MAINE STATE SOCIETY. 15 



Our neighbors in other States, whose genial smi enables them 

 to luxuriate in the peach and other delicious and health-giving 

 fruits in greater variety, yield to us the palm of producing the 

 best plums. Tlie several Horticultural Societies of the State, 

 particularly that of Bangor, have contributed very much of late, 

 to the dissemination of the better sorts throughout our interior. 

 As our farmers and gardeners are being introduced to the ex- 

 cellent varieties of this fruit, and are learning the ease and 

 cheapness with which their homes may be beautified, enriched 

 and ennobled by their culture, your committee are gratified 

 with the manifest improvement in this respect, and feel that the 

 past unpardonable neglect of choice fruits in their season, so 

 often met with on the best farms of the State, is giving place 

 to a wise appreciation of the rich gifts of a beneficent Provi- 

 dence. The Curculio, that universal pest, yields place more 

 readily to the diligent culturist here, than in other States. 



Grapes. While the mass of American culturists arc having 

 their attention directed to an increased production of this fruit, 

 and our broad country is being searched for every new type of 

 the American species that promises well for all or special 

 localities, we are happily not excluded from participating in 

 this subject of national and vital importance, nor barred by 

 nature's laws from ultimately sitting — every culturist — under 

 his own generous vine. Several new varieties are now under 

 trial in the State, and promise well for pretty general cultiva- 

 tion in open air. A very fevi^ seasons more will fully establish 

 what is at present hardly a problem. We here deem it a duty 

 to caution our people against a lavish expenditure for new and 

 untried varieties, with euphoneous names, backed by fair words 

 of interested parties ; for we feel assured there may be sold, 

 vines not one remove above the wild fox grape of New England, 

 under names that sound as well as Charter Oak Grape, or 

 No7-tJiern Muscadine. 



Of the new varieties we feel safe in recommending the Hart- 

 ford Pi'olific, as very early, and better than the Isabella ever 

 gets in Maine, except under peculiarly favorable circumstances. 

 Rebecca promises to be most excellent — as good as the foreign 

 varieties grown under glass. Diana is very fine, and Concord 



