  improvement  in  some  directions.  My  nurser}-  was  by  tlae 
public  road  and  advertised  itself.  The  prospect  for  sales  was 
good.  A  hard  winter  set  its  mark  on  some  varieties,  and  a  nursery 
will  catch  drifting  snow.  I  began  to  move  the  trees  to  the  brush 
heap.  A  few  years  later  saw  tiie  last  of  that  nursery  turned  to 
ashes.     I  never  was  pai  I  ten  cents  a  day  for  the  time  I  had  given  it. 

After  my  experience,  nursery  business  tempted  several  others. 
Captain  Webber  of  Guilford,  H.  L.  Leland  of  Saugerville,  and 
other  good  farmers  raised  trees  to  supply  themselves  and  neighbors. 

I  must  leave  tUe  "Progress  of  Orcharding"  in  the  ivay  back,  as  I 
have  myself  l^ecorae  a  "'back  number."  I  stocked  my  small  place 
early  and  hurriedly  for  fruit  and  shade,  and  little  room  was  left  for 
additions,  and  I  have  had  little  time  for  experiments — have  not 
taken  many  of  the  apples  claiming  attention. 

PEARS. 

Very  few  pear  trees  were  in  the  county  at  the  time  I  was  grafting. 
I  had  scions,  but  seldom  a  call  to  set  them. 

On  my  new  place  I  started  but  few  varieties.  Of  these,  the  Flemish 
Beauty  gave  best  results.  The  trees  made  good  growth  and  soon 
gave  large  crops  of  fair  fruit  at  a  time  when  it  was  generally  being 
discarded  by  reason  of  its  cracking.  The  tree  was  weak  and  sub- 
ject to  early  decay  at  the  branching  point ;  and  in  subsequent  years 
several  trees  went  down  with  an  overload  of  fruit.  I  set  several 
dwarf  trees,  and  deep  snows  soon  destroyed  them.  There  is  no 
apparent  reason  why  pears  may  not  be  grown  here  to  a  home  supply. 
Pears  brought  to  this  village  are  mostly  from  the  near  towns  in 
Penobscot  count}^  My  experience  with  pear  trees  handled  by  the 
trade  is,  they  prove  false  to  the  attached  label  in  most  cases. 

PLUMS. 

This  fruit  received  early  attention.  The  native  ''Canada  Red" 
and  other  better  ones  of  various  colors  were  quite  common  when  the 
first  apples  appeared.  The  ease  of  obtaining  the  trees  by  their  habit 
of  suckering,  and  from  their  early  production  when  grown  from 
seed,  favored  their  early  appearance  at  most  homes — they  circulated 
without  price.  One  of  the  best  was  white  and  very  late  in  season, 
answering  well  to  "White  Damson"  of  Downing.  One  of  dark 
color,  (the  "Wheat  Plum" — called  by  some  who  liked  to  have 
things  named)  was  very  good  and  productive. 


78  STATE    P03I0L0GICAL    SOCIETY. 

Three  trees  of  last  named  had  been  set  on  my  place  by  prior 
occupant  and  were  well  started  in  1851.  When  matured,  the 
three  trees  gave  me  one  crop  of  six  bushels.  My  success  with  this 
fruit  for  several  years  was  all  that  could  be  desired.  When  plums 
were  at  their  best  with  me,  Hon.  A.  W.  Paine,  one  of  Bangor's 
enthusiasts,  called  on  me  opportunely,  and  with  book  in  hand  spent 
several  hours  identifying  varieties  to  his  own  apparent  pleasure, 
and  certainly  to  my  satisfaction  in  the  proof  that  I  had  gathered 
about  twenty  standing  well  up  in  the  named  list,  and  lead  by  a 
good  number  of  trees  of  Green  Gage  and  McLaughlin.  But  the 
spoiler  came  !     Black-knot  speedily  wiped  out  my  picture. 

CHERRIES. 

Cherries  appeared  here  nearly  as  early  as  plums.  I  had  known 
one  variety  many  years  before  seeing  others — the  very  common 
Kentish.  Some  of  these  were  set  on  my  place  a  year  or  two  before 
it  came  to  me.  To  these  I  added  a  few  trees  of  the  Heart  and 
the  Duke  classes.  My  collection  had  short  time  to  prove  their 
adaptability  to  the  place,  or  to  manifest  homesickness.  They 
sympathized  kindly  with  their  friends — the  plums — in  their  afflic- 
tion and  finally  made  common  cause  in  that  unfortunate  exodus. 
All  other  fruits  common  to  the  south  half  of  the  State  have  been 
tried  here,  and  many  citizens  can  speak  of  them  from  experience. 
I  have  tried  about  all  that  the  climate  favors,  and  certainly  have 
tried  some  that  it  didn't. 

In  regard  to  the  climate  and  the  fruits  it  may  favor,  nothing  need 
be  added  to  what  your  past  reports  contain.  It  may  be  of  interest 
to  know  with  what  certainty  the  apple  crop  comes  to  us.  I  have 
more  than  once  been  to  western  New  York  in  autumn  when  scarcely 
a  bushel  of  fair  apples  could  be  seen  out  of  Maine.  I  have  been 
here  to  see  every  apple  crop,  except  that  of  1837,  since  my  father's 
first  grafted  trees  came  on,  and  can  say  there  has  not  been  a  skip 
in  all  the  time  since  when  we  have  not  had  some  of  the  varieties 
he  then  introduced.  I  feel  safe  in  this  statement  as  regards  the 
Hubbardston.  There  have  been  a  few  light  crops,  but  not  a  time 
when  good  apples  could  not  be  had  at  reasonable  price.  We  have 
had  occasional  damage  by  hail  on  small  areas  ;  and  some  by  neglect 
lost  a  crop  by  the  tent  caterpillar.  In  regard  to  untimely  frosts 
we  have  been  specially  favored. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  7^ 

Vegetation  is  held  well  back  iu  spring  by  the  deep  snows  and  the 
ice  of  the  lakes,  and  hard  autumn  frosts  are  with-held  by  causes 
that  are  not  so  appaient.  Many  times  the  crops  here  have  escaped, 
when  in  nearly  all  of  the  East  and  Middle  States  there  has  been 
great  loss.  Last  season  we  had  only  very  slight  frosts  before 
November,  while  Vermont  and  Connecticut  had  been  reporting 
hard  frost  and  snow. 

AVhile  I  have  the  floor  I  will  add  a  quotafon  I  have  once  seen 
aptly  applied  on  a  similar  occasion,  that  is  good  enough  to  bear  re- 
peating here.  It  is  the  last  advice  of  the  old  Laird  of  Dumbiedikes, 
and  has  been  made  of  enduring  record  by  Scott:  "Jock,  when  ye 
hae  naething  else  to  do,  ye  may  be  aye  sticking  in  a  tree  ;  it  will  be 
growing,  Jock,  when  ye're  sleeping." 


COXDITIOX  AND   PEOSPECTS   OF  FPUIT   CCLTURE   IN 

PISCATAQUIS   COTXTY. 

By  H.  L.  Leland,  East  Saugerville. 

I  wish  first  to  say  a  few  words  with  regard  to  Brother  Chamber- 
lain, who  sits  upon  the  stand.  Had  Brother  Chamberlain  left  him- 
self out  of  orcharding  in  Piscataquis  county  then  fruit  culture 
might  have  been  left  out, — there  would  have  been  but  little  left. 
We  sometimes  hear  it  said  that  the  play  of  Hamlet  without  Ham- 
let would  contain  buc  very  little.  I  wish  to  say  that  for  whatever 
we  have  done  in  this  county  in  fruit  culture  we  are  very  largely 
under  obligations  to  our  friend,  Mr.  Chamberlain,  who  has  been  the 
leader  of  fruit  culture  in  Piscataquis  county,  and  has  practiced 
what  you  have  heard  spoken  of  here  to-day.  He  has  made  a  prac- 
tical test  of  fruits, — has  brought  them  here  and  introduced  them, 
not  only  apple  and  pear  trees  but  the  smaller  fruits  ;  so  that  if  any  of 
us  farmers  wanted  a  few  currant  or  gooseberry  bushes,  or  a  grape 
vine,  we  would  go  to  Mr.  Chamberlain's  place  to  get  them,  and  with 
them  we  always  got  a  good  deal  of  good  advice  in  regard  to  planting 
and  caring  for  them  ;  and  so  in  our  county  here,  we  that  are  some 
younger  than  he,  but  we  have  for  him  the  utmost  respect,  and  are 
proud  that  he  is  with  us  to-day  and  has  written  for  us  this  excellent 
paper.  It  is  a  correct,  concise  history  of  fruit  raising  and  growing 
in  Piscataquis  county  down  to  the  time  when  he  partially  dropped 
out  of  the  work.     Now,  if  I  am  to  continue  that  history  and  show 


80  STATE    POMOLOGICaL    SOCIETY. 

you  how  we  are  situated  iu  regard  to  fruit  growing  to-day,  I  shall 
have  to  ask  you  to  use  my  eyes.  I  wish  we  might  regard  it  a 
pleasant  day  in  June,  and  ride  over  these  hills  and  valleys,  up  and 
down  the  length  of  Piscataquis  county  ;  we  could  see  very  quickly 
what  the  condition  of  fruit  culture  here  is  to-day.  But  if  you  will 
take  the  picture  from  me,  I  will  attempt  to  present  it  to  you  as 
concisely  as  I  can.  Our  frait  culture  in  Piscataquis  county  is  a 
good  deal  mixed.  We  have  to-day  those  old  orchards  planted  by 
the  pioneers.  I  have  been  astonished  as  I  have  passed  through 
this  county  from  east  to  west  and  from  north  to  south,  to  see  that 
almost  every  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  planted  large  orchards. 
They  came  from  Oxford  county,  New  Hampshire,  and  other  places 
where  they  were  accustomed  to  have  plenty  of  fruit,  and  one  of 
the  first  things  they  did  was  to  plant  apple  seeds  and  raise  nursery 
stock . 

This  was  done  in  every  town,  and  these  old  orchards  remain  until 
this  day.  Many  of  them  have  been  scarred  with  the  tooth  of  time, 
but  they  yet  remain,  and  if  you  ride  over  these  hills  you  will  see 
them,  not  only  on  farms  now  occupied,  but  on  farm  after  farm,  and 
what  has  been  home  after  home  you  will  see  apple  trees  growing 
among  the  spruces,  cedars  and  hard  wood  growth  ;  and  you  will 
wonder  how  these  old  broken  trees  came  here,  still  showiug  evidence 
of  life,  expanding  their  limbs  to  the  breeze  and  getting  what  they 
can  of  mother  earth  though  crowded  and  hidden  by  these  forest 
trees.  And  possibly  at  the  season  of  the  year  when  you  see  the 
apple  blossoms  you  will  see  among  brambles  and  briers  a  rose  in 
bloom  and  a  few  flowers  of  the  hardier  sort.  You  will  see  where 
once  a  garden  smiled,  and  still  many  a  garden  flower  grows  wild. 

These  abandoned  places  were  the  homes  of  thrifty  families  many 
years  ago.  They  took  up  nearly  all  of  these  lands  and  raised  large 
families ;  but  these  boys  and  girls  discovered  that  after  the  land 
had  been  cleared,  it  was  extremely  rocky  and  hard,  and  they  have 
sought  for  better  fields  ;  and  we  find  them  in  our  villages  and  in 
the  West,  but  not  on  these  old  farms. 

I  wish  to  say  in  regard  to  the  New  York  trees  of  which  Brother 
Chamberlain  spoke,  that  I  rescued  a  few  of  those  trees  from  the 
brush  heap.  He  has  forgotten  that  I  took  from  his  nursery  several 
hundred  trees  and  planted  them,  and  have  to-day  a  very  fine 
orchard. 

Many  of  these  New  York  trees  were  brought  in  by  the  tree  ven- 
der, who  came  with  his  picture  book  and  wonderful  trees,  and  every 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  81 

one  took  trees ;  and  as  they  were  told  that  they  could  plant  them 
on  any  rocky  ground. — the  more  stones  the  better, — they  would 
select  some  old,  rocky  field,  as  "he  cattle  would  destroy  them  in  the 
pastures,  and  make  a  hole  and  stick  them  in.  I  think  the  result 
is  very  evident.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  the  cattle  had  the  range  of 
the  whole  farm  and  if  these  trees  started  at  all  the  stock  would 
of  course  destroy  them  ;  or  if  any  escaped,  the  winter  snow  and 
ice  would  use  them  up  The  next  year  more  trees  would  be 
wanted,  and  the  venders  would  come  around  with  a  hardier  vari- 
ety, and  so  it  went  on.  The  farmers  were  continually  buying 
trees,  and  the  trees  were  continually  going  out ;  money 
going  out  and  the  trees  going  out  with  it,  so  that  an  orchard 
of  New  York  trees  in  Piscataquis  county  that  is  of  any  age  is  very 
rare.  It  is  an  exception,  although  you  will  find  a  few  of  these 
trees.  In  recent  years  better  trees  have  come  in  from  the  West, 
or  if  not  better  trees  better  care  has  been  given  them,  and  we  are 
getting  now  some  young  orchards  that  are  well  cared  for  and  show 
that  they  are  going  to  be  profitable.  But  our  best  orchards  are 
from  home  grown  trees.  Quite  a  number  of  men  from  different 
parts  of  the  county  have  been  in  this  business  somewhat. 

That  is  about  the  condition  of  our  orcharding  in  Piscataquis 
county  to-day.  We  have  still  these  old  trees  which  ought  to  be 
cut  down  and  gotten  out  of  the  way.  Why  they  are  allowed  to 
encumber  the  ground  I  know  not,  unless  it  is  on  account  of  the 
veneration  we  feel  for  them.  I  know  that  I  felt  badly  when  I  saw 
the  trees  being  cut  down  in  the  orchard  which  my  grandfather 
planted,  near  the  place  where  I  lived.  We  did  not  as  boys  have 
fruit  on  our  farm,  but  I  remember  we  always  got  some  amongst 
the  other  trees  somehow.  It  was  supposed  that  boys  forty  years 
ago  would  get  apples  if  they  were  very  apple  hungry  ;  but  it  is  not 
supposed  so  now, — there  has  been  a  great  improvement  in  boys. 

Last  summer  Prof.  Munson  sent  out  from  the  college  a  bulletin 
of  varieties  of  fruit  adapted  to  different  sections  of  the  State.  I 
had  a  bulletin  at  the  time,  but  have  mislaid  it,  and  shall  have  to 
quote  from  memory.  I  was  reading  that  bulletin  one  day,  1  thiok 
it  was  Sunday.  I  was  alone  in  the  kitchen, — my  family  were  in 
the  sitting-room.  In  reading  that  I  made  some  noise,  I  think  I 
smiled  out  loud,  and  my  wife  came  out  to  find  out  what  was  amus- 
ing me.  I  said  "One  of  those  college  chaps  has  issued  a 
bulletin  about  fruits  in  Piscataquis  county."  I  think  among  the 
6 


82  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

varieties  mentioned  were  several  of  the  stern  iron-clads  of  the 
rigid  North  somewhere, — I  do  not  know  where  they  are  good, — but 
not  one  of  the  standard  varieties.  The  fruit  exhibited  on  the  third 
table  was  all  raised  in  Piscataquis  county,  and  we  are  showing  it 
under  the  most  disadvantageous  circumstances  that  we  have  ever 
showed  fruit.  We  have  sold  our  finest  fruit,  without  thinking  of 
saving  it  for  this  meeting.  But  if  you  examine  our  fruit  you  will 
find  all  the  standard  varieties  that  you  find  in  any  part  of  the  State  ; 
though  I  will  admit  that  several  of  those  varieties  are  not  a  first-class 
apple  in  Piscataquis  county,  among  them  the  Baldwin.  I  am  not 
going  to  say  we  do  not  raise  Baldwins,  but  I  will  admit  that  we  do 
not  raise  such  Baldwins  as  I  see  in  Kennebec  and  Franklin  counties, 
and  farther  south.  I  have  never  had  a  tree  of  any  kind  winter  kill 
and  I  bave  had  all  varieties.  In  our  climate  we  can  grow  all  the 
varieties,  but  the  Baldwin  is  not  what  we  suppose  it  to  be  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State.  It  may  be  ihat  we  have  not  given  it 
the  care  that  we  ought.  We  have  been  very  remiss  in  not  giving 
our  trees  proper  care.  We  put  them  out  anywhere  and  expect 
them  to  take  care  of  themselves.  We  have  been  more  negligent  in 
that  respect  than  you  who  are  farther  south  of  us,  but  we  are  doing 
better  work  than  ever  before.  If  a  cow  is  tied  to  a  stake  she  will 
starve  in  a  short  time  ;  a  tree  is  tied  and  has  got  to  be  fed  or  it  will 
starve  to  death. 

It  is  sometimes  supposed  that  we  are  away  up  in  the  frigid  zone. 
I  remember  that  Brother  Knowlton  and  myself  some  years  ago 
were  being  driven  from  Presque  Isle  toward  the  Northwest,  and  it 
was  an  exceedingly  cold  day.  I  said  to  the  driver  "this  is  fear- 
ful." He  said,  "the  North  Pole  is  just  up  here  "  And  I  thought 
we  had  got  pretty  well  up  toward  the  North  Pole ;  but  we  in 
Piscataquis  county  are  not  there.  To  illustrate  our  climatic  condi- 
tion, as  compared  with  that  farther  south  by  what  is  planted  here  ; 
twenty-five  years  ago  next  August  the  Board  of  Agriculture  held 
its  first  meeting  in  Piscataquis  county.  It  was  then  a  condition 
imposed  on  the  Board  that  an  annual  meeting  should  be  held  in 
close  proximity  to  the  State  College,  and  that  the  faculty  and  stu- 
dents of  the  college  should  be  in  attendance.  We  considered  this 
close  proximity,  and  the  meeting  was  held  here,  the  faculty'  and 
students  being  present. 

Brother  Chamberlain  invited  the  Board,  and  especially  the  stu- 
dents, to  visit  his  place  up  here  on  Main  street.  It  was  then  in  its 
prime  ;  his  gardens,  fruit  orchards  and  grapes  were  then  in  a  con- 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  83 

dition  to  be  siiowu.  Mr.  Gooclale  in  extending  this  invitation 
made  these  remarks  :  '-Before  the  commencement  of  the  regular 
exercises  of  the  afternoon  I  desire  to  offer  a  single  suggestion  to 
the  students  present.  Mr.  Chamberlain  has  invited  you  to  visit 
his  grounds,  and  you  will  doul^tless  embrace  some  opportunity  to 
do  so." 

Now  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  barely  looking  at  objects, 
and  carefully  observing  them.  The  one  may  be  of  little  profit ;  the 
other  may  be  highly  instructive.  If  you  notice  with  care  you  will 
see  many  trees,  shrubs  and  plants  which  are  not  indigenous  to  this 
section  and  which  are  rarely  grown  here  ;  you  will  find  several  nut- 
bearing  trees  as  the  hickory  and  chestnut,  several  rare  kinds  of 
oaks,  black  walnut  and  various  others  ;  and  you  can  learn  the  vari- 
ous degrees  of  care  for  each  under  the  conditions  of  soil,  climate, 
etc.  And  so  with  the  fruits  ;  I  was  forcibly  struck  with  what  I 
there  learned  regarding  grapes.  This  place  is  100  to  150  miles 
north  of  the  place  where  1  reside,  and  you  would  naturally  expect 
to  find  the  fruit  later  ;  but  such  I  find  is  not  the  case,  but  the  con- 
trary." That  shows  something  in  regard  to  our  climate,  and  Mr. 
Good  ale  is  a  man  who  never  speaks  at  random. 

DISCUSSION. 

Ques.     Will  you  please  tell  us  which  varieties  do  the  best  here? 

Ans.  I  simply  claim  that  we  do  grow  all  the  standard  apples, 
possibly  excepting  the  Baldwin  and  possibly  the  Northern  Spy, 
that  are  grown  in  the  State.  And  I  think  there  is  no  difficulty 
with  the  Northern  Spy,  if  we  properly  enrich  the  ground  ;  and  pos- 
sibly not  with  the  Baldwin,  though  I  do  think  we  are  out  of  the 
Baldwin  region.  We  grow  all  the  fall  varieties,  and  we  can  grow 
as  good  Nodheads  and  Hubbardstons  as  I  have  seen  grown  under 
the  sun ;  as  good  Porters,  Somersets  and  Greenings,  including 
Rhode  Island  Greenings. 

