322 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



both varieties originated by E. W. Durand, of Irvington, N. J. 

 Of these seedlings Nos, 13, 19, 24, 48, 68, 78, 118, and 122 all 

 promise unusually well. 



Mr. Olcott, of the Courant, brought fi'om his grounds in South 

 Manchester a crate of berries wonderfully fine in appearance, and 

 dealers say that customers are always satisfied with the high 

 quality of Mr. Olcott's strawberries, 



Mrs. Fairclough of Wolcott had a dish of monster Black Defi- 

 ance strawberries, much admired. 



CoL Dewey of Hartford, as usual, showed very fine specimens 

 of different varieties of strawberries. 



Mrs. M. G. Wells, a lady of Wethersfield, showed some beauti- 

 ful roses. Also, Mr. R. Moore of Kensington, had a choice collec- 

 tion of roses, handsomely arranged, and excellent of their several 

 varieties. 



Secretary T. S. Gold of West Cornwall, showed some fine Eng- 

 lish russet apples, well kept. 



Exhibitions of fruit at the autumn fairs at Meriden and else- 

 where that I visited were generally good, although apples and 

 pears were less plentiful than usual, and peaches shown only in 

 one or two instances. Grapes, however, were well ripened and 

 excellent, even the later kinds. 



Our State, county, and town fairs are schools for all visitors, 

 and all who attend should make a point to learn all they can. 



I close with a suggestion or two concerning the arrangement at 

 exhibitions. Candy-stands and glass-blowers, and various other 

 arrangements, often occupy so much room in exhibition halls that 

 exhibitors of fruits and vegetables are crowded into small space or 

 into dark passageways, so that the agricultural part is only the tail 

 of the exhibit, so to speak. This ought not so to be. Again, the 

 importance of grouping the fruits and vegetables in appropriate 

 classes. For example: let the Early Rose potato, the Hubbard 

 squash, the Bartlett pear, the Baldwin apple, the Concord grape or 

 the Orange quince — no matter how many dishes of either kind — 

 be arranged, when not shown as a single collection, in groups of 

 their own. This facilitates inspection by judges and visitors. 



Respectfully, 



P. M. AUGUR, 



Pomologist. 



