STATE HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 175 



siininier and winter, and at the same time yield a crood crop of fruit. 

 On this account the oUl reliable Concord still takes the lead as the 

 grape for tlie masses, although even the Concord amply repays for 

 good care in a more certain and better crop than can be depended 

 upon in the old slipshod ])lan. Probably about the earliest variety 

 of quite good cjuality is the Champion, which has given very good 

 satisfaction. But better still is the Moore's Early, which is probably 

 one of the best for early that, has thus far appeared. Cottage and 

 Wyoming Hed are very well spoken of by those who have grown 

 them, as also is Brighton. 



The strawberry market was altogether overstocked, and the 

 prices ran down to pretty near zero, and the growers are asking the 

 question, " How long can we stand this kind of thing ? "' and Mr. A. 

 is thinking to himself that the other fellows will soon give it up, and 

 give him a chance for better prices, and at the same all the other 

 fellows are thinking the same thing, and I expect we will all keep 

 on in about the same old way till some of us give it up because they 

 " have to," and the rest will have a better chance. As to varieties, 

 the Crescent is in the lead. Capt. Jack, Cumberland Triumph, 

 Sharpless, Miner, Wilson and many others are grown more or less 

 by different parties with good results. 



The canes of raspberries were somewhat damaged by the winter, 

 especially Gregg and Cuthbert — the latter being quite severely, so 

 as to materially lessen the crop of fruit. But the Gregg, notwith- 

 standing it was somewhat damaged, bore a good crop. I have been 

 at work among my raspberries of late, and I find the Gregg pretty 

 badly damaged from some cause. It certainly cannot be the cold 

 weather; but what can it be? 



Another thing I noticed, and that is this: All the canes that 

 have taken root at the tips are sound. Souhegan is all right, and is 

 probably the best early black cap we have, and Gregg for late. 



Of the red varieties, the Turner stands first on account of har- 

 diness, although Cuthbert gives good satisfaction with some growers; 

 but I know of one plantation where it has badly winter killed the 

 past two winters and the owner is going to abandon them. 



Shaffer's Collossal is an enormous bearer and grower, and is 

 valuable for family use, but not a good market berry. It has the 

 good quality of producing a good crop of fruit from young shoots 

 thrown up from the gpound, even though it does get winter killed, 

 and everyone should plant at least enough for family use. 



Blackberries were an enormous crop — in fact there was too 

 many of them — more than the market demanded, and in fact more 

 than could be sold at any price, and bushels of the finest fruit fell 

 off and rotted on the ground. 



The clamorers for cheap fruit certainly ought to have been sat- 

 isfied the past season; but I found some customers who thought that 

 $1.25 per crate for strawberries and blackberries was too high. But 