Some  years  ago  Brother  Chamberlain  introduced  here  the  Hurl- 
but.  I  got  a  tree,  supposing  it  to  be  a  good  apple,  because  I  knew 
Brother  Chamberlain  would  never  adopt  anything  unless  he  knew 
all  there  was  to  be  known  about  it  at  the  time.  1  liked  the  growth 
of  the  tree  exceedingly  well ;  and  I  can  say  that  so  far  as  I  know 
it  is  one  of  the  most  productive  apples  we  grow.  It  is  an  apple 
that  is  salable  and  the  quality  is  good.  There  is  only  one  fault,  it 
must  go  before  January  or  there  will  be  considerable  loss.  It  is 
about  with  the  Nonsuch.     We   have   now   an  apple,  the   Milding, 


84  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

which  came  to  me  recommended  by  Mr.  Gilbert.  I  had  confidenoe 
iu  him  and  grafted  quite  extensively ;  and  I  must  say  that  in  my 
experience  I  have  found  nothing  that  suits  me  anywhere  nearly  as 
well  for  a  winter  fruit  as  the  Milding.  Nothing  equals  it  as  a  pie 
apple. 

Ques.     What  variety  takes  the  place  of  the  Baldwin? 

Ans.  We  have  been  hunting  for  a  substitute  for  the  Baldwin 
for  the  last  twenty  years  ;  and  I  believe  the  Milding  will  take  its 
place.  It  grows  large  and  handsome  and  is  an  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive bearer.  Tlie  tree  is  thrifty  and  the  apple  smooth  and  of 
large  size.  I  have  kept  the  Milding  until  April  or  May.  We  grow 
the  King  here  also.     It  is  a  handsome  apple  but  a  shy  bearer. 

Prof.  MuNSON — I  would  not  give  a  cent  for  a  man  who  could  not 
laugh,  and  I  am  very  glad  indeed  that  I  gave  Mr.  Leland  some 
source  of  amusement.  I  am  very,  very  sorry  that  we  have  not 
a  copy  of  the  bulletin  here  but  if  I  remember  rightly  the  list  which 
I  gave  is  headed  for  northern  Piscataquis,  Penobscot  and  Wash- 
ington counties.  I  am  very  glad  indeed  that  in  Dover  and  Fox- 
croft  you  can  grow  these  apples,  but  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  you  cannot  grow  them.  At  Patten  and  at  Sherman  we  can- 
not grow  these  apples.  The  list  must  be  tentative  ;  but  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  we  cannot  grow  the  same  varieties  that 
we  can  in  the  southern  parts. 

The  Dudley's  Winter  is  the  apple  for  Aroostook  county.  It  is 
a  seedling  of  the  Duchess  and  is  in  prime  in  January  and  Febru- 
ary, but  may  be  kept  until  the  first  of  April.  It  is  as  hardy  as  the 
Duchess,  and  I  consider  it  a  very  satisfactory  variety  for  Piscata- 
quis county.  In  this  part  of  the  county  it  would  probably  be  in 
prime  about  Jecember  or  early  in  January.  It  is  being  sent  out 
by  Chase  Brothers  as  North  Star.  It  is  very  unfortunate  that  that 
name  should  be  applied  to  it,  as  there  is  another  variety  grown  in 
Iowa  which  has  the  right  of  the  name. 

I  am  glad  that  the  point  has  been  brought  to  our  attention  that 
there  are  varieties  which  can  be  grown  here  which  cannot  be  grown 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  I  think  Mr.  Leland  will  agree 
with  me  that  many  of  these  varieties  which  he  can  grow  here  at 
Dover  will  not  succeed  in  Monson.  I  have  friends  at  Monson  who 
have  told  me  some  of  their  experiences  in  attempting  some  of 
these  standard  varieties,  and  their  work  was  attended  with  very 
disastrous  results.  I  think  there  is  no  misunderstanding  if  we  take 
into  account  the  extent  of  the  county, — it  is  long  north  and  south. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  85 


THE  MODEL   FRUIT   GARDEN. 
By  .J.  F.  XORRis,  Foxcroft. 

First,  why  should  every  farmer  have  a  fruit  garden  ?  Because  a 
generous  supply  of  it  is  necessary  to  the  health  of  his  family.  Give 
the  children  all  the  well-ripened  fruit  they  need  and  discharge  the 
doctors  with  their  ghastly  list  of  mineral  drugs. 

It  is  beginning  to  be  found  also,  that  fruits  are  even  more  need- 
ful to  the  aged.  Medical  science  tells  us  that  chalky  deposits  in 
our  bodies  bring  sluggish  circulation  of  the  blood,  make  brittle 
bones,  shrunken  limbs  and  the  tottering  steps  of  wrinkled  age. 
Fruits  do  not  contain  these  chalky  ingredients,  and  could  we  rheu- 
matic and  crippled"  farmers  substitute  largely  for  hard  water  and 
hard  meats,  also  for  bread  stuffs,  fruits  and  their  unfermented 
juices,  we  might  put  off  the  evil  day  of  hoary  decrepitude.  The 
farmer  who  neglects  to  raise  fruits,  neglects  the  most  important 
item  in  his  own  diet. 

No  doubt  it  was  the  model  fruit  garden  into  which  the  Creator 
put  Adam  and  Eve  ;  and  the  antidiluvians  lived  each  a  thousand 
years  because  they  used  a  fruit  diet. 

Let  us  have  the  model  fruit  garden  because  it  will  add  to  the 
attraction  of  farm  life,  and  will  increase  also  the  money  value  of 
the  farm  more  than  any  other  improvement  we  can  make  with  a 
small  outlay  of  time  and  money. 

OUR    SHORT    SEASON'S 

are  not  unfavorable  to  the  small  fruits.  The  strawberry,  currant, 
gooseberry,  blackberry,  raspberry,  are  indigenous  to  and  abound 
in  the  forests  far  to  the  north  of  us,  and  this  is  true  also  of  the 
cherry,  plum  and  apple.  We  have  less  insect  enemies  here  in 
northern  Maine  for  small  fruits  than  south  and  west,  and  the  great 
enemy,  both  of  small  fruits  and  stone  fruits — severe  summer 
drouths,  which  in  the  South,  Northeast,  Middle  and  Western  states 
is  making  the  fruit  crop  increasingly  uncertain,  loes  not  trouble  us 
here.     Our  deep  snows  help  us  also  in  giving  us  protection. 

Suppose  you  devote  one-half  acre  to  your  model  fruit  garden, 
you  will  be  surprised  at  the  long  list  of  large  and  small  fruits  you 
can  grow  on  it,  and  yet  give  them  very  ample  room. 


86  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


BILL    OF    DETAILS. 

Strawberries,  260  hills,  two  plants  to  a  hill — 520  plants  at  three- 
fourths  cent,  83.90  ;  37  grapes  at  20  cents,  S7.40  ;  rhubarb,  7  hills 
at  8  cents,  6  56  ;  black  raspberries,  30  at  5 — Si. 80  ;  gooseberries, 
54  at  8— S4.32  ;  blackberries,  73  at  5— $3.64  ;  total,  S26.39. 

Apple  trees,  40  at  20  cents,  88.00;  pear,  27  at  30—88.10; 
cherry,  27  at  30—88.10;  plum,  30  at  30—89.00;  total,  833.20, 
added  to  the  small  fruit  list,  making  859.58. 

The  strip  of  ground  might  be  twice  as  long  as  wide — ISO  feet 
north  and  south  and  ninety  feet  wide.  This  will  give  seven  main 
rows  for  the  large  fruit  trees  running  north  and  south  to  secure 
sunlight  on  both  sides  ;  four  rows  of  apple  trees  thirty  feet  apart 
each  way  ;  between  these  three  rows  pears  same  distance  apart 
standing  quincunx  order  to  the  apple  trees.  Between  the  apple 
and  pears  go  the  cherry  and  plums,  and  in  this  fifteen  feet  space 
go  the  currants,  gooseberries,  etc. 

CHOICE    OF    VARIETIES. 

The  aim  should  be  for  good  quality  for  the  family  table,  hardi- 
ness, productiveness,  and  succession  in  ripening. 

Strawberry. — Early  Michel,  Lovett's  Early,  Crescent,  Parker 
Earle. 

Raspberry.— Thompson's  Extra  Early,  Golden  Queen,  Cuthbert, 
Shaffer,  Olden. 

Grape. — Moore's  Early,  Moore's  Diamond,  Moyer,  Delaware, 
Green  Mountain. 

Rhubarb. — Strawberry. 

Gooseberry. — Dov/ning,  Red  Jacket. 

Currant. — Red,  Cherry,  White  Grape,  Fay. 

Blackberry. — Wilson's  Early. 

Apples. — Two  each  of  Yellow  Transparent,  Red  Astrachan, 
High-top  Sweet,  Sweet  Bough,  Porter,  Rolfe,  Hurlburt,  R.  I. 
Greening,  Fameuse,  Yellow  Bellflower,  Jersey  Greening,  Ben  Davis, 
Crab,  Talman  Sweet,  six  Milding,  three  Duchess,  three  Somerset. 

Pears. — Idaho,  Wilder,  Krull,  Bessimianka. 

Cherry. — Pearly  Richmond,  Ostheimer,  Abesse,  Suda,  Montmor- 
ency, Dyehouse. 

Plums  — Red  June,  Burbank,  Abundance,  Satsuma. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  87 


MATERIALIZING    THE    MODEL    GARDEN. 

Mr.  Norris  said  he  had  no  doubt  but  enough  had  been  lost  in 
Piscataquis  county  in  trees  badly  bought,  badly  selected  and  badly 
cared  for  to  have  secured,  if  rightly  managed,  a  good  fruit  garden 
on  every  farm. 

Don't  buy  of  an  agent.  He  is  likely  to  give  you,  for  an  enor- 
mous price,  poor  stock,  in  bad  condition,  untrue  to  name.  Go 
yourself  to  the  grower  and  see  that  the  stock  is  vigorous,  well-sort- 
ed and  shapely.     This  one  can  do  for  the  small  fruits. 

If  you  must  get  your  tree  from  abroad  send  directly  to  a  good 
nurseryman  or  get  a  friend  to  do  this  for  you.  If  several  club 
their  orders  bottom  prices  can  be  obtained. 

Have  the  garden  convenient  to  the  house.  Cultivate  as  much  as 
possible  with  horse  and  proper  tools.  If  the  site  has  elevation 
enough  for  good  water  and  air  drainage  there  will  be  but  little 
trouble  from  winter-killing.  If  the  site  is  low,  confine  yourself  to 
iron-clad  apple  and  pears  and  give  winter  protection  to  everything 
else.     If  the  soil  is  unduly  moist,  underdrain. 

Most  of  the  upland  soils  of  the  Piscataquis  valley  are  favorable 
for  a  good  garden.  I  get,  however,  my  best  strawberries  and  other 
small  fruits  on  clay  loam,  naturally  wet  but  thoroughly  under- 
drained,  and  stirred  every  two  or  three  years  with  a  subsoil  plow. 
Such  soils  are  preferable  for  plums  and  pears,  but  cherries  and 
grapes  do  better  on  dryer  soils. 

SETTING    TREES    AND    PLANTS. 

Have  the  soil  mellow  enough  and  rich  enough  for  heaviest  crops 
of  sweet  corn.  Have  the  land  harrowed  fine  and  smooth.  Run  a 
marker  the  longest  way  marking  rows  seven  and  one-half  feet  apart, 
perfectly  straight ;  in  these  marks  run  the  furrowing  plow.  Set 
the  marker  teeth  three  feet  nine  inches  apart  and  mark  across  the 
furrows.  Set  up  stakes  (laths)  in  the  apple  and  pear  rows,  not 
setting  them  where  the  trees  are  to  go  in,  then  as  you  put  in  your 
trees  you  can  get  them  in  perfectly  straight  line  by  sighting  past 
the  stakes. 

Trees  should  not  be  exposed  to  the  sun  or  wind  neither  bruised 
nor  dried. 

Make  the  holes  large  enough  to  take  in  the  roots  without  cramp- 
ing, deep  enough  to  set  stems  three  or  more  inches  under  ground. 


88  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Have  nice,  mellow  soil  under  the  roots  ;  work  rich  soil — not  manure 
— among  the  roots  and  pound  it  in  firmly,  filling  all  air  spaces  ;  let 
the  long  roots  reach  towards  the  west  and  the  tree  lean  slightly 
towards  the  2  o'clock  sun.  Throw  some  loose  soil  over  the  hard 
pounded  earth  that  holds  the  roots  and  the  little  job  is  done. 

STRAWBERRY    PLANTS. 

Never  expose  the  roots  to  the  sun.  Handle  them  with  plenty  of 
earth  clinging  to  the  roots  if  you  can.  If  the  roots  are  bare  of 
earth,  carry  the  plants  in  a  vessel  containing  a  little  water  to  keep 
the  roots  wet,  and  set  out  directly  from  the  vessel,  spread  the  roots 
well  and  press  mellow  soil  firmly  upon  them  and  covering  the  crown 
of  the  plant — two  plants  go  into  each  hill. 

Grapes,  currants,  gooseberries,  raspberries  and  blackberries,, 
should  all  be  planted  deep  enough,  so  that  the  cultivator  will  not 
readily  tear  them  out,  all  of  these  are  hardy  except  the  black  cap 
raspberry,  and  are  not  difficult  to  make  live. 

IN    CULTIVATING, 

stir  the  ground  once  a  week  by  running  the  cultivator  both  ways ; 
clean  off  the  rows  by  hand  hoe.  Practice  clean  culture  and  carry 
the  habit  over  to  all  cultivated  crops. 

Broken  roots  and  limbs,  and  limbs  not  needed  for  a  shapely  top, 
smoothly  cut  away.  The  remaining  cut  back  more  or  less  accord- 
ing as  the  roots  are  many  or  few,  but  do  not  trim  to  a  bean  pole. 
Watch  the  trees  as  they  grow  and  pinch  all  buds  and  sprouts  not 
needed  for  a  shapely  top. 

When  setting  g  ape  vines  cut  back  to  three  br.ds.  as  they  grow 
rub  off  the  two  wt  aker,  thus  train  to  one  wire  the  first  year. 

WINTER    PROTECTION. 

The  currant  anil  gooseberry  do  not  need  it,  even  in  Alaska,  but 
we  must  not  forget  that  both  need  summer  protection  against  the 
currant  worm.  Dusting  the  damp  leaves  with  hellebore  is  a  good 
remedy. 

The  strawberry  is  also  an  Arctic  plant.  It  gets  on  well  here 
under  oar  snows,  and  a  covering  in  fall  of  seedless  stable  manure 
or  evergreen  boughs  only,  that  makes  the  crop  sure  and  abundant. 

The  raspberry  and  blackberry  give  a  sure  crop  only  when  laid 
under  the  snow.     Mr.  Norris  said  his  plan  for  protecting  his  rasp- 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  89 

berry  vines  was  for  two  men  to  take  a  heavy  rail  and  place  against 
the  row  of  vines  and  press  them  over  towards  the  east,  letting  the 
rail  lie  upon  the  canes  to  hold  them  down  ;  and  so  proceed  till  the 
end  of  the  row.  The  ridge  made  by  the  rounded  over  vines  and 
rail  holds  the  snow  which  drifts  over  them  and  makes  ample  pro- 
tection for  winter.  In  >pril  when  the  sun  lifts  the  snow  robe, 
remove  the  rail  and  the  vines  rise  as  upright  as  ever.  The  crop 
never  fails. 

The  Black  Caps  are  tied  to  stake  five  feet  high — in  the  fall  the 
old  canes  are  cut  out  and  the  new  ones  laid  together  near  the  stake 
and  covered  with  soil  to  hold  them  in  place. 

Grape  vines  are  trained  to  stakes  ten  feet  high.  After  harvest 
cut  the  laterals  all  back  to  two  buds  ;  place  the  trimmed  vines  in  a 
coil  about  the  stakes  and  cover  with  soil. 

Our  strawberries  run  out  in  three  or  four  years  ;  the  blackber- 
ries and  raspberries  in  eight  or  ten  ;  but  the  currant  and  gooseberry, 
trained  on  the  renewal  system,  will  last  as  long  as  the  apple  trees. 

The  garden  must  be  liberally  dressed  with  seedless  manure  every 
winter,  and  twelve  or  more  bushels  of  ashes  all  over  it  each  summer. 

PICKING. 

Excepting  the  pear,  let  all  your  fruits  get  tree  ripe  before  pick- 
ing. Much  of  the  strawberry  crop  in  this  region  is  picked  too 
soon,  is  therefore  sour,  insipid  and  unwholesome.  The  blackberry 
also,  is  delicious  only  when  fully  ripe. 

Watch  all  the  larger  fruits  to  catch  them  at  the  points  of  ripe- 
ness, then  revel  in  the  best  of  food  God  has  given  to  man. 


DISCUSSION. 

Ques.     What  variety  of  blackberry  do  you  raise? 

Ans.  The  Early  Wilson.  It  is  a  slender  kind  that  will  turn 
down  without  breaking,  is  the  most  prolific  of  any,  bears  every 
year  atd  will  hold  up  great  masses  of  fruit  if  you  give  it  protection. 

Ques.     Is  the  Shaffer  raspberry  hardy  here  ? 

Ans.  It  is,  if  you  put  it  down  ;  but  perhaps  the  Shaffer  would 
not  be  profitable  with  you.  Most  of  the  black  raspberries  are 
failures  because  but  few  will  ripen,  and  the  rest  will  dry  up  and 
not  come  to  perfection. 

Prof.  MuNsoN — I  think  the  matter  of  laying  down  plants  is  a 
very  important  one,  and  one  which  need  not  be  a  cause  for   so 


so  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

much  fear  as  is  evinced  by  many  ;  but  in  our  deep  snows  is  it 
always  advisable  to  lay  our  plants  to  the  east  for  the  sake  of 
getting  the  west  winds?  We  find  there  is  a  tendency  with  the 
deep  snow  to  flow  down  hill  just  as  there  is  with  water,  and  my 
practice  is  to  lay  them  in  the  direction  of  the  slope  rather  than 
against  it  so  that  the  snow  may  work  down  over  them. 

Another  point  which  I  want  to  bring  out  is  in  the  care  of  some 
of  these  trees  that  we  get  through  our  tree  agents.  Many  times 
good  trees  have  been  carted  around  the  country  for  hours,  and  I  do 
not  know  but  I  may  say  for  days  at  a  time,  until  they  are  not  fit 
to  set  Many  times  such  a  tree  as  that  may  be  saved  if  you  will 
put  it  right  into  the  ground, — bury  it  root  and  top — and  leave  it  for 
a  week.  Moisture  will  gradually  be  taken  up  and  the  tree  may  be 
saved  by  giving  it  that  treatment,  whereas  if  we  set  it  immediately 
in  the  ground  it  will  be  lost  every  time. 

The  Japanese  plums  are  not  sufficiently  tested  in  this  State  to 
warrant  our  placing  our  whole  reliance  on  them.  They  have  been 
fruited  to  a  very  limited  extent,  and  they  are  very  attractive  in 
appearance  ;  but  for  the  general  use  of  the  farm,  for  the  farmer's 
home  garden,  I  think  we  cannot  place  full  dependence  on  the 
Japanese  plums.  The  varieties  which  have  been  named  are  the 
best  of  that  class, — the  Burbank,  the  Abundance  and  possibly  the 
Willard  ;  but  we  want  some  hardier  sorts.  The  Lombard  is  every- 
body's plum;  anybody  and  everybody  can  grow  the  Lombard. 
And  another  plum  which  is  of  superlative  quality  is  the  McLaugh- 
lin. We  know  that  is  hardy  and  it  is  one  of  the  best  plums  that  is 
grown  for  home  use  ;  and  the  Bradshaw  is  always  good.  I  should 
advise  planting  some  of  these  hardier  varieties  which  have  been 
well  tested,  for  main  dependence. 

