The Portland daily press., 1892-02-18

Interesting Addresses at the CORNISH
Meeting.
The annual winter meeting of the Maine
State Pathological Society was held in
connection with meeting of the State
Board of Agriculture in Smith & War
ren's hall in Cornish yesterday and will
continue through today.
The morning meeting was attended by
prominent fruit growers from various
sections of the state. Among them were
President Chas. S. Pope, Manchester; S.
FL. Dawes, Harrison; d. p. True, Leeds
Corner; D. 81. Knowlton, Pennington; A.
S. Kicker, Turner; j. W. True, New
Gloucester; w. A. Luce, Union; Chas.
A. Wheeler, Chesterville; L. f. Abbott,
Lewiston; ex-Secretary Gilbert of the
Board of Agriculture; A. E.. Andrews,
Gardiner; D. ]. Briggs, Turner.
The State Board of Agriculture was
represented by Secretary B. W. McKeen
of Fryeburg. Other members had been
expected but at the last moment were
unable to attend.
Prof. Elijah Cook of Manchester, Chas.
E. Wheeler, ex-member of the Board of
Agriculture, Henry NJ. Brown of Con-
cord, Mass, W. NJ. Munson, Professor of
Horticulture at the State College, were
present as speakers during the session.
The meeting was called to order by
President Pope at II o'clock. The re-
ports of the treasurer, secretary and other
officers were then presented, read and
approved.
The secretary reported that the officers
of the society had taken steps to secure
an appropriation for an exhibit of Maine
fruit at the Worlds Fair in Chicago, and
had received encouragement from the
managers that the claims of the society
in this direction would be recognized.
A communication was read from the
State Agricultural Society extending an
invitation to the society to make its an
nual exhibit at the state fair in Lewiston
in 1892. 1t was voted to accept the invi-
tation.
A letter was read from Fl. n Van
Denen, pomologist of the United States
Department of Agriculture, as follows:
Zone thing we greatly need at this of
flee from your state, namely, abont
five good specimens of the standard va
rieties of the apple and pear, from which
to make models for the
- Columbian Exhibition.
Col. Bracket of lowe, is now engaged in
such work, and we want to have your
state represented in the collection, and
as yet we have almost nothing from
there. Can you not make it a point at
the meeting to pack a box with charac-
teristic specimens and send them here
by express at our cost for carriage. Next
summer and fall we would like the same
thing to be done with other varieties
The address of welcome to the society
was delivered by Geo. F.Cliford, ESQ.,, of
Cornish, and was handsome and elo-
quent tribute to the noble character of
the study of agriculture and fruit grow
ing.
The response was made by B. W. Nc
Keen, Secretary of the State Board of
Agriculture. He spoke as follows:
Response of b. w. AIcKeen.
''Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men-It seems hardly fitting that /
should be called upon to utter word at
a meeting devoted to the interests of
frnit growing. Being a novice in the
business can only say few words by
way of responding to the eloquent words
of welcome with which the honorable
gentleman has greeted us. 1t is always
pleasant to receive such words of well
come and encouragement and doubly so
on this occasion, coming as they do,
with such evidences of hearty sympathy
for our work.
''The study of pomology is fraught
with many difficulties, but is, | believe,
very enhancing to all those who have a
flowers with which God has beautifed
and adorned our hillsides and valleys.
The science has marked and prominent
place in our countrys history, as we'll as
in the history of the world. Particular
ly the apple takes its place as an expo
nent of all that is beautiful and desira-
BILE. From the time when it tempted our
first parents until today, it has been
constant source of help and encourage
ment to all mankind, and l trust that
may be pardoned if l say that, in my
Judgment, it is destined to play still
greater part in our history from this
time on, until it shall become most po-
tent factor in bringing us back to Eden.
When the Israelites sent out their spies
to explore the Promised Land, they
brought back single cluster of grapes,
SO large that it was carried ON pole be-
tween two men. have often studied
this picture when a boy and wondered at
the fertility of the soil which was capa-
BILE of producing such beautiful speci-
mems of this most luscious fruit. The
value of our farms must be rated, not by
their acreage, but by the amount of their
available fertility. And, as we grow
more proficient in the art of growing
fruit, it may become a symbol of our
fertile soil, and our national prosperity;
just as the grapes of Eschel We're con-
sidered by those weary, footsore, but
courageous and clear-headed men of old,
to be the best evidences of the fertility of
the Promised Land.
''Mr. President: believe there is one
point which we, as a people, overlook.
1t is point worthy of our careful con-
sideration. AS we study out the mystic
ries of our art and become more and
more proficient in it, we must, of neces-