Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-11-12

grade, and reflect credit upon the man
whose name is plainly stamped upon
the outside Of the barrel or boz
when that day arrives, as come it
must, the apples of Maine will stand
at the head Of the line, for nowhere
upon this broad earth can fruit of
better quality be produced than upon
the hills of the old Pine Tree State.
a very interesting discussion was
opened by DR.. r. P. Turner of New
Vineyard and many more took part
discussing the preceding topic.
An original poem entitled, What
Does the Farmer Do?" was recited by
Z. ". Shillings Of Auburn.
y paper entitled, Apple Consumer
League" was given in an interesting
manner by Z. P. Mayo Of this city. He
said in part:
"The Apple Consumers League"
The subject assigned me for discus
SION at this hour The Apple Consum-
erS League, is to my mind one of the
greatest importance from the apple
producers point of view, for next in
Importance to the production of good
understandable fruit must be the sue
cessfut marketing of it for the high
dollar.
We have been educated to look to
Europe Tor the best market for our
1rult and the time was when we could
do this with safety and assurance,
but owing to the abuse of the foreign
market by INSCRIPTIONS packers and
shippers, that market has gone, for
the present at least and until we re-
assure the English buyer and con-
sumner by again adopting honest prac-
tees in sorting, grading, and mark
ing our products we must look else
where for an outlet for much of our
choicest fruit.
For various reasons a home market
is much to be preferred to exporting
our goods. But how can we get a
satisfactory home market2 l will
answer that query as best I may in
the limited time at my disposal
TO commence with, the best way
to get satisfactory home demand for
our apples we should see to it that we
produce better article than has ever
been put on the home market. 1t
should be uniformly good, not good in
SPoIo anu oCCdSlOlldlly satisfactory,
but true to grade and stencil, always
and ever So that the stencil will be
guarantee of the quality, as the size
OF the package is d guarantee Of the
quantity.
With this point made certain and
secure we ROW approach the real sub
ject matter assigned for me to discuss
briety-the Apple Consumers League
1t must be admitted of course on
the start, that no one ever attended
a meeting Of this much advertised or
Ganlzation, nor do we know where
their place Of business could be
found. While it's membership is a
good deal smaller than it ought to be,
Notwithstanding its great respecta-
bility we have great hopes for its
ultimate success, both in point of
numbers and the scope Of its mighty
Indulgence. Just who it's regularly
installed officers are / do not know
Our friend Brother Collingwood of
the Rural New Yorker claims to have
been its original promoter and patron
saint, and 1 never have known any
one able to successfully contradict
Brother Collingwood's claim.
But all this is immaterial. What is
the Society doing to justify it's right
to live and claim the attention of the
fruit lovers generally? According to
the solemn oath taken by all regular
ly constituted members it becomes
their duty, not to say privilege, never
to sit at meat at any public table
where apples are not served. without
calling for them. Strict adherence to
this cardinal principle of the organiZa-
ton has resulted in the sale of thou
sands and thousands of barrels of
choice fruit. Just in proportion as
the number who thus makes this call
increases the sale of our Maine fruit
for no State in the Union produces
better fruit than we do.
The best thought of the mercantile
world is given to increasing the mar
ket for goods. Why should the Maine
apple producer be an exception to this
most commendable practice?
| have no fear of successful contra
dictiOn in predicting that if every
lover of the Maine grown apple here
present at this hour would enroll
themselves in this organization and
live UP to their pledge, that our home
demand for choice fruit would in
crease by more than 80 per cent in
the immediate future, and this is
surely worth trying for If it were
necessary ! could cite medical
authorities without number to show
the value of apples at meal time from
hygienic point of view, but surely
nothing of the kind is called for at
this time. as probably all here are
strong believers in their benefit as a
tonic and an aid to digestion.
Let us have a revival of the good
old fashioned sort in the Apple Con-
sumers' League. Let us have lot of
ardent new recruits as well as a re-
turn of the old backsliders, and the
demand for the best fruit that ever
was picked from a tree since Adam
partook and stood treat, will have
veritable boom and the Maine apple
grower will be the gamer thereby.
Prof. " r. Gardner of Orono gave
a paper, entitled, why Apples Rot"
This paper with the usual discussion
closed the session for the afternoon.
School ChiIdren's Session.
A large number of Grammar school
students had gathered at 4 o'clock at