Ques.     Will  you  not  include  the  Moore's  Arctic  for  the  farmer? 

Ans.  Yes  ;  the  Moore's  Arctic  is  a  very  good  plum  for  canning 
and  is  very  hardy.  Perliaps  I  would  include  that  for  those  who  do 
not  exercise  the  care  necessary  to  grow  some  of  the  more  valuable 
sorts,  but  it  is  decidedly  second  rate  in  quality. 

I  also  wanted  to  speak  of  the  matter  of  gooseberries.  The  Red 
Jacket  gooseberry  is  a  new^  thing  and  we  will  have  to  pay  S3. 00 
per  dozen  for  the  plants,  and  I  should  not  advise  making  that  the 
leading  variety  of  gooseberry.  We  have  the  Downing,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  satisfactory  varieties  of  the  native  type  ;  and  if  we 
want  an  English  gooseberry  we  know  thst  the  Whitesmith  has  been 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  91. 

well  tested  and  is  one  of  the  most  satisfactorj'  of  the  English  type, 
far  superior  in  my  estimation  to  the  Industry. 

Ques.     Would  you  not  add  the  Reine  Claude  to  the  list  of  plums? 

Ans.  It  is  one  of  the  very  best.  It  is  a  short  lived  tree  and 
just  a  little  inclined  to  be  tender,  but  a  very  satisfactory  plum. 

Mr.  NoRRis — I  had  those  varieties  of  plums  mentioned,  the 
Lombard,  McLaughlin,  Bradshaw,  etc.,  and  supposed  they  were 
tough  enough  to  stand  the  winter,  so  I  let  them  stand  up,  but  every 
one  of  them  killed  back  to  the  stump.  I  find  if  I  put  them  down, 
as  I  do  the  Japanese  plums,  they  do  just  the  same, — come  up  all 
right  in  the  spring. 

Prof.  MuNSON — Most  of  the  farmers  in  this  vicinity  would  be 
situated  so  that  they  could  grow  the  trees  without  laying  them 
down.  But  they  would  not  be  able  to  grow  the  Japanese  without 
laying  them  down  where  they  would  be  able  to  grow  the  domestic 
trees.  The  Japanese  sorts  are  not  sufficiently  tried  so  that  we  can 
depend  upon  them  and  you  have  got  to  give  them  a  great  deal 
more  care  than  you  do  these  hardy,  vigorous,  well  tried  sorts. 

Mr.  Knowlton — I  wish  to  mention  a  variety  of  blackberries 
which  the  speaker  omitted  and  which  is  grown  in  a  large  part  of 
the  State  more  successfully  than  any  other ;  I  refer  to  the  Snyder. 

In  quali  y  it  may  not  be  quite  as  good  as  the  one  the  gentleman 
speaks  of,  but  it  comes  pretty  near  being  thoroughly  hard}'.  I 
have  had  my  bushes  growing  twelve  or  thirteen  years,  and  with  the 
exception  of  one  year  I  have  always  had  as  many  blackberries  as 
we  wanted  and  could  expect  from  those  bushes.  In  other  words 
they  have  been  so  thoroughly  hardy  that  without  the  slightest  pro- 
tection they  have  borne  ten  out  of  twelve  years.  I  do  not  say  that 
to  say  anything  against  burying  the  canes  in  the  winter  if  any  one 
wishes  ;  but  I  have  a  feeling  that  here  in  most  parts  of  Maine  it  is 
not  necessary  to  do  this  with  the  Snyder  as  a  rule.  The  Snyder 
berry  is  one  of  the  best  in  quality,  and  the  ease  and  certainty  with 
which  we  can  raise  it  makes  it  really  one  of  the  best. 

Mr.  NoRRis — I  had  a  row  of  Snyders  which  I  let  stand  up  and 
another  row  which  I  turned  down.  From  the  row  which  I  turned 
down  I  got  a  wonderful  crop,  but  from  the  other  row  not  a  berry. 


92  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


A   DISCUSSION  AS   TO  WHAT    SHALL    BE    MAINE'S    FLOWER 
TX  THE   NATIONAL   OAKLAND. 

B\'    Janet    L.    Dixgley,    Auburu,    Chairmau    of    the     Elaine     Floral 
Emblem  Society. 

All  the  countries  of  Europe,  in  fact  all  the  nations  of  the  civil- 
ized world,  have  their  national  flowers.  They  have  originated  for 
the  most  part  either  in  legend  or  in  war.  The  mignonette,  the 
emblem  of  Saxony,  is  founded  on  romance.  The  English  rose  is 
immortalized  by  thirty  years  of  war.  The  shamrock  of  Ireland  is 
grown  out  of  religious  mystery:  "How  can  three  be  one?"  asks 
the  pagan  Irish  chief.  "Even  as  the  trefoil,"  answered  St.  Patrick, 
plucking  a  shamrock  at  his  feet,  and  Ireland  had  a  floral  emblem 
from  the  suffrage  of  heaven. 

The  prick  of  the  thistle  once  caused  a  cry  in  a  party  of  attacking 
Danes,  aud  thus  saved  the  Scots  from  slaughter  at  the  hands  of 
midnight  marauders.  The  French  fleur-de-lis  has  been  the  emblem 
of  France  ever  since  a  woaderf  ul  dream  of  one  of  the  earliest  kings 
of  that  country.  Every  traveler  in  the  Alps  will  admit  the  peculiar 
appropriateness  with  which  the  edelweiss  typifies  Switzerland. 

The  national  floral  emblem  of  the  United  States  cannot  be 
founded  on  traditions,  for  we  have  no  national  myths.  It  would 
not  be  appropriate  to  consult  the  annals  of  war,  for  we  are  preemi- 
nently a  nation  of  peace.  No  striking  event  in  our  history  pro- 
claims the  fitness  of  any  one  flower.  The  struggle  for  life  of  the 
early  settlers  and  the  struggle  for  money  of  the  present  generation 
have  given  us  small  leisure  to  agitate  a  theme  which  peculiarly  con- 
cerns sentiment. 

For  upwards  of  ten  years  unorganized  movements  have  been 
made  in  different  parts  of  the  country  looking  to  the  selection  of  a 
national  flower.  One  band  in  the  South  suggests  that  our  flower 
be  emblematic  of  our  industrial  life,  and  proposes  the  cotton  as 
our  emblem.  The  farmers  of  the  West  suggest  the  corn  as  emblem- 
atic of  agricultural  life.  However,  it  is  thought  by  most  that  by 
a  garland  the  spirit  and  idea  of  our  federation  will  be  best 
expressed.  It  concerns  Maine,  therefore,  to  select  her  emblem  to 
form  a  part  of  this  garland. 

The  first  thoroughly  organized  attempt  by  popular  choice  to 
secure  a  national  floral  emblem  appropriate  to  the  United  States 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  93 

originated  at  the  Congress  of  Women  in  Chicago  during  the  World's 
Fair.  Since  our  country  is  so  vast,  our  interests  so  diverse  and 
our  climate  so  varied,  it  was  proposed  that  our  national  floral 
emblem  take  the  form  of  a  garland  composed  of  as  many  flowers 
as  there  are  states,  these  to  be  chosen  by  the  popular  vote  of  each 
state  and  legalized  by  the  different  state  legislatures,  and  then 
presented  to  the  national  congress  for  final  ratification.  The  plan 
was  enthusiastically  adopted  and  endorsed  by  Mrs.  President 
Cleveland,  Senator  and  Mrs.  Frye,  Mrs.  Garfield,  Mrs.  U.  S. 
Grant,  Congressman  and  Mrs.  Dingley,  Governor  Cleaves,  Mrs. 
Robert  E.  Lee,  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis,  and  hosts  of  others  in  our 
country.  The  movement  was  thoroughly  organized  last  year  and 
some  states  have  already  chosen  state  flowers.  Vermont  the  red 
clover,  Iowa  the  Indian  corn,  California  the  poppy,  Wyoming  the 
sunflower,  and  eo  on. 

The  Maine  Floral  Emblem  Society  has  been  engaged  the  past  six 
months  in  bringing  the  selection  of  a  State  floral  emblem  before  our 
people,  who  have  not  forgotten  the  beautiful  object  lesson  supplied 
in  the  recent  procession  and  battle  of  flowers  at  the  September  meet- 
ing of  the  Maine  State  Agricultural  Society.  On  November  24th 
the  ballot  was  opened  to  the  State.  The  voting  is  being  conducted 
through  organizations  like  the  Maine  State  Grange,  the  Sons  and 
Daughters  of  Maine  in  other  States,  and  the  Women's  Federation, 
and  through  the  newspapers,  which,  with  patriotic  appreciation, 
have  published  a  blank  ballot.  No  reader  of  Maine's  newspapers 
need  be  ignorant  of  how  and  when  to  vote.  It  is  not  my  desire  to 
influence,  but  onl}'  to  inform  my  hearers,  so  I  present  the  arguments 
for  the  various  candidates  proposed  just  as  I  hear  them. 

It  has  been  argued  by  some  that  the  pine  cone  and  tassel  consti- 
tute the  natural  emblem  of  the  State  in  both  an  historic  and  a 
poetic  sense.  Those  who  antagonize  the  adoption  of  the  pine  cone, 
saj'  that  the  pine  cone  is  n<)t  a  flower.  The  lovers  of  the  pine  can 
appeal  to  precedent,  for  neither  is  the  shamrock  a  flower,  yet  it  is 
sacred  to  the  Irish  nationality.  Botany  must  surrender  some  points 
to  history,  and  selecting  anything  but  the  pine  might  give  us  two 
emblems  afield,  thus  imperiling  our  identity  without  enriching  our 
nosegay.  The  pine  cone  is  indelibly  connected  with  the  history  of 
our  country',  for  it  was  emblazoned  on  the  first  flag  which  ever 
represented  the  United  States.  However,  the  pine  is  fast  disap- 
pearing from  our  Maine  forests,  although  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
arbor  culture  may  in  the  future  revive  our  pine  forests.     But  we 


94  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

are  the  Pine  Tree  State  for  all  of  that.  It  is  also  urged  that  the 
pine  cone  would  be  more  effective  in  a  garland  because  of  the 
variety  and  beauty  it  would  contribute  thereto. 

The  critics  of  the  golden  rod  call  it  a  weed,  and  the  farmers 
doubtless  prefer  to  see  it  in  a  garland  rather  than  in  their  fields. 
Moreover,  its  opponents  afiirm  that  the  separate  petals  of  the 
golden  rod  are  too  minute,  and  have  little  distinctive  character,  so 
that  the  flower  might  become  a  shapeless  mass  in  the  hands  of  an 
engraver. 

Since  the  national  garland  should  lend  itself  effectively  to  art,  it 
is  urged  that  the  pine  cone  can  be  treated  far  more  effectively  by 
engraving  than  the  fine  petals  of  the  golden  rod.  But  the  cham- 
pions of  the  golden  rod  assert  that  it  is  the  most  universal,  perma- 
nent and  beautiful  of  our  way-side  flowers,  and  that  all  things  are 
weeds  when  they  are  in  our  way. 

There  are  many  advocates  ot  the  apple  blossom,  but  the  flower, 
though  beautiful,  lasts  but  for  a  day.  The  apple  blossom  would 
obviously  add  beauty  to  the  national  garland,  and  certainly  it 
would  be  more  available  in  art  than  the  golden  rod. 

The  advocates  of  the  pine  cone  urge  that  the  cone  and  tassel 
would  be  the  most  appropriate  emblem  for  Maine,  historically 
speaking.  Others  affirm  that  the  apple  blossom  would  unite  in  a 
singular  degree  the  felicities  of  beauty  and  utility  ;  while,  in  their 
turn,  the  champions  of  the  golden  rod  say  that  this  lovely  way-side 
flower  appeals  exclusively  to  the  aesthetic  sentiments,  which  are 
those  that  should  be  predominantly  enlisted  by  a  floral  emblem. 

The  choice  of  the  State  is  divided  between  these  three  candidates 
so  that  to  vote  for  other  flowers  does  not  seem  to  be  called  for, 
although  no  flower  is  out-lawed.  Upwards  of  15,000  votes  have 
thus  far  been  cast  with  a  strong  plurality  of  upwards  of  5,000  in 
favor  of  the  pine  cone  and  tassel,  but  with  a  powerful  sentiment 
for  both  the  golden  rod  and  the  apple  blossom.  It  may  be  well  to 
say  that  by  general  consent  the  Mayflower  has  been  reserved  for 
Massachusetts.     The  ballot  will  be  open  until  January  12. 

It  is  not  without  significance  that  universal  suffrage  in  Maine  is 
first  to  be  exercised  in  a  question  in  which  beauty  and  duty  are 
co-ordinated.  The  national  garland  made  up  of  flowers  chosen  by 
popular  suffrage,  will  probably  become  a  fact  within  two  years. 
It  may  in  due  season  supplant  the  wreath  on  our  coins.  It  will 
re-inforce  patriotism  with  the  sentiment  of  beauty  as  the  flag 
re-enforces  national  enthusiasm  with  its  memories  and  its  symbols. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  95. 

Nor  will  the  Americau  Union  lose  on  the  side  of  higher  sentiments 
if  the  states  that  compose  it  are  typified  by  their  characteristic 
flowers,  those  together  composed  as  a  national  garland  embodying 
both  the  individualism  of  state  sentiment  and  the  federation  of 
patriotism. 

It  is  earnestly  requested  that  the  members  of  the  Pomological 
Society  engage  in  the  ballot  of  Maine's  flower  at  this  meeting,  and 
it  is  hoped  that  an  effort  will  be  made  to  secure  as  large  a  vote  as 
possible  for  Maine's  flower,  m  the  short  time  now  remaining. 

Miss  Harriet  Harmon  of  Foxcroft  read  the  following  poem  writ- 
ten by  Miss  Julia  H.  May  : 

FOR    COLUMBIA'S    GARLAND. 


They  are  weaving  a  beautiful  garland 
To  place  on  Columbia's  bi'ow, 

Tlie  West  and  the  South  are  weaving, 
And  "we  must  be  weaving  now — 

A  leaf,  or  a  bud,  or  a  flower— 
Ah !  we  need  not  look  in  vain. 

Can  the  land  give  brighter  blossoms 
Than  those  in  the  woods  of  Maine? 

So  many !  O,  how  can  we  choose  it? 

Shall  it  be  the  golden  rod? 
Shall  we  gather  the  apple  blossom, 

Or  the  violets  fresh  from  God? 
Shall  it  be  the  star-eyed  daisy? 

Shall  it  be  the  ripened  grain. 
That  we  pick  for  our  mother's  garland 

Out  of  the  fields  of  Maine? 

Shall  we  carry  a  bud,  or  a  blossom, 

A  branch  or  a  tiny  twig? — 
They  will  need  them  all  in  the  garland, 

They  can  use  the  smallest  sprig- 
Something  pure  and  precious. 

That  the  rest  would  not  obtain. 
We  must  pick  for  our  mother's  garland 

Out  of  the  woods  of  Maine. 

Shall  it  be  the  opening  rose-bud? 

Shall  it  be  the  fragrant  pink? 
They  can  bring  more  beautiful  roses 

From  the  Sacramento's  brink- 
Shall  it  be  the  water-lily 

Whose  petals  the  snow-flakes  stain?  — 
There  are  lilies  .iust  as  white  and  sweet 

As  those  in  the  lakes  of  Maine. 


96  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Fair  is  the  star-eyed  daisj-, 

Queenly  the  golden-rod, 
Sweet  is  the  purple  violet 

Peeping  up  from  the  sod, 
And  the  royal  buttercup 

Over  the  fields  can  reign. 
But  we  want  to  carry  something  else  • 

Out  of  the  woods  of  Maine. 

We  will  goto  the  deepest  forests, 

Where  the  brooks  and  the  sparrows  sing. 
And  a  branch  from  the  tallest  tree-top 

Out  of  the  shades  we'll  bring. 
And  we'll  pick  for  our  mother's  garland 

A  branch  that  is  truly  ours, 
From  a  tree  she  gave  us  long  ago. 

And  will  weave  it  among  the  flowers. 

Mother  of  States  and  Nations! 

Mother  of  noble  men ! 
Out  of  the  pine-tree-forests 

We  come  to  thee  again. 
Forest  and  happy  island. 

River  and  singing  sea. 
Brooklet  and  bird  and  maiden 

Join  in  the  jubilee. 

We  have  given  our  sons  and  brothers 

In  the  days  of  bitter  strife. 
We  have  given  our  heart's  best  treasures 

For  liberty's  precious  life. 
They  lie  by  many  a  hill-side, 

They  sleep  by  many  a  plain. 
And  because  they  died  we  can  send  a  gift 

Out  of  the  woods  of  Maine. 

Not  to  the  sound  of  bugle, 

Not  with  the  martial  drum 
Do  we  bring  this  gift,  but  with  blessings, 

And  with  songs  of  peace  we  come, 
Over  the  hills  and  valleys. 

Saved  by  the  blood  of  the  slain. 
We  bring  our  pledge  of  loyalty 

To  thee,  and  the  State  of  Maine. 

Mother  of  States  and  Nations! 

We  bring  our  native  pine, 
And  we  swear  by  the  faith  we  owe  thee. 

And  the  help  of  the  hand  divine, 
Love  that  is  strong  and  fervent, 

Love  that  is  sweet  and  pure, 
Growing,  forever  growing. 

As  long  as  the  pines  endure. 

DISCUSSION. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Fernald — I  had  no  idea  of  opeuing  this  discussion  in 
regard  to  the  flower  which  should  be  selected  in  the  State  of  Maine. 
There  are  some  reasons  why  the  pine  is  not  a  correct  one  to  select, 
though  that  may  sound  a  little  strange  to  residents  of  ''The  Pine 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  97 

Tree  State."  I  had  occasion  in  looking  up  the  subject  of  forestry 
recently  to  obtain  statistics  in  regard  to  the  changes  that  are  going 
on  in  the  forests  of  Maine,  and  to  take  the  changes  on  the  Penob- 
scot river  for  illustration  : — I  find  in  looking  over  the  period  of  forty 
years,  from  1853  to  1893,  and  contrasting  the  first  five  years  of  the 
period  with  the  last  five,  the  following  changes  in  forest  products  : 
I  find  that  the  spruce  has  increased  from  an  average  of  65,500,000 
feet  a  year  to  111,000,000  feet,  or  in  other  words  the  growth  of  the 
spruce  has  increased  70  per  cent.  I  find  that  the  annual  production 
of  the  hemlock  has  increased  from  12,000,000  to  24,000,000  in  that 
period  of  time,  or  in  other  words,  100  per  cent  And  I  find  that 
the  pine  has  fallen  off  from  69,000,000  to  24,000,000,  or  in  other 
words,  it  has  declined  65  per  cent.  That  is  to  say,  of  the  pine 
there  is  produced  but  35  per  cent  of  the  same  amount  there  was 
thirty  years  ago.  The  pine  is  running  out,  and  unless  recuperative 
methods  are  adopted,  twenty-five  years  hence  we  shall  not  be 
known  as  the  "Pine  Tree  State."  Within  a  limited  period  of 
time  the  pine  will  not  exist  in  the  State  unless  some  change  is 
brought  about.  Now  I  state  these  facts  so  that  we  may  vote  under- 
standingly.  At  the  same  time  I  am  in  favor  of  the  pine  as  our  State 
emblem.  I  think  it  should  be  adopted  on  historical  grounds,  but 
so  far  as  present  propriety  is  concerned  we  might  as  well  call 
this  State  "Spruce  Gum  State"  or  "Spruce  Tree  State."  I 
know  it  would  take  the  poetr}',  or  the  sentiment,  out  of  the  idea, 
because  there  is  a  good  sentiment  that  clusters  around  the  pine, 
and  I  think  it  should  be  preserved.  This  State  has  been  known 
through  all  its  history  as  "Pine  Tree  State,"  and  many  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  the  State  have  obtained  their  wealth  from  the 
pine  ;  I  believe  it  should  be  selected  in  preference  to  any  of  the 
flowers  that  have  been  named  for  the  reasons  that  were  presented 
in  the  paper.  Notwithstanding  this  decline  in  the  growth  of  the 
pine  in  our  State  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  adopt  this  as  the  emblem 
and  then  prove  true  to  the  emblem.  I  believe  if  we  allow  this 
matter  to  drift  for  the  next  quarter  of  a  century  it  will  be  almost 
impossible  to  restore  the  pine  tree  to  the  State  of  Maine  ;  but  com- 
mencing now  it  is  possible,  and  we  can  be  true  to  the  name, — true 
to  the  motto.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  pine  is  far  more  fitting  for 
an  emblem  than  any  other  that  has  been  suggested.  We  have 
heard  other  flowers  suggested,  but  they  are  in  blossom  but  a  short 
period  of  time  ;   there  is  no  flower  or  tree  that  would  stand  for  so 


98  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

much  in  the  State  of  Maine  as  would  the  stately  pine  that  has  been 
our  boast  and  our  glory  in  the  past,  and  with  proper  treatment 
may  still  be  in  the  future. 

