SECRETARY'S REPORT. 201 



and washed with bright red, with a faint bloom over it. Flesh 

 crisp, tender, juicy, with a brisk acid flavor, of tolerable quality 

 for the dessert -and excellent for all other uses. September. i 



In southern Maine, the Duchess is apt to fall off before ripening, 

 but in this, and in other respects also, it improves as we go north. 

 It is better in Kennebec county than in York, and better in Aroos- 

 took than in Kennebec. Its value in the extreme north may be 

 judged of by the experience of Mr. Sharp, of Woodstock, New 

 Brunswick, twelve miles from Houlton, Maine, who informed me 

 that out of four hundred varieties of grafted apples proved by him, 

 rather less than a dozen succeeded, and of these the Duchess stood 

 decidedly at the head of the list. In that vicinity it is known 

 under the name of "The New Brunswicker." The only fault I 

 heard ascribed to it there, was by one who objected to the neces- 

 sity of building a scaffold about his trees every year — an objection 

 not ill grounded, for unlike other apples, an excessive crop does not 

 prevent this sort from bearing heavily the next year. Such exces- 

 sive production, however, tells upon the growth of the tree. Where 

 all the strength is given to fruit bearing, we cannot expect much 

 growth of wood, and I do not recollect ever to have seen in Maine 

 or New Brunswick a tree of this variety of large size, unless 

 grafted into a tree already well grown. Had we other varieties 

 combining choice quality and late keeping with the hardiness and 

 half the productiveness of this, our northern counties would have 

 little left to ask for in regard to apple culture. 



Danvers Winter Sweet. A choice, late keeping, yellow, sweet 

 apple from Massachusetts, which usually proves one of the best. 

 It is of good size, smooth, fair, bakes well, is in condition for use 

 all winter, and often until April. It succeeds well in the nursery. 

 The tree is a vigorous and rapid grower, hardy and productive. 



DoMiNE. Of medium size and flattened form, the skin yellow 

 with stripes and splashes of red in the sun, and is covered with 

 pretty large russet colored specks. Flesh white, tender and juicy, 

 with a sprightly agreeable flavor. February to May. 



This fruit has not been much disseminated in this State, but in 

 every instance where I have seen it, has given a high degree of 

 satisfaction. The tree is of rapid growth and very productive, the 

 limbs sometimes bending to the ground with the weight of fruit 



