RIPENING OF PEARS. 227 



can get it, and it is a fruit that now brings a good price in the 

 market. I do not pretend to be a great fruit-grower, but I 

 have found the pear one of the easiest things to raise, and it is 

 the one that I have had the most success with. It now furnishes 

 me, some seven or eight years after planting, a delicious crop, 

 from August down to the present time; and they will run for 

 a month or two longer. 



There is one other thing to be said about the pear, — that it 

 ripens best in the house. There is hardly a variety that can be 

 ripened well upon the tree. The great advantage of this is, 

 that you can pick them when they are comparatively green and 

 hard. Take, for instance, the " Flemish Beauty " ; that will bear 

 picking earlier than almost any other. Put the fruit on your 

 shelves, or into drawers, and it will ripen up beautifully, and have 

 a fine flavor ; and in that way, they ripen gradually, and continue 

 along through several weeks ; whereas, if they are left on the 

 tree until they get dead ripe, as most people leave their pears, 

 they all ripen at once, and there is a great loss. 



Mr. Hubbard. With the address of this evening, the ex- 

 ercises of this convention will close. I wish to say, that it is 

 customary for the Board to hold meetings in some part of the 

 State once a year, for the interchange of ideas, and to stimulate 

 to renewed energy all those interested in this great branch of 

 industry. By invitation of one of your citizens, the Board 

 have spent the last three days in this city, and before leaving it, 

 I desire to offer this resolution : — 



Resolved, That the thanks of the Board be tendered to the 

 citizens of Fall River, and especially to Dr. Nathan Durfee, for 

 their generosity, courtesy and hospitality to us on this occasion. 



The resolution was passed unanimously. 



Dr. Durfee. Permit me to say, sir, that the thanks of this 

 community are due to the Board of Agriculture for the valuable 

 and interesting information which has been imparted to them 

 during the last three days. Especially, gentlemen of the Board, 

 you have my thanks. I hope you will leave this place with the 

 best wishes that our prosperity, of which you have had some 

 evidence since you have been here, may be continued in the 

 future. 



The Board then adjourned. 