I  suppose  it  would  be  out  of  order  to  discuss  at  all  the  subject 
of  a  national  emblem.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  a  garland  will 
be  adopted.  If  it  were  not  adopted  it  seems  to  me  that  corn  should 
Ije  the  national  emblem.  Ordinarily  we  have  but  little  apprecia- 
tion of  the  extent  and  value  of  this  product.     It  leads  all  others. 

Sec'y  McKeen — The  remarks  of  Dr.  Fernald  in  relation  to  the 
pine  as  a  fitting  emblem  for  our  State  were  extremely  timely,  i  am 
aware  that  he  has  put  much  thought  and  care  into  this  subject,  but 
I  hardly  agree  with  him  in  one  of  the  conclusions  that  he  reached 
to-day, — that  only  by  extreme  care  can  Maine  continue  to  be  "Pine 
Tree  State."  It  occurs  to  me  that  Maine  is  bound  to  be  "Pine  Tree 
State,"  that  she  cannot  be  anything  else  ;  that  the  pine  is  so  thor- 
oughly and  completely  indigenous  to  her  soil  that  it  must  and  will 
grow  in  spite  of  the  woful  and  wasteful  inroads  of  our  Maine  lum- 
bermen and  farmers.  Twice  in  my  memory  have  I  assisted  in 
cutting  the  pine  growth  from  a  piece  of  land  for  the  purpose  of 
pasturage,  and  to-day  that  piece  of  land  is  worth  more  than  any 
other  piece  on  our  farm  for  the  pine  growth  that  covers  it ;  and  that 
is  not  an  isolated  case.  Similar  cases  are  occurring  all  over  our 
State,  and  I  believe  that  it  is  well  that  Mrs.  Beedy  has  come  here 
to  day  to  talk  to  us  upon  this  question  of  the  pine, — the  pine  tree 
as  the  floral  emblem  of  our  grand  State.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
Federation  of  Woman's  Clubs  was  held  in  the  office  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture  at  the  State  House,  and  at  that  time  a  committee 
was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  designing  a  banner  to  be  exhibited 
at  the  World's  Fair  that  should  carry  with  it  as  the  emblem  of  the 
Federation  of  Woman's  Clubs  the  purposes  of  that  organization. 

That  banner  is  now  hanging  in  that  office  ;  it  consists  of  a  cor- 
nucopia from  which  are  floating  in  the  shape  of  the  three-leaved 
clover,  the  different  women's  clubs  in  our  State,  and  from  the  cor- 
ners of  that  emblem  are  hanging  this  same  pine  cone.  The  citizens 
of  Maine  as  they  visited  the  World's  Fair  and  saw  this  emblem 
floating  from  the  wall  of  the  Maine  Building  were  wonderfully 
struck  with  the  appropriateness  of  the  cone  as  an  emblem  of  our 
State. 

I  think  it  is  well  for  us  all  to  grow  up  with  the  idea  that  the 
State  of  Maine  is  the  place  to  live  in,  and  just  as  many  meetings 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY.  99 

as  ^e  can  hold  for  the  purpose  that  this  meeting  is  held,  and  just 
as  much  as  we  can  impress  upon  the  minds  of  all,  both  old  and 
young,  the  idea  that  we  have  something  here  worth  living  for,  and 
that  we  are  going  to  make  emblematical  for  all  time  until  it  shall 
become  a  matter  of  history,  just  by  that  much  shall  we  gain  as  a 
State  and  as  a  part  of  our  nation.  "Within  the  memory  of  many  of 
us  is  the  time  when  Maine  was  considered  a  little  too  far  north. 
My  father  used  to  remark  when  the  cold  nights  of  winter  came  that 
"The  State  of  Maine  is  a  little  too  far  north."  Very  soon  there 
came  an  idea  into  the  minds  of  many  that  Maine  was  too  far  east, 
and  then  commenced  an  exodus  to  the  West. — "Westward,  ho  !" 
was  the  watchward.  But  the  idea  is  becoming  apparent  to  all  of 
us,  old  and  young,  farmer  and  mechanic,  that  the  State  is  in  just 
exactly  the  right  place.  We  would  not  have  it  moved  a  degree 
South  or  West,  but  we  are  gomg  to  stay  here  and  help  develop  it 
and  make  it  worthy  of  having  an  emblem  and  a  good  one,  in  the 
great  national  garland  that  is  to  come. 

Mr.  Leland — I  was  somewhat  struck  with  the  conclusion  at 
which  Prof.  Fernald  arrived  in  regard  to  the  forests  of  Maine, 
particularly  the  retrograde  movement  that  is  taking  place  in  the 
growth  of  pine.  It  seems  to  me  there  may  be  some  facts  that  he 
has  not  taken  into  consideration  in  regard  to  this  matter.  As  I 
have  passed  through  the  southern  portion  of  the  State  I  have  heard 
good,  sensible  men  in  that  section  make  the  remark  that  there  was 
a  larger  area  of  pine  in  the  southern  half  of  the  State  than  fifty  or 
seventy-five  years  ago ;  not  that  there  was  a  larger  amount  of 
timber,  but  of  pine  growth.  We  who  are  farmers  in  this  county 
are  aware  of  the  fact  that  our  pasture  lands  and  lands  not  culti- 
vated spring  up  readily  to  forest  growth,  and  very  much  of  that 
growth  is  pine.  Of  course  we  cut  this  pine  where  we  wish  to  use 
this  land  as  pasturage ;  at  the  same  time  there  are  acres  and  acres 
of  this  small  growth  that  is  coming  forward  very  rapidly,  as  Sec- 
retary McKeen  stated  was  the  case  on  his  farm. 

Mr.  Brown — The  remarks  of  Mr.  Leland  bring  to  my  mind 
something  that  has  come  under  my  personal  observation  in  relation 
to  the  pine.  Perhaps  I  have  seen  more  of  the  pine  growth  of  Piscat- 
aquis county  than  any  man  here.  I  have  explored  the  forests  along 
our  lakes  and  rivers,  and  I  claim  to  know  something  about  the 
pine.  I  have  seen  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  acres  of 
our  finest  spruce,  which  is  now  being  cut  off  and  taken  to  the  mar- 


100  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

ket  more  rapidly  than  the  pine.  If  the  destruction  is  going  on 
with  the  spruce  more  than  with  the  pine,  the  pine  is  very  likely  to 
survive  the  spruce. 

Jn  1848  or  1849  I  had  occasion  in  passing  from  Augusta  to  this 
place  to  accompany  a  gentleman  of  very  much  greater  age  than 
myself,  and  a  man  of  some  distinction  at  that  time  in  the  county. 
I  think  it  was  in  the  town  of  Benton  that  we  passed  through  a 
growth  of  young  pine, — they  were  perhaps  six  or  eight  inches  in 
diameter.  When  we  came  into  that  growth  he  said  to  me  (he  was 
a  man  who  was  reai-ed  in  Fairfield)  "When  I  was  a  boy  this  was  a 
corn  field,  and  the  old  corn  hills  can  be  seen  here  to-day." 

We  stopped  and  took  some  observations,  and  there  were  little 
billets  that  looked  like  the  old-fashioned  corn  hills.  I  did  not  have 
occasion  to  pass  over  that  road  again  until  1864  or  1865  and  then 
it  was  in  the  winter,  and  I  found  that  the  lumbermen  were  actually 
cutting  off  sizable  logs  for  the  saw  mill  to  be  manufactured  into 
boards.     I  remember  another  instance  some  years  prior,  in  1843  or 

1844,  I  was  at and  there  was  a  very  fine  growth  of   young 

pine  standing  on  a  point  that  made  right  into  the  lake.  I  know  of 
a  man  who  went  upon  that  point  and  examined  the  trees,  and  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  not  a  tree  there  that  was  fit  to  cut 
for  lumber.  About  1860  I  had  occasion  to  visit  the  lake  in  the 
winter  time  and  men  were  hauling  off  heavy  lumber  and  driving  it 
down  the  river  to  Old  Town.  Now,  wherever  this  soil  is  adapted 
to  pine,  we  shall  find  when  that  land  is  left  to  itself,  the  pine  will 
spring  up  and  mature.  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  from  the  old 
pines  that  I  used  to  meet  with  when  in  the  woods,  that  pine  is  a 
natural  growth  of  our  soil,  and  when  the  pine  shall  cease  to  grow 
in  Maine  we  shall  no  longer  need  a  national  garland. 

Mrs.  Beedy — Now  I  will  sum  up  what  I  think  to  be  the  points 
in  this  discussion  :  We  should  select  the  pine  as  our  floral  emblem 
on  account  of  its  historical  value.  I  think  the  children  in  every 
school  room  should  be  asked  to  describe  our  State  seal.  I  wonder 
how  many  in  this  audience  can  tell  exactly  how  many  things  are 
engraven  upon  it.  If  you  should  look  at  it  you  would  see  that  the 
only  thing  on  the  background  is  the  pine.  It  was  the  pine  tree 
that  made  our  State  ;  it  was  the  great  giants  and  monarchs  of  the 
forest  that  attracted  the  King  of  England  to  this  country.  He 
sent  out  his  emissaries  to  select  them  for  his  masts. 

I  was  very  much  interested  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  a  gentleman 
almost  ninety  years  of  age,  and  have  him  tell  me  about  those  old 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  101 

pine  trees,  some  of  them  niuety-two  feet  long.  We  do  not  know 
very  much  about  those  now,  but  our  children  ought  to  learn  about 
them. 

"We  should  select  the  pine  first,  then,  on  account  of  its  historic 
value  ;  and  secondly,  we  should  select  it  for  its  beauty.  As  I 
came  over  the  ground  this  morning  and  saw  the  pine  in  the  forests 
I  thought,  riding  through  the  State  in  the  winter  we  cannot  see  the 
golden  rod,  but  we  can  see  the  pine  ;  it  is  perennial,  always  green  ; 
and  so  should  our  State  emblem  be.  A  few  weeks  ago  I  was  con- 
fined to  a  sick  room  and  a  friend  sent  me  some  pinks  with  the 
pine  ;  and  I  thought  I  never  saw  the  beauty  of  the  pine,  as  it  was 
shown  in  combination  with  the  pinks.  And  thirdly,  we  should 
make  it  our  State  emblem  for  the  sentiment  connected  with  it,  if 
for  nothing  else.  It  is  engraven  in  the  hearts  of  our  people.  I 
found  in  looking  over  a  paper  a  notice  of  a  meeting  of  Maine  peo- 
ple in  Chicago,  and  it  included  a  poem,  from  which  I  took  this  lit- 
tle extract : — 

"To-nigbt  across  my  senses  steals 

The  perfame  of  the  piue; 
O !  sweeter  far  to  liomesick  liearts 

Then  ilranghts  of  fragrant  wine.  " 

If  any  of  you  have  ever  been  homesick  out  of  the  State  of  Maine, 
the  thing  you  wanted  to  see  was  the  pine,  and  the  aroma  you  want- 
ed to  smell  was  the  pine.  The  people  of  Ohio  have  for  their 
emblem  the  Buckeye  or  Horse  Chestnut,  and  they  love  that  just  as 
we  love  the  pine.  A  few  weeks  ago  they  had  a  convention  and  a 
little  poem  was  read, — I  give  you  this  snatch  : 

"  O !  the  tasseled  corn  for  the  whole  broaO  laud. 
For  the  Union  no  power  shall  sever; 
But  theBuckej^e  brown  for  the  Buckeye  State 
Shall  be  our  badge  forever." 

And  I  think  that  we  in  Maine  can  say : 

"  O !  the  tasseled  corn  for  the  whole  broad  land, 
For  the  Union  no  power  shall  sever; 
But  the  piue  tree  green  for  the  '  Pine  Tree  State ' 
Shall  be  our  badge  forever." 

Mv.  Sampson,  the  principal  of  the  academy  here,  very  kindly 
consented  to  lend  his  co  operation  with  reference  to  this  meeting 
and  to  use  his  influence  to  have  his  pupils  attend  the  meeting,  and, 
for  one,  I  feel  very  grateful  that  he  did  so.  I  am  particularly 
gratified  with  a  feature  to  which  he  has  incidentally  called  by  atten- 
tion, which  is  this — while  the  pupils  come  here  ostensibly  as  listen- 
ers they  also  come  here  as  students,  and  one  of  the  duties   which 


102  STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

the  principal  has  seen  fit  to  impose  upon  them  is  to  prepare  a  report 
of  the  papers  and  the  talk  presented  here  at  the  present  time.  I 
suppose  some  of  them  are  scribbling  down  what  I  am  saying  now, 
as  they  have  what  Secretary  McKeen  and  the  other  speakers  have 
been  talking  about ;  and  in  due  time  it  will  get  into  the  academy 
and  perhaps  through  them  be  handed  down  to  future  generations  of 
pupils.  What  I  wish  to  say  is  this, — I  want  to  encourage  just  that 
kind  of  work,  because  if  we  can  interest  young  men  and  young 
women,  and  boys  and  girls  in  this  work  of  fruit  growing  and  flower 
culture,  or  in  anything  that  will  cultivate  a  better  taste  and  increase 
a  knowledge  of  Maine  and  what  grows  in  it,  that  work  is  in  the 
right  direction. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Sampson,  the  secretary  received  a 
very  neatly  prepared  report  of  the  afternoon  session,  and  it  gives 
him  pleasure  to  publish  so  much  of  it  as  refers  to  National  Floral 
Emblems : 

Mrs.  Beedy  read  an  excellent  paper  prepared  by  Janet  L.  Dingley 
of  Auburn.  A  short  resume  of  the  National  Floral  Emblems  of 
countries  across  the  Atlantic,  opened  the  article — The  shamrock  of 
Ireland,  the  thistle  of  Scotland,  the  rose  of  England, the  fleur  de  lis 
of  France  and  the  edelweiss  of  Switzerland,  each  by  its  manner  of 
growth  on  events  connected  with  its  history,  bringing  dear  and 
inspiring  memories  to  minds  of  loyal  citizens. 

The  first  movement  towards  a  United  States  Floral  Emblem  was 
made  in  the  woman's  congress  at  the  World's  Fair.  Among  other 
ideas  advanced  it  was  proposed  that  the  emblem  take  the  form  of  a 
garland  composed  of  as  many  flowers  as  there  are  states  in  the 
Union,  each  chosen  by  the  respective  states.  The  ballot  was 
opened  November  4.  Several  states  have  already  decided.  Ver- 
mont will  be  represented  by  red  clover  ;  Iowa  chooses  Indian  corn  ; 
California  the  poppy,  and  Wyoming  the  sunflower.  What  shall 
Maine  choose?  The  paper  did  not  commit  itself  but  presented 
fairly  the  arguments  in  favor  of  the  various  flowers. 

The  apple  blossom  would  make  a  fine  appearance  in  the  garland, 
but  it  withers  and  falls  the  day  it  is  born  and  can  hardly  represent 
the  enduring  nature  of  our  State.  Golden  rod  is  perhaps  the  most 
widespread  of  all  Maine's  flowers,  but  it  is  objected  that  the  petals 
are  so  fine  it  would  make  an  indistinct  blur  in  the  hands  of  the 
engraver.  The  grand  old  pine,  however,  has  none  of  these  faults. 
It  is  green  and  beautiful  through  summer  and  winter.  It  has  an  his- 
toric value  also.     The  first  flag  that  led  American  soldiers  to  battle 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  103 

showed  upon  its  folds  the  figure  of  a  pine  tree.  Our  State  has  been 
known  far  and  near  as  the  Pine  Tree  State.  We  would  do  injus- 
tice to  our  history  were  anything  else  to  represent  us  in  our 
National  garland. 

After  this  a  patriotic  and  touching  poem  b}'  Miss  May  was  well 
rendered  by  Miss  Harriet  Harmon  of  Foxcroft.  Dr.  M.  C.  Fer- 
nald,  ex-president  of  Maine  State  College,  said:  "He  grieved  to 
notice  that  the  pine  tree  is  fast  becoming  a  thing  of  the  past  in  this 
State.  The  most  wanton  destruction  is  being  practiced  and  if  not 
checked,  in  twenty-five  years  the  graceful  pine  once  waving  from 
every  hill  top  will  be  seen  no  more  in  the  forests  of  Maine.  He 
gave  us  figures  showing  that  as  compared  with  hemlock,  fir  and 
spruce,  the  production  of  pine  is  fast  decreasing.  Let  us  vote  for 
pine  and  then  exert  ourselves  to  preserve  the  pine."  Numerous 
other  remarks  were  made  in  favor  of  the  pine.  Mr.  McKeen  told 
us  a  side-splitting  story  and  then  eulogized  the  pine.  He  is  a  nat- 
ural speaker  and  thoroughly  woke  up  his  listeners.  The  discussion 
was  closed  by  a  stirring  appeal  for  the  pine  from  Mrs.  Beedy.  Her 
graceful  manner  and  pleasing  voice  fairly  captivated  the  audience. 
Meanwhile  a  vote  had  been  taken.  The  Mayflower  received  one 
vote,  apple-blossom  two,  golden  rod  seven  and  the  pine  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  Thus  closed  a  session  interesting  and  instructive 
alike  to  old  and  young. 


104  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


STUDY   OF  PLANT  LIFE. 
By  Supt.  John  R.  Dunton,  Rocklaad. 

"What  are  you  ? 

A  hundred  and  forty  pounds,  more  or  less,  of  bone  and  muscle, 
sensitive  to  heat  and  cold,  whose  needs  are  food,  clothing  and 
shelter. 

Of  course  you  are  that,  and  in  the  next  breath  you  say  "my 
house,"  "my  coat,"  "my  body."  Well  what  are  you,  if  what  I  see 
is  only  yours?  You  do  not  know  and  I  do  not  know,  but  we  both 
do  know  that  we  live  and  think,  and  that  in  consequence  of  our 
thinking  we  enjoy  or  suffer  or  decide  upon  courses  of  action,  and 
that  our  bodies  do  our  bidding.  Explain  it  as  you  may  you  are 
more  than  the  weight  that  tips  the  scale  beam,  and  you  have  capac- 
ities and  needs  beyond  those  of  the  horse  you  drive,  or  the  dog 
that  follows  at  your  heels. 

What  are  you  doing?  Thinking,  aren't  you?  Thinking  all  the 
time.  Perhaps  beautiful  thoughts,  perhaps  old  and  threadbare  and 
distasteful  ones  ;  sometimes  thinking  thoughts  that  lead  to  action, 
sometimes  thinking  aimlessly — changing  as  often  as  the  clock  ticks 
and  idly  drifting  on  a  sea  of  dreams, — but  always  thinking. 

He  who  can  interpret  the  messages  they  bring  is  educated.  Edu- 
cation is  not  confined  to  books,  nature  forestalls  the  schoolmaster  ; 
the  child  begins  his  education  in  the  cradle  and  he  must  continue 
it  through  youth  and  manhood  and  old  age — who  can  say  that  he 
ends  it  at  the  grave  ?  Then  as  becomes  their  high  office  as  minis- 
ters to  the  soul  that  dwells  within  them,  but  while  we  are  caring 
for  the  body  and  supplying  the  physical  needs  we  should  not  neg- 
lect the  self.  Yes,  man  is  more  than  a  stomach ;  food  for  mind 
can  not  go  in  at  the  mouth,  yet  it  must  be  fed  or  go  through  life 
starving  and  little  and  lean,  and  go  forth  naked  when  the  time 
comes  for  it  to  leave  the  body  it  inhabits.  It  is  well  that  we  feed 
these  bodies  of  ours  and  shelter  them  from  the  cold  and  clothe 
them. 

