200 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the stunted appearance of the moss-covered trees, in exposed 

 situations. 



Some fine grapes, ripened in the open air were noticed, and 

 also a superb cluster of Black Hamburgs, from the grapery of 

 James M. Thompson, Esq., president of the Nantucket Agri- 

 cultural Society. 



The cranberries were, of course, of the very best quality in 

 size, color, and flavor, and there were on the tables abundant 

 samples of the two principal varieties cultivated here. The 

 demand for this delicious fruit increases so steadily with each 

 returning harvest that the greatly increased supply does not in 

 the least diminish the price, which for some years has been 

 twelve or thirteen dollars per barrel for the best. This quan- 

 tity is not an unusual yield for every square rod of a good 

 yard in full bearing, which affords a greater profit by far than 

 any other crop. Since the plant requires nothing but peat, 

 sand, and water, of which we have an unlimited supply in Mas- 

 sachusetts, and especially since after the ground is prepared 

 and covered with vines they need no care whatever, why will 

 not the farmers in all parts of the State be induced to cultivate 

 it ? Let them apply to Secretary Flint for a copy of his admi- 

 rable treatise on the " Cranberry," and learn how to convert 

 their now useless swamps into the most valuable portions of 

 their lands, and while enriching themselves, confer a great favor 

 upon the multitudes of their fellow-men who, having tasted the 

 costly fruit, are every where asking for more. 



The exhibition of flowers was large and interesting, and it 

 was quite surprising to see beautiful bouquets of wild flowers, for 

 which premiums were very properly offered, gathered in this 

 northern latitude in the month of October. The genial infl uence 

 of the ocean prevents the occurrence of those late spring and 

 early autumnal frosts which so often blast the hopes of the hor- 

 ticulturist in other parts of the State. 



In the ladies' department there was a great profusion of arti- 

 cles wrought with remarkable taste in all the numberless ways 

 in which cotton, linen, silk and wool may be transformed into 

 things of beauty or of use by that most wonderful and desirable 

 of machines, the combined sewing, knitting and weaving ma- 

 chine. Nowhere in New England certainly is the ingenious 

 hand of woman more extensively or successfully employed in 