EDUCATION    IS    NOT    CONFINED    TO    THE    SCHOOLS. 

Every  man  of  common  sens^  is  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  edu- 
cated. If  he  puts  his  mind  to  his  work  and  if  he  observes  and 
thinks  and  adopts  means  to  secure  desired  ends  in  consequence  of 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  105 

his  thinking  he  is  developing  his  intellect  and  educating  himself 
along  the  line  of  his  occupation. 

But  the  mind  is  worth  too  much  to  leave  to  the  chance  incidents 
of  an  occupation,  especially  in  these  days  of  minute  division  of 
labor  where  the  man  is  only  a  pair  of  hands.  But  in  our  interest 
for  the  child  are  we  not  prone  to  forget  that  he  is  a  child?  We 
know  that  he  was  born  ignorant.  Do  we  forget  that  he  has  made 
the  beginnings  of  all  knowledge,  even  before  he  goes  to  school?  Do 
we  not  expect  our  little  David  to  slay  his  Goliaths  in  the  armor  of 
Saul  ?  Why  not  give  him  his  pebbles  and  sling  ? 

Nature  is  the  first  source  of  all  knowledge,  even  of  that  recorded 
in  books.  He  is  the  child  of  nature  and  blood  kin  to  his  pets, 
plants  and  even  to  his  mud  pies,  to  feed  a  machine  that  does  the 
thinking.  And  education  is  so  important  that  youth  can  not  be 
spent  so  profitably  as  in  making  a  business  of  learning  just  as  his 
body  makes  a  business  of  growing  ;  for  no  matter  how  fruitful  the 
opportunities  for  mind  culture  in  one's  work,  they  will  pass  unnoticed 
or  if  noticed  unappropriated  if  the  worker  does  not  know  how  to 
learn.  And  through  knowing  more  of  them  he  has  come  to  know 
more  of  himself.  Highlands,  lowlands,  air,  water  life  and  the 
artificial  boundaries  and  industries  of  his  neighbors,  and  their 
relations  to  each  other  typify  the  world.  And  through  knowing  these 
the  world  is  his  for  the  learning. 

We  were  born  to  our  environment  ignorant.  We  were  born  with 
a  capacity  for  knowing  and  enjoying  all  these  things,  but  we  are 
caged  in  a  prison  of  bone,  and  walled  in  except  at  the  gateway  of 
the  senses,  through  which  must  come  the  elements  of  all  our  knowl- 
edge and  the  same  material  of  all  our  thoughts — brought  to  us  by 
messengers  of  light  and  touch  and  sound. 

Look  out  of  the  window  !  You  see  a  landscape  of  hills,  valleys 
and  plains  threaded  by  winding  streams,  and  extending  to  the  line 
of  earth  and  sky.  You  see  the  wooded  land  and  clearings,  silent 
now  and  dreary  but  June  will  see  them  teeming  with  animal  life 
and  gay  with  flowers. 

This  is  man's  environment.  All  our  lives  long  we  are  surrounded 
by  the  things  out  there.  We  are  dependent  upon  them  for  all  that 
we  do  and  for  all  that  we  are,  and  all  our  lives  long  they  are 
appealing  to  us  through  the  senses. 

Are  they  there  simply  to  fatten  our  bodies  that  we  may  be  better 
food  for  worms  ? 

What  IS  a  man? 


106  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

You  asked  me  to  talk  on  "plant  study"  and  for  fear  that  you 
might  think  I  had  lost  the  plant  in  nature  I  brought  here  the  branch 
of  a  plant;  a  plant  that  is  familiar  to  you  all,  so  familiar  indeed, 
that  I  can  tell  you  nothing  of  it  that  you  did  not  kuow  before,  and 
yet  you  are  learning  something  new  from  it  every  year.  These 
boys  and  girls  know  it ;  and  perhaps  they  know  that  the  Pomologi- 
cal  society  takes  its  name  from  the  fruit  of  the  tree  to  which  this 
branch  belongs. 

Yes,  it  is  an  apple  tree  branch  and  it  can  tell  the  children  many 
wonderful  things  of  itself  and  its  brothers  and  sisters  at  home,  and 
best  of  all,  if  they  cultivate  its  acquaintance,  it  will  introduce  them 
to  hosts  of  interesting  friends  in  the  great  plant  family. 

With  your  mind's  eye  look  at  the  little  apple  tree  you  set  out  last 
spring  and  see  if  we  can  find  worthy  subjects  for  the  child  to  study. 
You  see  it  as  a  whole,  but  the  tree  like  most  living  things,  consists 
-of  parts  and  each  part  has  its  work  to  do  and  all  of  them  depend 
upon  each  other.  Its  root  hidden  from  sight  reaches  down  into 
the  soil  reaching  out  and  grasping  with  its  woody  fingers  and  hold- 
ing on  against  the  wind  and  other  forces  that  try  to  tear  it  from 
earth.  Evei'y  year  it  pushes  itself  farther  and  farther  into  the 
darkness  and  damp  of  the  ground  that  its  trunk  may  grow  larger 
and  its  branches  spread  wider  in  the  air  and  sunlight  and  bear 
leaves  and  flowers  and  fruit. 

Root,  trunk,  branches,  leaves,  flowers  and  fruit,  each  is  a 
whole  that  also  consists  of  parts,  and  each  part  has  its  own  charac- 
teristic qualities  and  uses  ;  and  each  leads  the  child  to  new  fields  of 
observation  and  thought.  Cut  off  the  trunk  and  on  the  smoothed 
end  of  the  section  you  have  made  you  read  a  whole  chapter  of  its 
life.  At  the  center  you  see  the  white  pith  and  around  it  the  dark 
heart  wood  ;  next  the  rings  of  lighter  sap  wood  and  encircling  all 
the  green  bark  covered  with  its  smooth  brown  skin.  You  know 
how  it  looks  in  the  older  tree,  the  pith  no  larger  than  this  for  it  is 
dead  and  the  heart  wood  darker  and  also  dead,  and  the  sap  wood 
through  whose  little  tubes  passes  the  liquid  food  and  drink  to  the 
baby  buds  and  to  the  life  cells  that  are  building  a  new  circle  of 
wood  under  its  jacket  of  bark.  You  and  I  know  how  this  looked 
and  felt  on  the  sticks  of  the  willow  whistles  we  used  to  make  and 
we  know  how  it  lasted  in  the  "sliver"  of  the  pine  and  we  know 
how  sick  and  pitiful  the  poor  tree  looked  later  in  the  summer,  with 
its  wounded  body  covered  with  pitchy  blood  and  perhaps  dying. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  107 

We  know  now  that  every  ring  by  which  we  counted  the  age  of 
the  logs  in  the  wood  pile  we  did  not  love  were  once  like  the  tlesliy 
"sliver"  of  the  pine  and  next  to  the  bark.  We  know  that  year 
after  year  a  layer  is  added,  and  that  the  little  tree  grows  too  big 
for  its  clothes.  Year  after  year  it  stretches  its  bark  and  bursts  it, 
but  mends  it  before  it  is  broken  so  that  beneath  the  rough  and  out- 
grown outer  bark  there  is  a  new  and  living  layer  to  warm  and  pro- 
tect it  from  the  storms. 

When  we  were  boys  we  thought  that  the  trunk  stretches  itself  up 
and  pushed  its  limbs  up  with  it,  but  we  have  learned  since  then 
that  a  tree  grows  tall  only  at  the  top.  The  branching  also  is  a 
subject  full  of  interest  to  the  child,  and  he  can  begin  plant  study 
with  the  apple  tree  at  home  if  he  chooses.  The  trunk  divides  and 
sub-divides  and  loses  itself  in  big  limbs  and  these  divide  still  more 
and  lose  themselves  in  smaller  branches  and  twigs.  It  is  bare  now 
and  its  naked  branches  rattle  in  the  wind  and  ice  clings  to  them  ; 
the  tree  is  frozen  in  sleep,  but  spring  will  awaken  it,  and  it  will 
clothe  itself  again  with  leaves.  Beautiful  as  the  leaves  are  they 
were  not  born  simply  to  ornament  the  tree,  they  are  there  to  work 
and  they  do  work.  If  the  tree  has  thousands  of  mouths  at  its 
roots  it  has  millions  in  its  leaves  and  not  only  mouths  but  nostrils 
also  and  it  eats  and  breathes  for  the  tree.  The  blade  of  green, 
ribbed  and  veined  and  filled  with  pores  is  a  laboratory  also  for 
transforming  the  air  and  sunlight  into  wood  ;  and  its  stem  and  ribs 
and  veins  the  canals  through  which  it  sends  its  products  to  the 
tree.  Wonderful  as  it  seems  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  the  bulk 
of  the  wood  comes  through  the  leaves  ;  so  the  boards  and  timber 
of  our  houses  are  largely  made  of  air,  and  even  an  air  castle  may 
be  a  very  substantial  dwelling  place,  after  all. 

Now  let  us  look  at  our  branch  again.  A  horse  chestnut  branch 
would  be  better,  for  you  would  see  more  plainly  the  scar  left  by 
•each  fallen  leaf. 

Beyond  the  scar  you  see  a  little  bud  which  the  leaf  stem  nurtured 
through  the  summer  and  which  helped  the  leaf  off  to  its  rest  on  the 
ground  when  its  work  was  finished  in  the  fall ;  and  then  the  bud 
began  to  take  care  of  itself. 

Most  of  the  buds  on  our  apple  branch  are  long  and  tapering  at 
the  end  but  some  are  short  and  blunt,  and  if  you  watch  them  next 
spring  as  they  swell  and  burst  the  horny  scales  that  cover  them, 
you  will  see  flowers  unfold  from  the  blunt  ones  and  branches  and 
leaves  from  the  slim  ones  ;  and  you  will  find  that  the  little  bud  at 


108  STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETT. 

its  bursting  contains  fully  formed  a  telescoped  branch,  bearing  its 
season's  growth  of  leaves  ;  and  that  the  flower  bud  contains  a  whole 
cluster  of  apples. 

So  the  spring  and  summer  only  mature  the  branches,  leaves, 
flowers  and  fruit,  that  were  born  the  year  before. 

Next  June  the  air  will  be  full  of  perfume  from  the  orchards  and 
we  shall  again  enjoy  the  pink  and  white  beauty  of  the  tree-tops.  A 
bouquet  of  apple  blossoms  is  on  our  table  and  the  child  takes  one  in 
his  hand,  or  if  in  his  teens  it  may  be  that  such  things  are  beneath 
his  notice,  and  only  playthings  for  four-year-olds  or  nosegays  for 
girls. 

But  you  and  I  have  grown  older ;  we  pity  the  poverty  of  his 
mind  and  think  of  "Peter  Bell :" 

"A  primrose  by  the  river's  brim, 
A  yellow  primrose  was  to  bim, 
Anil  nothing  more." 

Shall  it  never  be  anything  more  ?  Shall  not  the  school  open  his 
eyes  to  seeing,  and  his  mind  to  knowing  the  beauty  about  his  home  ? 

You  take  the  flower  and  you  see  the  tinted  petals  and  green 
sepals  and  the  tuft  of  threads  that  stand  on  end  in  its  center,  and 
the  yellow  powder  that  trembles  on  their  tops  ;  and  you  think  of 
the  work  it  is  doing  in  the  orchard.  While  the  yellow  legged  bees 
are  buzzing  back  and  forth  from  the  hive,  and  the  lazy  butterflies 
are  drinking  nectar  from  the  blossoms,  the  pollen  grains  drop  down, 
and  knock  at  the  green  doors  below  them ;  they  go  in,  and  then 
they  awaken  the  tree  babies  asleep  in  their  seed  cradles,  and  feed 
them  and  start  them  growing. 

That  is  what  the  blossoms  are  for,  and  not  simply  a  holiday  dress 
for  the  tree,  and  when  their  work  is  done,  the  yellow  pollen,  the 
thread-like  stamens,  and  the  beautiful  petals  of  the  corolla,  say 
good-bye  to  the  baby  apples  and  float  away  on  the  wind.  The  tree 
has  put  on  its  every  day  wear  of  summer,  but  the  little  green  sepals 
of  the  calyx  always  remain  and  you  can  see  them  dry  and  dead, 
opposite  the  stems  of  the  apples  you  gather  in  the  fall. 

Cut  the  apple  across  and  you  see  the  star  shaped  cove  and  the 
brown  seed  within — full  grown  now,  and  dry  and  dead.  Is  it  dead? 
Pull  off  its  brown  coat  and  separate  the  white  inside  along  the 
line  that  passes  lengthwise  around  it.  At  the  pointed  end  we  see 
a  little  speck,  which  under  a  lens  takes  form  and  our  seed  is  not  a 
seed,  but  a  baby  apple  tree  perfect  in  all  its  parts. 

It  was  rocked  to  sleep  by  the  wind  that  scattered  the  leaves  but 
it  is  ready  now  to  awaken  in  the  earth,  and  send  its  roots  down 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  109 

and  trunk  up,  and  to  spread  out  into  the  sunlit  air  the  little  leaves 
that  were  born  last  summer  in  the  darkened  chamber  at  the  apple's 
heart. 

Under  proper  conditions  this  little  germ  would  have  repeated  in 
itself  the  history  of  its  parent  and  perhaps  some  day  it  would  have 
sent  its  fruit  to  grace  the  exhibition  tables  of  the  society  which 
bears  its  name.  I  have  told  j^ou  nothing  new  about  the  apple  tree 
and  I  did  not  expect  to.  I  wished  simply  to  direct  your  minds  to 
some  of  the  interesting  subjects  for  study  that  are  presented  to  the 
child  in  the  observation  of  even  one  plant ;  but  if  so  much  is  writ- 
ten in  one  plant  what  an  immensity  of  knowledge  awaits  the  learn- 
ing in  all  the  plants  that  grow  about  his  home.  And  why  should 
not  the  school  teacb  him  to  learn  of  the  things  that  are  always  with 
him  ?  And  what  I  say  of  plant  study  is  equally  true  of  all  nature 
study. 

Plant  study  is  not  only  adapted  to  supply  the  knowledge  needs 
of  the  child  but  it  is  adequate  for  his  mental  development  and  the 
exercise  of  all  his  powers.  It  interests  him,  busies  his  hands  and 
eyes,  it  cultivates  the  power  of  attention  and  observation  and 
through  the  intelligent  direction  of  these,  it  gives  clear  ideas  for 
memory,  imagination,  judgment,  reasoning  and  all  the  other  facul- 
ties of  the  mind. 

The  material  is  easy  to  get  and  admirably  adapted  for  collec- 
tions. The  knowledge  that  comes  from  it  admits  of  systematic 
arrangement,  it  interprets  the  sense  perceptions,  and  gives  imagin- 
ation the  ideas  for  seeing  the  world  beyond  his  vision.  The  clear 
ideas  the  child  gets  need  names  and  so  plant  study  increases  his 
vocabulary,  just  as  his  oral  expression  cultivates  his  facility  of 
speech  and  power  of  thought.  He  knows  something  and  he  wants 
to  tell  it,  and  the  telling  of  it  in  writing  affords  the  natural  oppor- 
tunity for  teaching  him  the  use  of  capitals,  punctuation,  sentences, 
paragraphs  and  all  technical  form  of  written  language.  He  draws 
the  leaf,  or  the  fruit  or  the  parts  of  the  flower,  and  thus  gains 
ideas  of  form  as  well  as  cultivates  his  power  of  expressing  form. 
Plant  study  cultivates  his  power  to  get  knowledge  first  hand,  a 
power  that  he  will  need  to  use  all  his  life,  and  it  gives  him  ideas  to 
interpret  his  seeing  and  the  language  used  in  books.  He  enjoys  it 
while  he  is  at  school,  it  furnishes  him  with  a  pleasant  pastime  after 
school  life  is  over ;  it  brings  him  into  sympathy  with  nature  and 
into  possession  of  an  inheritance  that  does  not  perish  with  the 
usinsr. 


110  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Day  after  day  the  farmer's  boy  has  worked  among  plants-r-has 
he  been  learning  to  know  them,  and  understand  their  language? 
Is  his  mind  filled  with  knowledge  in  consequence  of  seeing  them 
and  does  he  love  them  and  does  his  soul  respond  to  their  beauty- 
with  beautiful  thoughts  ? 

Alas,  poor  "Peter  Bell!" 

I  was  a  farmer  boy,  and  it  has  been  the  regret  of  my  life  that  my 
opportunities  for  learning  were  lost  because  I  had  no  teaching. 

How  commonplace  it  was  !  And  what  an  education  it  might  have 
been,  and  how  full  of  beauty  and  sweet  companionship  it  might 
have  been  then  !  And  what  memories  to  cheer  amid  the  cares  of 
later  years  I  can  only  judge  by  the  value  I  set  on  those  I  have  and 
the  feeling  of  my  loss. 

And  I  ask  you  who  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  have  boy» 
and  girls  at  home,  if  they  shall  also  miss  the  blessing  that  was- 
denied  their  father?  Or  shall  the  school  teach  them^  as  it  did  not 
teach  us?  I  hope  so.  They  who  dwell  close  to  Nature's  hearty 
may  find  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brook,  sermons  in- 
stones  and  good  in  everything.  And  I  have  only  touched  upon  its 
value  as  a  helper  in  education. 

But  plants  are  only  a  third  of  nature  and  if  the  child  is  taught 
to  observe  and  learn  from  all,  what  vistas  of  enduring  pleasure  are 
before  him  !  And  what  fields  of  lifelong  study  are  open  especially 
to  the  country  boys  and  girls. 

One  person  sees  more  than  another,  not  because  his  eyes  are 
better,  but  because  his  mind  is  trained  to  interpret  the  impressions 
made  upon  the  brain  through  the  eye.  What  we  see  in  things  is 
determined  by  what  we  know  of  them.  We  may  all  look  at  the 
same  things  but  no  two  will  see  the  same  thing  for  no  two  have  the 
same  interpreting  knowledge. 

We  see  with  the  mind,  we  do  not  see  with  the  eyes,  the  eye  is 
but  the  window,  the  eye  can  not  be  educated  any  more  than  the 
lens  in  your  spectacles  can  be  educated ;  eyes,  ears  and  all  the 
other  organs  of  sense  are  but  the  instruments  that  the  mind  uses  in 
learning.  In  learning  what?  In  learning  the  color,  size,  form  and 
properties  of  objects,  primarily,  but  if  that  was  all,  our  learning 
would  be  useless.  It  is  not  all,  for  every  faculty  of  the  mind 
stands  ready  to  take  what  it  can  use  of  the  materials  brought  in 
through  the  senses,  and  the  name  of  this  material  is  ideas.  That 
in  the  mind  which  corresponds  to  the  thing  outside  the  mind  and 
the  word  we  apply  to  the  thing  is  the  sign  of  the  idea. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  Ill 

Observation  brings  in  ideas  and  thought  places  them  side  by  side 
and  compares  them  to  find  out  their  relations.  Clear  ideas  are 
necessary  to  thinking  and  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  giving  clearness 
to  our  ideas  that  observation  needs  to  be  trained.  Observation 
deals  with  things  and  thinking  deals  with  their  relations.  The 
mind  compares  one  idea  with  another  and  forms  a  judgment  as  to 
the  relation  that  the  one  bears  to  the  other,  and  this  judgment  is 
expressed  by  a  proposition. 

The  order  of  thought  then  is  from  the  object  of  knowledge  to 
the  idea,  from  clear  ideas  to  judgments  of  their  relations  ;  and 
from  judgments  that  express  known  relations  to  conclusions  estab- 
lishing relations  before  unknown. 

I  have  said  nothing  of  memory,  imagination  and  the  other  facul- 
ties of  the  soul,  but  they  are  equally  dependent  upon  the  elemen- 
tary ideas  that  come  through  the  senses.  The  grain  must  go  in  at 
the  hopper  or  grist  cannot  come  out  of  the  spout. 

The  first  steps  in  any  study  should  furnish  the  elementarj'  ideas 
from  the  real  objects  of  thought  and  associate  with  them  the  terms 
used  in  books.  Words  are  the  symbols  of  ideas  and  only  so  far  as 
men  have  like  ideas  and  the  same  words  to  stand  for  them  can  they 
communicate  their  thoughts  to  each  other  by  means  of  language. 
I  would  not  detract  from  the  value  of  books,  and  the  study  of 
books  at  school. 

Books  have  their  proper  place  in  school  and  a  very  large  place 
but  they  have  usurped  the  place  of  observation  and  they  have  too 
long  stood  between  the  child  and  knowledge. 

And  you  and  I  who  know  just  enough  of  Nature  to  feel  our  loss, 
and  to  regret  that  we  were  not  taught  how  to  learn,  know  this  too 
well.  We  think  of  our  early  possibilities  and  feel  our  need  and  go 
to  books  to  learn — for  our  school  taught  us  no  other  way — and  when 
we  look  for  Nature's  units  out  of  doors,  we  cannot  find  them.  We 
do  not  see  the  trees  for  woods. 

The  earth  beneath  his  feet  is  the  child's.  The  heavens  that  arch 
over  him  are  his  and  the  sun  by  day  and  the  stars  by  night  shine 
for  him.  The  land  and  water  and  life,  the  air  that  envelopes  them 
and  all  the  forces  that  act  upon  them  or  are  manifested  through 
them  focus  their  rays  upon  him.  He  is  the  center  of  the  universe 
as  he  is  the  center  of  the  circle  bounded  by  earth  and  sky.  And 
this  home  slice  was  cut  for  him  from  the  big  round  world,  to  feed 
his  growing  mind  and  bring  him  to  the  full  stature  of  his  kuowl- 


112  STATE    PJMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

edge.     Shall  he  have  it?     Or  shall  others  eat  it  for  him  aud  tell 
him  how  good  it  tastes  ? 

If  the  child  learns  he  must  learn  as  all  learners  have  learned, 
from  Adam  up.  The  history  of  the  individual  must  be  the  con- 
centrated history  of  the  race. 


GOOD   FOOD   FE03I  THE   GARDEX. 
By  Miss  Axxa  Barrows,  Bo.stou. 

This  subject  does  not  belong  directly  to  the  work  of  the  pomo- 
logical  society,  but  as  we  look  at  it  we  may  see  the  connection. 
Probably  the  foods  of  primitive  people  were  nuts  or  fruits  already 
provided  by  nature  and  requiring  little  or  no  cooking.  The  earli- 
est experiments  in  actual  cooking  were  probably  broiled  meats ; 
the  cookery  of  fruits  and  vegetables  indicates  a  higher  degree  of 
civilization.  A  criticism  made  by  students  of  foods  in  other  coun- 
tries is  that  meat  forms  too  large  a  proportion  of  the  food  of  the 
American  people  ;  we  have  not  yet  learned  how  to  cook  and  eat 
vegetables.  All  the  efforts  expended  in  horticulture  and  garden- 
ing are  useless  unless  the  fruits  and  vegetables'  produced  are 
treated  properly  in  the  kitchen,  therefore  it  is  desirable  that  this 
society  should  consider  the  question  of  cookery. 

Before  we  can  cook  vegetables  intelligently  we  must  understand 
their  composition  and  to-night  I  have  chosen  a  few  that  might  be 
called  typical  vegetables.  We  will  begin  with  the  potato  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  in  many  houses  the  knowledge  of  vegetables 
apparently  begins  and  ends  with  the  potato,  for  we  use  it  when  we 
might  better  substitute  other  vegetables.  It  is  a  question  whether 
we  shall  remove  the  skins  before  or  after  cooking.  There  is  a  loss 
of  mineral  substances  and  some  of  the  solider  portions  which  lie 
next  the  skin,  but  for  many  purposes  it  is  a  convenience  to  the 
cook  to  have  the  potatoes  pared  before  they  are  boiled,  and  this  is 
always  desirable  when  the  potatoes  ai'e  imperfect.  When  we 
depend  on  the  potato  for  nourishment  we  do  well  to  cook  it  in  its 
skin,  but  if  we  have  other  green  vegetables  like  celer^^,  lettuce  or 
cabbage  to  give  us  the  required  mineral  substances,  what  we  lose 
in  this  way  is  often  made  up  by  the  gain  in  the  after  preparation. 
Since  these  potatoes  are  pared  and  cut  they  must  be  covered  with 


STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  113 

cold  water  to  prevent  ijhem  from  turning  dark  until  we  are  ready 
to  cook  them. 

Next  we  shall  use  some  carrots  and  to  gain  time  in  cooking  and 
present  them  in  the  most  attractive  form  on  the  table,  they  are  to 
be  cut  in  small  portions.  One  reason  why  many  of  us  do  not  like 
vegetables  better  is  that  we  have  been  accustomed  to  having  them 
cooked  in  only  one  way.  The  New  England  boiled  dinner  is  good 
in  its  way,  but  this  becomes  unpalatable  when  it  appears  too  often. 
We  scrape  the  carrot  since  it  has  a  thin  skin,  though  a  turnip 
should  be  pared  because  its  skin  is  thick.  This  particular  carrot 
has  a  ring  of  green  on  top  which  must  be  cut  off,  this  is  some  of 
the  green  coloring  of  the  plant  which  makes  its  appearance  in  the 
top  of  the  root  when  not  covered  with  earth  and  gives  a  strong 
bitter  taste  and  therefore  should  be  removed.  I  now  cut  the  carrot 
in  slices  one  way  and  then  across  the  other  lengthwise,  and  then 
turn  it  down  on  the  side  and  cut  across  so  that  it  falls  apart  in  little 
tubes  which  cook  quickly,  are  easily  served,  and  make  an  attractive 
dish.  Although  we  may  lose  some  of  the  nutritive  qualities  of  the 
carrot  by  cutting  it  in  small  portions,  still  if  the  water  in  which  it 
is  cooked  is  retained,  all  the  goodness  is  there.  It  might  be  cooked 
in  soup  stock  which  should  be  allowed  to  evaporate  at  last  leaving 
just  enough  to  moisten  slightly,  and  thus  it  would  have  a  flavor  of 
meat,  or  it  might  be  served  with  a  white  sauce.  A  very  pretty  dish 
is  obtained  by  sprinkling  a  little  chopped  parsley  over  the  carrot 
after  it  is  cooked. 

Food  often  tastes  better  if  it  looks  well,  and  if  we  wish  to  make 
these  despised  vegetables  attractive  we  must  put  more  care  into 
their  preparation.  One  reason  for  our  dislike  of  vegetables  has 
been  our  carelessness  in  this  respect.  A  decayed  portion,  or  a 
green  place,  or  a  root  which  might  conceal  earth  not  easily  washed 
out  will  give  a  disagreeable  flavor  to  a  whole  kettle  full,  aud  often 
the  kettle  itself  is  responsible  for  ill  flavors. 

Very  few  vegetables  contain  fat  therefore  we  add  butter  or  fat 
meat  to  them.  When  studying  foods  we  are  often  astonished  to 
find  so  large  a  percentage  of  water,  and  wonder  that  such  articles 
have  any  real  food  value.  We  must  remember  that  our  bodies  are 
about  three-fourths  water,  therefore  we  require  foods  which  are 
largely  water.  Many  persons  eat  too  much  concentrated  food  and 
one  of  the  great  advantages  of  the  more  general  use  of  fruits  and 
vegetables  is  that  in  that  way  more  water  is  taken  into  the  system. 
8 


114  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Tonight  we  cannot  make  any  use  of  dried  vegetables  like  peas, 
beans  or  lentils.  Some  experiments  with  them  recently  have  shown 
me  that  if  such  vegetables  are  soaked  for  twenty- four  hours  or 
longer  they  will  cook  as  quickly  as  when  fresh,  while  if  they  are 
half  soaked  they  require  a  long  time  for  cooking.  Tonight  to  illus- 
trate the  absorption  of  water  by  dried  vegetable  products,  I  shall 
use  a  manufactured  substance,  macaroni.  It  this  country  it  is  not 
as  common  a  food  as  it  should  be,  but  it  makes  an  agreeable 
change,  is  economical  and  nourishing.  We  have  here  about  one- 
fourth  of  a  pound  or  four  cents  worth.  This  has  been  cooked  rap- 
idly in  boiling  salted  water  until  tender,  then  drained  and  covered 
with  cold  water  which  makes  it  firmer  and  in  better  shape  for  using 
afterward.  I  am  using  the  macaroni  to  illustrate  one  use  of  toma- 
toes, from  which  a  sauce  is  to  be  made  to  serve  with  it.  Many 
times  we  want  an  extra  dish  on  our  table  in  a  hurry  when  some 
supply  has  failed  us,  "We  can  always  have  a  package  of  macaroni 
and  a  can  of  tomatoes  in  the  house  and  a  substantial  dish  can  be 
prepared  quickly. 

There  is  little  danger  in  using  canned  foods  if  they  are  removed 
from  the  can  as  soon  as  it  is  opened.  If  only  a  half  can  of  toma- 
toes is  used  and  the  remainder  be  put  away  in  the  can,  the  acid  of 
the  tomato  acts  upon  the  tin  as  is  impossible  when  the  can  is  tight. 
All  canned  foods  are  much  better  if  well  aired  before  serving.  If 
fruit  is  turned  into  a  shallow  dish  and  left  to  stand  for  an  hour  or 
more  before  a  meal  it  has  a  much  fresher  taste. 

The  tomatoes  are  rubbed  through  a  strainer  and  are  then  suitable 
for  a  sauce  or  a  soup.  I  melt  one  tablespoonful  of  butter,  then 
stir  in  one  tablespoonful  of  flour,  one-half  teaspoonful  of  salt  and 
a  little  pepper.  Cook  till  frothy  and  then  add  one  cupful  of 
strained  tomato  and  cook  until  we  have  a  smooth,  thick  sauce. 
If  we  wish  to  flavor  this  sauce  with  onion  we  can  do  it  in  several 
ways,  we  may  cut  it  fine  and  cook  in  the  butter,  or  cook  it  with  the 
tomato  before  straining,  or  as  I  shall  use  it  now  by  cutting  a  slice 
from  the  base  of  the  onion  and  pressing  the  cut  surface  of  the 
onion  firmly  against  a  grater  over  the  sauce-pan  containing  the 
sauce,  and  several  drops  of  onion  juice  will  follow  this  pressure. 
In  the  same  way  in  which  this  sauce  is  made  we  might  make  a  soup 
by  adding  an  equal  quantity  of  meat  broth  or  soup  stock,  and  more 
seasoning.  But  now  the  tomato  is  added  to  the  sauce  and  heated 
thoroughly.     This  is  excellent  to  serve  with  cold  meats. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  115 

Another  dish  suggested  by  this  tomato  sauce  is  a  combination  of 
rice  and  meat.  Line  a  mold  with  a  half-inch  layer  of  cooked  rice, 
fill  with  chopped  meat  (lamb  or  beef)  mixed  with  a  tomato  sauce, 
cover  the  whole  with  more  rice,  and  steam  until  well  heated,  then 
turn  out  of  the  mold  and  pour  more  of  the  sauce  around  it. 

Some  one  has  said  that  in  the  past  the  New  England  idea  of 
vegetables  included  only  potatoes,  cabbage  and  turnip  and  beans 
and  corn.  I  fancy  that  if  we  should  go  through  this  State  taking 
a  census  of  the  varieties  of  vegetables  used,  we  should  find  many 
families  that  seldom  used  any  others.  The  Indians  had  about  the 
same  variety  cultivated  in  this  country  before  the  white  men  came 
and  it  is  surely  time  for  us  to  make  more  progress  in  this  direction. 

There  are  many  persons  who  have  not  learned  to  like  asparagus 
because  they  have  not  found  out  how  easy  it  is  to  cultivate.  It  is 
a  valuable  vegetable  because  it  comes  in  a  season  when  there  are 
no  other  green  foods,  and  an  asparagus  bed  well  started  almost 
takes  care  of  itself.  Cauliflower,  oyster  plant,  Brussels  sprouts, 
egg  plant  and  mushrooms  are  all  delicious  and  yet  not  generally 
raised  by  farmers. 

There  is  one  substance  in  vegetables  which  is  especially  neces- 
sary for  us  to  know  about  because  it  is  so  difficult  to  cook,  and 
that  is  the  cellulose  or  woody  fibre.  The  amount  varies  in  different 
vegetables  and  in  the  same  vegetable  at  different  stages  of  its 
growth.  A  beet,  for  example,  is  quickly  cooked  in  midsummer, 
but  later  in  the  year  will  require  several  hours. 

All  of  our  vegetable  foods  can  be  served  in  a  variety  of  ways, 
though  there  are  but  a  few  different  methods  of  cooking  them.  In 
general  we  may  say  that  vegetables  are  better  if  boiled  rapidly, 
while  meats  are  improved  by  stewing  or  slow  cooking.  The  potato 
may  be  served  whole,  it  may  be  mashed  and  made  into  croquettes 
or  we  may  cut  it  up  after  cooking  and  heat  it  in  a  white  sauce,  or 
make  it  into  a  soup  as  we  shall  do  to-night,  or  serve  it  cold  with  a 
dressing  as  a  salad,  and  almost  any  other  vegetable  may  be  served 
in  these  and  many  other  ways.  Most  of  us  would  probably  agree 
that  if  we  could  have  the  potato  cooked  in  but  one  way  that  would 
be  as  a  baked  potato,  but  when  we  have  potatoes  too  imperfect  to 
bake  we  may  boil  them,  mash  them  and  make  into  soup  or  cro- 
quettes. 

The  summer  vegetables  are  not  available  to-night  and  therefore  I 
have  said  little  about  them.  Many  times  peas,  carrots  and  other 
vegetables  having  sweet  juices  are  boiled   in  a  large  quantity    of 


116  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

water  and  then  a  colander  is  placed  over  the  sink,  the  vegetable 
turned  in  and  the  best  flavor  goes  down  the  sink  spout.  With  vege- 
tables which  have  strong  flavors  like  the  onion  and  turnip  it  is  well 
for  us  to  use  a  large  quantity  of  water  and  drain  them  in  order  to 
remove  some  of  the  overpowerful  flavor,  but  in  green  corn,  peas 
and  squash  we  should  retain  as  much  of  the  sweetness  as  possible. 

The  onion  is  a  wholesome  vegetable  and  should  be  freely  used. 
It  is  easy  to  peel  onions  if  we  keep  them  under  water.  If  they  are 
extremely  strong  the  water  should  be  changed  once  or  twice  while 
they  are  boiling.  "When  we  have  onions  left  from  dinner  they  may 
be  cut  up,  mixed  with  a  cream  sauce,  put  in  a  shallow  pudding  dish 
and  cover  with  a  layer  of  buttered  crumbs,  then  cook  until  the 
crust  of  crumbs  is  well  done.  Many  people  like  onions  in  this 
way  if  not  in  any  other  fashion,  and  if  we  can  by  any  means  man- 
age to  make  people  eat  more  vegetables  we  are  doing  a  good  work. 
There  are  many  dishes  that  we  might  prepare  from  vegetables  that 
would  give  a  desirable  variety  on  our  tables  and  make  our  daily 
bill  of  fare  much  better.  It  would  be  far  better  for  us,  especially 
in  the  summer  season,  if  we  ate  less  meat  and  hot  bread  and  more 
vegetable  foods.  The  potatoes  which  were  pared  ai  the  beginning 
of  this  talk,  have  now  been  boiled  until  tender  and  are  to  be 
drained,  mashed  and  made  into  a  soup.  For  each  cupful  of 
mashed  potato  I  shall  use  a  generous  pint  of  milk,  as  the  potato  is 
heavier  than  the  milk  a  slight  thickening  of  flour  is  needed  to  keep 
the  two  parts  smoothly  together.  I  use  one  tablespoonful  of  but- 
ter and  a  little  less  of  flour,  one-half  teaspoonful  of  salt  and  the 
same  quantity  of  celery  salt  and  a  speck  of  pepper,  these  are 
cooked  together  till  frothy  and  then  blended  smoothly  with  the 
potato  and  milk  and  the  whole  strained.  Last  of  all  I  add  a  few 
drops  of  onion  juice  and  a  little  parsley.  This  is  not  fresh  but 
dried  parsley  such  as  we  maj'  save  from  our  gardens  in  summer. 
If  too  thick  more  milk  or  water  should  be  added.  In  the  same 
way  soups  can  be  made  from  almost  any  other  vegetable. 

Wilted  vegetables  are  less  palatable  and  usually  require  more 
time  iu  cooking,  but  their  condition  can  be  improved  by  soaking  in 
cold  water.  If  we  take  a  cabbage  that  has  been  stored  for  some 
time  and  cut  off  a  slice  from  the  stock  and  place  it  in  a  pan  of 
water  there  will  be  a  surprising  change  in  the  texture  of  the  cab- 
bage. Our  next  dish  will  be  a  cabbage  salad.  For  this  we  may 
make  a  salad  bowl  from  the  cabbage  itself,  folding  back  the  outer 
leaves  then  cutting  out  the  center,  chopping  it  and  putting  it  back 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY.  117 

again  into  the  leaves.  This  will  give  us  an  illustration  of  a  vege- 
table which  is  suitable  to  eat  uncooked,  or  as  a  salad.  Olive  oil 
is  a  wholesome  form  of  fat  especially  suitable  to  serve  with  cold 
vegetables,  but  as  many  persons  do  not  like  that,  to-night  we  will 
use  a  dressing  where  butter  and  milk  supply  fat. 

BOILED    SALAD    DRESSING. 

Melt  one  tablespoonful  of  butter  in  a  saucepan,  add  one  table- 
spoonful  of  flour,  cook  together  till  frothy  but  not  browned,  add 
one-half  cupful  of  vinegar,  and  continue  cooking  till  the  mixture 
thickens  ;  then  remove  from  the  stove.  Thoroughly  mix  one  tea- 
spoonful  each  of  salt,  sugar  and  mustard  and  a  few  grains  of 
cayenne,  and  sift  into  the  vinegar  sauce,  stirring  in  smoothly. 
Heat  one  cupful  of  milk  in  a  double  boiler,  add  two  beaten  egg 
yolks,  and  cook  like  soft  custard,  stirring  constantly.  When 
slightly  thickened  remove  the  upper  part  of  the  double  boiler  and 
gradually  mix  the  custard  with  the  vinegar  sauce.  Beat  the  two 
parts  together  with  the  egg-beater  until  perfectly  smooth,  strain 
before  it  cools.  Put  away  in  small  glass  jars  closely  covered  ;  it 
will  keep  for  weeks  in  a  cool  place  even  if  the  jars  are  not  air-tight. 

This  formula  admits  of  many  variations  A  whole  egg  may  be 
used  in  place  of  egg  yolks,  but  like  any  soft  custard  the  dressing 
is  smoother  when  yolks  only  are  used.  This  is  a  particularly  good 
way  to  turn  to  good  account  any  yolks  remaining  after  making 
angel  cake  or  meringues,  where  whites  alone  are  admissible.  If 
there  happens  to  be  three  or  four  yolks  on  hand  instead  of  two, 
and  it  is  not  desirable  to  make  a  larger  quantity  of  dressing,  all 
may  be  used  in  this  with  no  bad  result.  Chicken  or  veal  stock  can 
be  substituted  for  milk.  A  thicker  dressing  may  be  made  by  using 
more  flour  or  cornstarch  in  place  of  flour.  For  watery  vegetables 
a  thick  dressing  is  desirable,  and  for  others  the  sauce  may  be 
reduced  by  adding  a  spoonful  of  vinegar,  or  cream  or  stock  to  the 
portion  to  be  used.  The  seasoning  may  be  varied  by  changing  the 
proportions  given  above,  or  by  using  vinegar  already  flavored  with 
tarragon  or  garlic,  or  by  the  addition  of  celery  salt,  but  it  is  usually 
best  when  making  a  large  quantity  of  dressing  to  use  only  the 
ordinary  seasonings  and  add  special  flavors  on  occasions.  Celery 
salt,  for  example,  would  not  be  agreeable  in  all  cases,  but  may  be 
nsed  for  a  chicken  salad,  especially  when  fresh  celery  cannot  be 
obtained.     The  jar  of  dressing  should  be  thoroughly  stirred  before 

using,  as  the  butter,  like  any  other  fat,  has  a  tendency  to  rise  to 
the  top. 


SECRETARY'S  PORTFOLIO. 


The  papers  and   other  matter  contained  in  the  follow- 
ing pages  happen  to  form  no  part  of  the  trans- 
actions of  the  Society,  yet  are  so  related  to 
the  fruit  interests  of  the  State  as  to  be 
entitled    to    the    place    assigned    to 
them  here. 


^^^^^p^ 


JOHN   J.   THOMAS. 
HOKTICULTUKIST  AND   AUTHOR. 

isin— iss.'i. 
[See  page  124.] 


SECRETARY'S  PORTFOLIO. 


AN  ENTHUSIASTIC  HORTICULTURIST. 

Many  fruit  growers  have  been  identified  with  the  work  of  the 
Maine  State  Pomological  Society  in  the  past.  Charles  S.  Pope',  of 
Manchester  at  the  first  meeting  for  organizing  was^^chosen  treas- 
urer of  the  society,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  he  has' been 
an  able  and  faithful  officer  of  the  society.  On  the  retirement  of 
Robert  H.  Gardiner  from  the  presidency,  Mr.  Pope  was  elected 
president  in  1884  and  year  after  year  was  re-elected  until  the  pres- 
ent year.  It  was  a  remark  of  his  at  our  Foxcroft  meeting  last 
winter  that  he  had  attended  every  public  meeting  of  the  society, 
and  to  this  the  writer  may  add  that  he  was  never  an  idle  or  indif- 
ferent listener  on  these  occasions.  In  view  of  the  valuable  ser- 
vices rendered  to  the  fruit  growers  of  the  State  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
present  our  many  readers  with  a  brief  sketch  of  Mr.  Pope  and  an 
excellent  portrait. 

Only  a  few  rods  to  the  north  of  the  "Forks  of  the  Road"  in  the 
town  of  Manchester  there  is  ^  stately  rural  home,  surrounded  by 
magnificent  shade  trees,  and  tastily  adorned  with  beautiful  shrubs 
and  flowers.  Nearl}^  seventy-five  years  ago  Mr.  Pope's  father 
settled  upon  this  place  when  he  was  only  nineteen  years  of  age. 
The  old  Vassalboro  home  from  which  he  came  in  later  years  became 
the  property  of  Burleigh  &  Bodwell  and  was  made  famous  among 
stockmen  for  its  thoroughbreds.  Four  years  after  coming  to  Man- 
chester he  married  Lavinia  M.  Stackpole  of  North  Berwick.  From 
this  marriage  there  were  four  children,  three  daughters  and  a  son. 
Many  years  of  health  and  happiness  were  granted  to  both  father 
and  mother.  During  the  past  year  the  mother  was  stricken  down 
■with  apoplexy  and  after  months  of  helplessness  death  came  to  her 
relief.  The  father  still  lives  to  mourn  his  loss,  while  rejoicing  irx 
his  own  good  health  and  pleasant  surroandings. 


122  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

The  son  was  born  September  3,  1841.  He  says  he  sought  a  wife 
among  the  fruit  growers  of  New  York,  and  married  M.  Elizabeth 
Carpenter  of  Ulster  county.  They  have  four  children,  three  boys 
and  one  girl.  The  children  have  been  trained  to  enjoy  fruits  and 
flowers,  and  with  one  accord  as  it  were  all  seem  to  be  natural  fruit 
growers.  We  only  wish  some  of  our  cold-hearted  farmers  could 
see  what  these  children  are  doing  for  amusement  and  profit  about 
their  garden.  The  lesson  would  convince  the  most  indifferent  that 
children  can  find  pleasure  in  doing  these  things.  Guide  them  and 
encourage  them  and  you  bestow  upon  them  more  substantial  wealth 
than  hoarded  dollars  can  give. 

Before  settling  in  Manchester,  Mr.  Pope's  father  had  a  nursery 
of  apple  trees  in  Vassalboro,  and  when  he  sold  them  he  reserved 
some  of  the  trees  and  brought  them  to  his  new  home.  The  oldest 
trees  on  the  hillside  orchard  came  from  this  nursery,  some  300  trees 
in  all.  When  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age  the  son  planted  a  nursery 
of  his  own,  and  from  this  source  the  father  and  son  began  to  set  as 
soon  as  the  trees  were  large  enough,  setting  about  one  hundred 
trees  a  year  for  five  or  six  years.  Since  then,  additions  have  been 
made  from  year  to  year  until  the  hillside  is  covered  with  trees. 
There  are  about  1,600  trees,  covering  not  far  from  thirty  acres  of 
land.  The  orchard  contains  Baldwins  very  largely,  though  there 
are  Gravensteins,  Hubbardstons,  Tompkins,  Talman's  Sweets,  R.  I. 
Greenings  and  Roxbury  Russets.  The  Baldwin  is  the  main  crop, 
and  under  the  skillful  culture  given  to  it,  it  has  borne  boun- 
tiful crops  of  choice  fruit  to  reward  its  skillful  owners.  Ex- 
hibitors at  our  fairs  have  learned  to  respect  the  grower  of  this 
fruit,  for  it  has  been  rare  that  fruit  from  this  killside  has  not  borne 
away  a  large  share  of  premiums.  There  are  two  things  about  this 
fruit,  it  shows  a  skillful  grower  and  a  skillful  handlier,  both  of  which 
are  important  in  exhibition  fruit. 

Nor  have  his  labors  in  fruit  culture  been  limited  to  the  orchard. 
He  has  a  large,  well  arranged  garden  of  small  fruits — long  rows, 
unobstructed  by  trees  that  are  easily  worked  with  the  horse.  An 
abundance  of  these  luscious  fruits  have  thus  been  grown  for  a  large 
family,  and  the  writer  doubts  if  there  is  any  family  in  the  State 
that  derives  more  substantial  pleasure  from  the  fruit  garden  than 
the  Popes. 

In  recent  years  Mr.  Pope  has  taken  great  interest  in  the  culture 
of  pears,  plums  and  small  fruits.  His  grounds  contain  twenty-two 
varieties  of  pears  and  twenty-six  varieties  of  plums,  Japan  plums, 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  123 

apricots,  peaches,  quinces,  etc.  The  vegetable  garden  is  not 
neglected,  for  it  is  on  a  large  scale  both  in  extent  and  variety.  He 
recently  said  in  a  letter  to  the  writer:  "It  is  fortunate  I  left  the 
Society  when  I  did,  for  if  I  attend  many  more  meetings,  I  shall  get 
to  be  so  enthusiastic  a  grower  of  fruits  and  vegetables  that  I  shall 
neglect  everything  else." 

Mr.  Pope  and  his  father  have  long  been  manufacturers  of  granite 
wedges  and  half  rounds  for  the  use  of  quarrymeu,  but  in  the  midst 
of  business  there  has  been  found  time  for  the  care  of  the  orchard 
and  garden. 

There  are  many  traits  in  Mr.  Pope's  character  that  might  be 
dwelt  upon  with  profit  in  a  sketch  like  this,  but  there  is  one  trait 
to  which  the  fruit  growers  of  the  State  are  indebted  far  more  than 
we  can  express  at  this  time.  It  is  this,  his  willingness  to  impart 
information  to  others.  His  methods  are  good  and  many  times  he 
has  told  the  fruit  growers  of  the  State  the  how  and  so  far  as  possi- 
ble the  why  of  successful  fruit  culture.  The  public  has  always 
enjoyed  listening  to  his  addresses  in  fruit  culture.  Secretary 
McKeen  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  in  response  to  requests  for 
speakers  on  fruit  growing  has  found  him  one  of  the  most  accepta- 
ble in  the  State. 

While  he  has  retired  from  official  duties  in  our  Society,  it  is  the 
wish  of  many  that  we  may  still  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  his  presence 
and  papers  at  our  meetings.  As  fruit  growers  we  may  never  be 
able  to  pay  the  debt  we  owe  him,  except  in  imitation  of  his  willing- 
ness to  impart  to  others  of  that  which  we  have  ourselves  learned  in 
fruit  culture.     "Freely  ye  have  received,  freely  give." 


124  STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


JOHN   JACOB   THOMAS. 

For  nearly  sixty  years  American  fruit  growers  and  farmers  have 
enjoyed  reading  the  words  of  Mr.  John  Jacob  Thomas.  So  often 
has  his  name  been  associated  with  fruit  growing  that  somehow 
none  of  us  quite  realized  that  his  work  on  earth  was  so  nearly 
completed.  To  be  sure  it  was  quite  generally  known  that  a  few 
months  before  his  death  he  was  obliged  to  surrender  his  editorial 
labors  to  others,  in  consequence  of  weakness  and  nervous  exhaus- 
tion. It  was  a  great  source  of  grief  to  him  that  his  failing  health 
necessitated  his  withdrawal  from  the  work  so  much  beloved.  This 
surrender  to  approaching  infirmities  was  in  August  last,  and  from 
this  time  on  to  his  death  there  was  a  gradual  breaking  down  until 
the  end  of  life's  journey  was  reached,  February  22,  1895. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  born  in  1810  on  the  shore  of  the  beautiful 
lake,  Cayuga,  and  for  many  years  has  lived  at  Union  Springs, 
New  York.  He  was  the  son  of  David  Thomas,  a  man  of  culture 
and  refinement,  whose  virtues  were  transmitted  to  his  children. 
The  father  was  an  influential  man — a  student  of  nature,  an  explorer 
and  surveyor.  His  children  inherited  his  fondness  for  investiga- 
tion and  research. 

Dr.  Joseph  Thomas,  became  famous  as  a  writer  in  the  edi- 
torial labors  that  gave  the  world  the  popular  and  valuable 
Gazetteer  and  Biographical  Dictionary  published  by  the  Lippiucotts. 
He  also  edited  Thomas'  Medical  Dictionary,  and  wrote  several 
educational  books.  He  was  a  great  linguist  and  an  extensive 
traveller. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  perhaps  less  known  to  the  world 
than  the  brother  mentioned,  but  it  is  not  for  us  to  say  that  the  life 
he  lived  was  less  useful.  It  was  perhaps  an  uneventful  life  as  com- 
pared with  those  of  his  father  and  brother.  He  was  seriously  handi- 
capped in  much  of  his  work  in  consequence  of  delicate  health  and 
weakened  vision,  but  he  had  the  most  indomitable  resolution.  More 
than  this  he  had  great  natural  gifts  and  a  well  developed  mental 
organization  with  correct  taste  and  artistic  temperament.  In  his 
contribution  to  the  press  he  drew  his  own  illustrations,  and  in  his 
books  most  of  this  work  was  done  by  himself.  Not  long  since  the 
writer's  attention  was  called  to  a  beautiful  oil  painting  by  Mr. 
Thomas,  and  by  him  presented  to  the  former  president  of  our 
society. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  125 

For  many  years  Mr.  Thomas  was  a  regular  contributor  to  The 
Cultivator  and  since  1853  associate  editor  of  the  Country  Gentle- 
man. The  readers  of  this  valuable  paper,  whose  publishers  have 
kindly  furnished  us  with  an  excell«nt  portrait,  have  been  exceed- 
ingly fortunate.  Much  that  is  written  on  rural  affairs  is  not  worth 
the  reading,  but  what  came  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Thomas  was  not 
only  conscientiously  prepared  but  could  be  depended  upon  as  sound, 
both  in  theory  and  practice.  His  standpoint  was  that  of  a  practical 
fruit  grower  and  farmer.  He  knew  what  he  was  writing  about  as 
well  as  what  he  wrote  for.  The  journalist,  who  has  to  write  so 
much  and  so  often,  has  far  greater  influence  than  many  suppose. 
In  these  days  men  read,  and  more  than  anything  else  the  reading 
forms  the  habits  of  the  man  and  often  shapes  his  whole  career. 
The  words  penned  by  this  conscientious  student  and  observer  in 
fruit  culture  have  been  found  helpful  to  thousands. 
"  "Tis  so  with  thee — thy  spirits  gone  abroad. 

And  the  glad  earth  teems  with  what  thou  hast  doue. 
And  sous  of  toil  with  thee  iu  accord — 

A  thousand  arms  round  out  the  plans  which  thine  begun.'" 

But  Mr.  Thomas  did  not  limit  his  work  to  the  periodical  for  there 
are  two  volumes  prepared  by  him  that  have  had  a  wide  reading. 
These  are  the  "American  Fruit  Culturist,"  and  "Farm  Implements 
and  Machinery."  The  former  of  these  has  probably  had  a  wider 
sale  than  any  other  work  in  fruit  culture  published  in  the  United 
States,  and  we  are  glad  to  learn  that  a  revised  edition  is  now  just 
published.  Another  work  in  nine  volumes — Rural  Affairs — was 
written  by  him  in  accordance  with  his  own  ideas.  It  has  been  found 
helpful  in  many  ways  and  will  be  read  and  studied  by  the  student 
of  agriculture  in  years  to  come. 

Although  Mr.  Thomas  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and  enjoyed  a 
particularly  useful  life,  it  is  pleasant  to  think  that  his  work  is  only 
begun  and  that  the  seed  he  sowed  will  spring  up  and  bear  still 
more  abundantly  in  the  years  to  come.  The  fruit  growers  of 
Maine  join  with  others  in  paying  grateful  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
his  useful  life.  May  the  many  lessons  he  taught  be  long  remembered, 
and  may  his  quiet,  untiring  efforts  to  advance  the  interests  of 
American  pomology  inspire  us  to  similar  work,  while  with  grateful 
hearts  we  rejoice  in  the  useful  life  of  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Thomas. 
He  was  the  last  of  a  trio,  notable  for  their  work  in  promoting  fruit 
culture  in  America,  Downing,  Barry  and  Thomas.  They  are 
greatly  missed  in  pomological  circles,  but  their  works  live  to  enrich 
the  lives  of  others. 


126  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


THE  EUSSETS. 

Great  confusion  exists  among  fruit  growers  regarding  the 
nomenclature  of  the  russets.  This  confusion  perhaps  is  no  greater 
than  it  has  been  in  the  past,  and  the  Secretary  is  convinced  after 
considerable  correspondence  and  investigation,  that  there  is  quite 
as  much  confusion  in  other  states  as  there  is  in  Maine.  Of  one 
point  there  can  be  little  doubt,  and  that  is  regarding  the  American 
Golden  Russet,  for  which  in  recent  years  the  Society  has  offered 
premiums  until  the  present  3  ear.  The  executive  officers  became 
convinced  that  very  few  of  this  variety  were  grown  in  the  State 
and  that  several  other  russets  were  exhibited  year  after  year  under 
that  name.  Accordingly  the  premiums  were  withdrawn  on  Ameri- 
can Golden  Russets  and  in  place  of  this,  on  account  of  the  excel- 
lence of  the  Golden  Russet  a  premium  is  offered  on  that  variety 
and  it  is  hoped  in  future  judges  may  be  able  to  go  thus  far  with 
certainty.  In  answer  to  a  recent  letter  Mr.  "Wm.  A.  Taylor,  Assis- 
tant Pomologist  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture 
writes : 

"I  regret  that  we  can  not  furnish  you  cuts  or  accurate  descrip- 
tions of  the  "russets."  The  subject  has  not  been  investigated 
here,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  the  confusion  is  so  great  that  a  gen- 
eral examination  and  comparison  of  the  fruit  and  trees  of  the  dif- 
ferent varieties  will  be  necessary  to  settle  several  disputed  points. 
The  following  varieties  are  well  known  and  are  quite  generally 
conceded  to  be  distinct  and  entitled  to  bear  the  names  here  used 
for  them  :  Bullock — (-''Bullock's  Pippin"  of  Coxe)  {''American 
Golden  Russet"  of  Downing.  Golden  Russet  (of  Western  New 
York) — Barry.  Golden  Russet  of  Downing  (Russet  Golden  of  the 
earlier  editions  of  Barry)  (English  Golden  of  Warder.)  Roxbury 
(Roxbury  Russet  of  Downing.)  Pomme  Grise  of  Downing. 
Concerning  most  of  the  other  russets  there  is  much  uncertainty 
either  in  regard  to  the  correctness  of  names  or  their  distinctness  as 
varieties." 

The  object  of  this  article  is  not  to  fettle  disputed  points  regard- 
ing the  russets  but  to  give  as  much  information  as  possible  to  aid 
in  the  identification  of  varieties.  Several  times  the  same  subject 
has  been  under  consideration  and  ably  discussed  at  meetings  of 
the  Society.     Mr.  R.  H.  Gardiner  had  an  excellent  paper  upon  the 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  127 

"Nomenclature  of  Russets"  (see  Transactions  for  1882)  and  this 
was  followed  by  a  paper  by  Dr.  T.  H.  Hoskins.  The  writer  ques. 
tions  very  much  whether  any  progress  has  been  made  since  that 
time,  in  establishing  the  identity  of  the  russets.  It  is  hoped  the 
following  descriptions  from. several  authors  may  be  of  service  to 
Maine  fruit  growers. 


AMERICAX   GOLDEX  IIUSSET. 

Synonyms  Bullock's  Pippin,  &c. 

This  delicious  table  apple  is  a  universal  favorite  with  all  who 
can  appreciate  delicacy  of  flavor  and  fineness  of  flesh  in  an  apple, 
and  yet  it  is  not  a  profitable  variety  for  orchard  planting,  because 
the  fruit  is  very  apt  to  be  imperfect.  The  best  I  have  seen  were 
from  the  South  and  sandstone  soils. 


AMERICAN    GOLDEN    RUSSET. 

Tree  vigorous,  upright,  round-headed,  small,  foliage  large, 
healthy.  Fruit  small  to  medium,  roundish,  conic,  regular  when 
perfect ;  surface  smooth,  yellow,  covered  with  thin  russet,  some- 
times faintly  blushed  ;  dots  minute.  Basin  shallow,  regular,  eye 
small,  closed.  Cavity  acute,  regular,  stem  long,  slender.  Core 
medium,  closed,  meeting  the  eye  ;  seeds  numerous,  pointed ;  flesh 
yellowish,  very  fine  grained,  tender,  when  fully  ripe  almost  melting, 
like  a  pear,  juicy,  becoming  dry  when  over-ripe.     Flavor  sub-acid, 


128  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

rich,  aromatic.     Quality  very  best.     Use,  dessert.  Season,  Novem- 
ber and  December. — From  Warder's  "American  Pomology." 

Under  one  of  its  syuomyms  Bullock's  Pippin,  Elliott,  in  "West- 
ern Fruit  Book"  thus  describes  tlie  American  Golden  Russet : 

Tree  ultimately  of  only  medium  size,  with  a  round,  regular  head, 
shoots  erect,  rather  slender,  admirably  suited  to  rich  soils  of  South- 
ern Ohio,  Indiana,  the  Southwest,  &c.  Grown  South,  the  fruit  is 
almost  entirely  covered  with  russet ;  North,  in  sandy  soils  it  is  a 
warm,  rich  yellow,  with  only  marblings  of  russet.  Size,  small  to 
medium  ;  form,  roundish  ovate,  tapering  much  toward  the  eye  ;  color, 
generally  rich  golden  yellow,  overspread  with  soft  russet,  and  in  the 
sun,  a  marbling  of  red ;  stem,  slender ;  cavity,  narrow,  regular ; 
calyx,  small,  closed  ;  basin,  shallow,  sometimes  four  rowed  ;  flesh, 
yellowish,  tender,  juic}',  almost  buttery,  delicate,  sprightly  ;  core, 
large  for  size  of  fruit ;  seeds,  full,  ovate,  pyramidal.  December  to 
January,  South. 

Synonyms — Golden  Russet,  Sheep  Nose,  Bullock's  Pippin,  Little 
Pearmain. 

The  American  Golden  Russet  is  one  of  the  most  delicious  and 
tender  apples,  its  flesh  resembling  more  in  texture  that  of  a  butterj' 
pear  than  that  of  an  ordinary  apple.  It  is  widel}"  cultivated  at  the 
West  and  in  New  England  as  the  Golden  Russet,  and  though 
neither  handsome  nor  large,  is  still  a  universal  favorite,  from  its 
great  productiveness  and  admirable  flavor.  The  uncouth  name  of 
Coxe,  Sheep  Nose,  is  nearly  obsolete,  except  in  New  Jersey-,  and 
we  therefore  adopt  the  present  one,  to  which  it  is  well  entitled. 
The  tree  is  thrifty,  with  upright  shoots,  dull  reddish  grayish  brown. 
Fruit  below  medium  size,  roundish-ovate,  dull  yellow,  sprinkled 
with  a  very  thin  russet.  Stalk  rather  long  and  slender,  calyx 
closed,  and  set  in  a  rather  narrow  basin.  Flesh  j-ellowish,  very 
tender,  juic}^,  with  a  mild,  rich,  spicy  flavor  ;  best  October  to  Jan- 
uary.— From  Downing's  "Fruits  and  Fruit  Trees  of  America." 

From  these  descriptions  and  the  illustration  it  appears  that  the 
American  Golden  Russet  is  not  grown  to  any  extent  in  the  State. 
Other  varieties  of  russets  have  been  erroneously  called  by  this 
name. 


STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  129 


GOLDEN  RUSSET. 


Synonyyns — English  Golden  Russet,  English  Golden,  Russet 
Golden.  This  is  an  old  English  apple  described  by  Ronalds  and 
Lindley  as  Golden  Russet,  and  as  that  is  its  commonly  accepted 
name  in  this  country  we  have  followed  it.  It  is  one  of  the  popular 
apples,  succeeding  in  nearly  all  sections  and  especially  in  rich 
western  soils.  The  tree  is  thrifty,  vigorous,  spreading,  rather 
irregular,  forming  a  bushy  head.  Young  shoots  slender,  dull  red- 
dish brown,  slightly  downy,  with  numerous  small  white  dots.  An 
early  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  roundish,  or  roundish  oblate ;  skin, 
rough ;  color,  yellow,  mostly  covered  with  dull  russet  and  having  a 
bronzed  cheek  in  the  sun ;  stalk,  short,  small ;  cavity,  medium  or 
rather  deep ;  calyx,  closed ;  ligments,  rather  long,  often  a  little 
recurved ;  basin,  broad,  rather  large,  slightly  corrugated ;  flesh, 
whitish  yellow,  fine  grained,  rather  compact,  sprightly,  mild,  sub- 
acid. Good  to  very  good.  December  to  March. — Downing's  "Fruits 
and  Fruit  Trees  of  America." 

Fruit  below  the  middle  size,  pretty  regular  in  its  outline,  without 
angles,  generally  about  two  inches  deep,  and  two  inches  and  a 
quarter  in  diameter.  Eye  rather  small,  close,  moderately  depressed, 
surrounded  by  irregular  plaits,  part  of  which  are  more  prominent 
than  the  rest ;  stalk  very  short,  deeply  inserted  in  an  uneven  nar- 
row cavity,  not  protruding  so  far  as  the  base  ;  skin  thick,  of  a  pale 
copper  color,  yellowish  russet,  very  thick  and  rough  on  the 
shaded  side  with  a  few  patches,  occasionally,  of  bright  red  on  the 
sunny  side  and  varicose  at  the  base.  Flesh  pale  yellow,  very 
fine  and  crisp  ;  juice  not  plentiful  but  saccharine,  of  an  aromatic 
and  slightly  musky  flavor. 

A  dessert  apple  from  December  till  April. 

The  Golden  Russet  has  been  known  in  our  gardens  ever  since 
the  time  of  Ray,  who  makes  it  synonymous  with  the  Aromatic  Rus- 
set. The  trees  are  very  hardy,  living  within  bleak  situations  ;  they 
grow  to  a  good  size  and  are  rather  remarkable  in  having  a  profu- 
sion of  slender  pendulous  branches. — "Guide  to  the  Orchard  and 
Fruit  Garden"  (1846)  by  George  Lindley. 

The  origin  of  this  apple  is  unknown ;  it  appears  to  have  been 
first  cultivated  in  Essex  county,  Mass.     The  fruit  is  of  medium 
9 


130  STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

size,  round,  rather  oblong,  and  of  a  regular  form  ;  the  skin  is  a 
smooth,  yellow  russet ;  flesh  remarkably  tender,  spicy,  and  high 
flavored.  The  tree  is  very  upright  and  handsome  in  its  growth; 
bears  abundantly ;  and  is  a  valuable  fruit,  ripening  in  October, 
November,  and  December. — Printed  in  1847  in  "The  New  England 
Book  of  Fruits"  by  John  M.  Ives. 

Downing  says  "there  are  many  Golden  Russets  about  the  country, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  identify  them." 

ENGLISH  RUSSET. 
The  English  Russet,  sometimes  called  Poughkeepsie  Russet  has 
been  frequently  shown  at  our  exhibitions ;  and  Downing  says  the 
English  Russet  described  by  Warder  is  entirely  distinct  from  the 
one  he  describes,  being  large,  globular,  flattened,  somewhat  one- 
sided, surface  uneven,  green.  In  season  from  December  to  January. 


ENGLISH  RUSSET. 

On  account  of  the  confusion  an  exhibition  of  russets  always 
makes  it  has  been  urged  that  the  premiums  offered  for  them  in 
doubt  should  be  entirely  omitted.  The  executive  officers,  however, 
concluded  that  it  would  be  more  satisfactory  to  continue  in  a  modi- 
fied form,  hoping  sufficient  knowledge  may  be  gained  before  many 
years  to  enable  fruit  growers  to  identify  them. 


STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY.  131 


BOOKS   FOR  KEFERENCE  IN   STUDYING  VARIETIES   OF 
THE   APPLE. 

Iq  answer  to  a  request  for  information  upon  the  subject,  Mr. 
Wm.  A.  Taylor,  of  the  Agricultural  Department,  "Washington, 
kindly  made  out  the  following  list.  Frequent  inquiries  are  made 
for  books  upon  these  subjects  and  the  list  i3  published  for  the 
benefit  of  any  who  may  wish  to  examine  authorities. 

Coxe,  William,  "A  View  of  the  Cultivation  of  Fruit  Trees  in  the 
United  States  and  of  the  Management  of  Orchards  and  Cider." 
Philadelphia,  8  vo.,  1817. 

Thatcher,  James,  M.  D.,  "The  American  Orchardist,"  Boston. 
12  mo.,  1844. 

Manning,  R.,  "The  New  England  Fruit  Book,"  2d  edition, 
Salem,  Mass.    12  mo.,  1844. 

Kenrick,  William,  "The  New  American  Orchardist,"  Boston. 
12  mo  ,  1S44. 

Cole,  S.  W.,  "The  American  Fruit  Book,"  Boston,  1849. 

Hooper,  E.  J.,  "Hooper's  Western  Fruit  Book,"  Cincinnati. 
1857,  pp.  333. 

Warder,  Dr.  John  A.,  "American  Pomology,"  Cincinnati.  1867, 
pp.  744. 

Elliott,  F.  R.,  "American  Fruit  Growers'  Guide,"  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  186-. 

Thomas,  J.  J.,  "The  American  Fruit  Culturist,"  New  York. 
1875,  pp.  576.  [A  new  edition  of  this  book  was  promised  the  pres- 
ent year  and  is  probably  in  the  market  now. — D.  H.  K.] 

Downing,  A.  J.,  (Revised  by  Charles  Downing,)  "Fruits  and 
Fruit  Trees  of  America,"  New  York.  1892,  pp.  1,011.  With  appen- 
dix, pp.  189. 

Bailey,  Prof.  L.  H.,  "Field  Notes  on  Apple  Culture,"  New 
York.    1886,  1890,  90  pp. 

Barry,  Patrick,  "Barry's  Fruit  Garden."  New  edition,  New 
York.  1891,  pp.  516. 


132  STATE    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETT. 


SCALE  OF    POINTS 

For  Use  of  Judges  at  Exhibitions. 

As  a  basis  for  making  up  awards  on  our  collective  exhibits  at 
the  Fair,  the  executive  committee  have  arranged  the  following  scale 
of  points  :  A  catalogue  has  been  prepared  in  which  values  are 
placed  upon  the  varieties  of  fruit  included  in  the  society's  premium 
list.  The  total  of  these  points  will  make  not  more  than  one-half 
of  the  points  of  the  exhibit.  When  the  entry  cards  are  prepared 
by  the  Secretary,  the  points  belonging  to  each  variety  in  the  exhibit 
will  be  given  to  it,  as  for  example,  Baldwin,  41.  The  judges  will 
take  the  list  of  varieties  in  the  exhibit  and  score  them.  The  foot- 
ings of  the  two  columns  will  determine  the  awards.  Varieties  not 
on  our  premium  list  are  given  a  certain  number  of  points.  The 
purpose  of  this  is  to  make  it  an  object  in  these  collections  to  show 
the  best  varieties  of  fruit,  and  the  exhibitors  who  do  this  will 
receive  full  justice.  The  score  of  the  varieties  themselves  will  deter- 
mine the  points  to  which  they  are  respectively  entitled. 

The  tables  are  somewhat  defective,  the  officers  not  being  able  to 
place  correct  ratings  from  their  own  knowledge.  Before  the 
exhibition  ratings  will  be  inserted  from  the  most  accurate  knowl- 
edge to  be  obtained.  Fruit  growers  who  can  supply  the  missing 
ratings  are  invited  to  send  them  to  the  Secretary  for  comparison. 


STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


133 


EXPLANATION. 

In  the  plan  of  rating,  all  varieties  are  supposed  to  be  represented  by  perfect 
specimens:  under  each  head  the  best  varieties  are  rated  at  ten,  and  all  the 
other  more  or  less  inferior  varieties  by  some  figure  less  than  ten.  It  frequently 
happens  that  with  the  best  varieties  imperfect  specimens  find  their  way  into  the 
collections.  Tlie  score  foUowina:  this  list  will  provide  a  plan  for  rating  the  speci- 
mens exhibited.  The  "Total"  in  this  table  will  be  added  to  the  score  given  the 
several  varieties. 

The  ratings  are  more;  or  less  defective,  but  the  coniniittee  feel  confident  that 
some  such  plan  is  necessary  in  order  to  do  justice  to  the  exhibitors.  It  is  believe<l 
that  experience  will  determine  the  defects,  and  future  revisions  may  correct 
them. 

APPLES. 


VARIETIES. 


Quality. 


Market. 

? 

.C 

a3 

be 

O 

a 

QJ 

'C  -f] 

U 

C  'n 

O 

W 

^ 

^t 

Alexander 

Baldwin 

Ben  Davis 

Deane  

Duchess  of  Oldenburg 

Fallawater 

Fall  Harvey 

Fameuse 

Garden  Royal 

Golden  Russet 

Granite  Beauty 

Gravensteiu 

Hubbardston  Nonsuch 

Jewett's  Fine  Red 

King  Sweeting 

Large  Yellow  Bough 

Mcintosh  Red 

Milding 

Mother 

Munson  Sweet 

Northern  Spy 

Peck's  Pleasant 

Pomme  Royale 

Porter '. 

Pound  Sweet 

Primate 

Red  Astrachau 

Red  Canada 

Rolfe 

R.  1.  Greening 

Roxbury  Russet 

Russell 

Somei'set 

Stark 

Starkey 

Talman's  Sweet 

Tompkin's  King ., 

Twenty  Ounce 

Wagerier 

Wealthy . . . 

William's  Favorite 

Winthrop  Greening 

Yellow  Bellfiower 

Yellow  Transparent 

Any  other  correctly  named  variety 


0 

0 

8 

s 

10 

9 

G 

10 

10 

7 

0 

7 

7 

0 

9 

(> 

9 

S 

10 

0 

( 

s 

0 

8 

8 

0 

7 

7 

7 

8 

9 

7 

10 

10 

0 

8 

10 

i 

9 

9 

0 

7 

!l 

0 

8 

7 

0 

7 

8 

0 

ti 

S 

s 

8 

8 

8 

.'> 

8 

0 

9 

10 

10 

7 

8 

10 

b 

10 

0 

5 

7 

0 

9 

8 

0 

8 

/ 

0 

8 

8 

0 

8 

8 

8 

5 

9 

0 

8 

9 

9 

8 

9 

9 

7 

8 

0 

8 

8 

0 

5 

6 

9 

8 

8 

8 

9 

10 

8 

8 

10 
9 

10 

7 

,s 

8 

(I 

t 

7 

0 

8 

9 

0 

7 

6 

0 

7 

10 

5 

9 

5 

0 

8 

~ 

~ 

~ 

29 
41 
31 
33 
27 
30 
31 
35 
33 
37 
43 
88 
41 
32 
36 
30 
33 
42 
36 
37 
47 
41 
35 
34 
33 
32 
30 
38 
34 
44 
38 
36 
29 
32 
43 
44 
43 
37 
35 
30 
29 
31 
43 
28 
20 


134 


STATE   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


PEARS. 


Vakieties. 


Quality. 

^ 

bia 

m 

^ 

:4 

m 

o 

S 

(h  is 


Bartlett 

Belle  Lucrative 

Beurre  d'Anjou 

BeuiTe  Bosc 

Beurre  Clairgeau 

Beurre  Diel 

Beurre  Hardy 

Beurre  Supeiiin 

Buff uni 

Clapp's  Favoi"ite 

Doyenne  Boussock 

Duchess  cl'Angouleiue 

Fulton 

Goodale 

Howell 

Lawrence 

Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey 

Marie  Louise 

Nickerson  

Seckel 

Sheldon 

Souvenir  du  Congres 

Any  other  correctly  named  variety 


10 

10 

10 

8 

8 

8 

9 

8 

8 

10 

8 

10 

.5 

5 

7 

8 

5 

1 

8 

_ 

- 

8 

- 

- 

7 

6 

6 

6 

9 

s 

_ 

8 

9 

8 

6 

8 

6 

9 

9 

7 

9 

9 

9 

9 

7 

5 

5 

10 

8 

10 

10 

10 

10 

7 

8 

a 

~ 

" 

~ 

.58 
32 
33 
37 
19 
30 


33 
35 
37 

25 
38 
3(i 
33 

IS 


PLUMS. 


Bavay's  Green  Gage 

Bradsha  w 

Coe's  Golden  Drop 

Gage— Green  (of  Downing; 

Gage— I'rince's  Imperial 

Gage— Purple 

Gage— Re<I 

General  Hand 

Guii 

Japan— Abundance 

Japan— Burbank 

Jefferson  

Lombard ...   

Magnum  Bonum 

Mc  Laughlin 

Moore's  Arctic 

Penobscot 

Quackenbos  

Smith's  Orleans  

St.  Lawrence 

Washington 

Yellow  Egg 

Any  other  correctly  named  variety 


7 

10 

10 

10 

8 

9 

il 

9 

6 

7 

s 

7 

10 

9 

9 

8 

9 

9 

10 

9 

7 

8 

'7 

- 

- 

9 

9 

s 

9 

7 

9 

9 

10 

6 

8 

<) 

10 

10 

10 

1 

5 

0 

/ 

10 

s 

s 

g 

7 

s 

8 

*- 

10 

10 

10 

6 

G 

10 

',) 

7 

~ 

~ 

~ 

" 

STATE   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY.  135 


SCALE  OF  POINTS. 

The  following  scale  of  points,  for  determining  the  values  of 
single  varieties,  is  the  one  referred  to  in  the  preceding  introduction. 

In  many  eases  it  is  desirable  to  have  a  reason  for  making  awards, 
Believing  that  a  scale  of  points  would  be  of  great  ser\ace  to  judges 
in  determining  merit  in  doubtful  cases,  and  at  the  same  time  of 
educational  value  to  the  exhibitor,  the  following  scale  has  been 
adopted  for  the  1895  exhibition  of  single  plates  of  apples  and 
pears.  In  order  to  receive  a  first  premium  the  fruit  must  score  at 
least  75  points,  a  second  premium  60  points,  a  third  premium  50 
points. 

No.  of  Points.        Score. 

Quality., 10  

Form 15  

Color 15  

Size 20  

Uniformity  in  size 20  

Freedom  from  imperfections    20  

Perfection 100  


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Address  of  "Welcome 42 

Agencies  at  Work • 7 

Annual  Exhibition 6 

Apple  and  Pear  Culture 63 

Apples,  Ratings  on 133 

Apples — Their  Culture,  Ilaudling  and  Marketing 37 

Barrows,  Miss  Anna,  paper  by 112 

Beedy,  Mrs.  II.  B.  C,  remarks  by  100 

Black-knot  60 

Blight,  Causes  of 4 

Boiled  Salad  Dressing 117 

Books  for  Reference  in  Studying  Varieties  of  the  Apple 131 

Business  Transactions 28 

Chamberlain,  Calvin,  paper  by 72 

Condition  and  Prospects  of  Fruit  Culture  in  Piscataquis  county- .  ■  79 

Dingley,  Janet  L.,  paper  by 92 

Discussion  as  to  what  shall  be  Maine's  Flower  in  the  National 

Garland 92 

Discussion  on  "Apple  and  Pear  Cvdture" 69 

H.  L.  Leland's  paper 83 

Miss  Dingley's  paper 96 

"The  Model  Fruit  Garden" 89 

Dunton,  Supt.  John  R  ,  paper  bj' 104 

Fall  Meeting 5 

Fernald,  Dr.  M.  C,  remarks  by 96 

Financial  Condition 12 

For  Columbia's  Garland,  poem 95 

Fruit  Crop  for  1894 3 

Fruit  Garden,  Cost  of 86 

Varieties  for 86 

Good  Food  from  the  Garden 112 

Hadwen,  O.  B.,  paper  by 63 

Horticulturist,  An  Enthusiastic  121 

10 


138  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Leland,  H.  L.,  paper  by 79 

Market  for  1894 4 

May,  Miss  Julia  H.,  poem  by 95 

McTveen,  Sec.  B.  W.,  remarks  by  98 

Meetings  of  Executive  Committee 30 

Members,  Annual  for  1894 11 

1895 11 

Life 10 

Model  Fruit  Garden,  The 85 

Munsou,  Prof.  W.  M.,  i^aper  bj^ 53 

NORRIS,  J.  F.,  paper  by 85 

Officers  for  1895 9 

Orchard,  the  Young 50 

Pears.  Ratings  on 134 

Varieties  recommended C8 

Permanent  Fund 13 

Picking  of  Fruit 89 

Plum-rot,  or  "Mummied  Fruit" 61 

Plums,  Ratings  on 134 

Pope,  Charles  S.,  sketch  of 121 

Premiums  Awarded  at  Annual  Exhil)itiou  14 

Winter  Meeting 2G 

President's  Annual  Address • 47 

Programmes 35 

Progress  of  Orcharding  and  Fruit  Culture  in  Piscataquis  Count}'-.  72 

Report  of  Committee  on  Legislation 28 

President's  Address 50 

Secretary 3 

Resolution  s 29 

Robinson,  Dr.  H.  A.,  address  by 42 

Russet,  American  Golden 127 

English 130 

Golden 129 

Russets,  The 126 

Scab,  Apple 58 

Pear 59 

Scale  of  Points • 135 

For  Collective  Exhibits 132 

Explanation  of 133 

Secretary's  Portfolio 119 

Report ■ 3 

Setting  Trees  and  Plants 87 

Society's  Funds,  The 5 

Some  Plant  Diseases  and  their  Remedies 53 


INDEX.  139 

PAGE. 

Small  Fruits  and  Their  Culture 40 

State  Fair  Meeting 5 

Strawberry  Plants 88 

Study  of  Plant  Life 104 

Style  of  Packing 4,  38 

Suniniary  of  Awards 26 

Thomas,  John  Jacob 124 

Treasurer's  Report 12 

Treatment  of  Fungous  Diseases 55 

True,  John  W.,  Address  by 47 

paper  by,  at  Phillips  Meeting 37 

Varieties  of  Fruits  First  Introduced  in  Piscataquis  County 77 

Wheeler,  Charles  E.,  paper  by 50 

Window  Garden  Department,  Premiums  Awarded  in 25 

Winter  Meetings G 

Winter  Protection  of  Small  Fruits 88