42 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In Essex County, fruit lias received " much attention. The 

 best kinds of apples, pears, peaches, plums and quinces are 

 raised in abundance." 



In this county, the cultivation of fruit is of early date. The 

 oldest pear tree in the State, still stands a constant bearer, 

 having been imported from England by the celebrated Gov- 

 ernor Endicott. Importations were then very rare, most trees 

 being propagated by the seed. This tree is now more than 

 two hundred years old. It is a Bon Chretien, though of infe- 

 rior quality. The exact date at which it was set out is not 

 known. The grant of the land on which it stands, was made' 

 to Governor Endicott in 1632 ; and, not many years after that, 

 he had a nursery of young trees not far from the spot where 

 this tree now stands. Some of these trees he is known to 

 have sold to his neighbors, who generally paid in land, the 

 price being sometimes, two acres a tree. 



The St. Michael's, St. Germain, Brown Beurre and some other 

 fine foreign pears were known and esteemed in this county 

 many years ago. These varieties were probably far better 

 when first introduced into the county, than they are at pres- 

 ent. In new lands and mild climates, they are ordinarily 

 better than in older soils and colder climates, where they are 

 apt to be inferior. 



The Cranberry. 



The interest an this valuable fruit has become so general, 

 and the desire for information, now scattered and inaccessible 

 to the majority of inquirers, is so great, that particular atten- 

 tion has been given to the collection of all that can be useful 

 and valuable in regard to its natural history and cultivation. 

 With this view, nearly a hundred acres of cultivated cran- 

 berries have been visited in difi*erent sections of the State. 



The cranberry is too well known in New England to need 

 description ; but, it is so short a time since attention has been 

 called to its cultivation, that many qftestions connected with it 

 may be regarded as still unsettled. 



Its Natural History. — There are two prominent and well 

 known species of this fruit ; the small or European, ( Oxycoccus 

 palustris,) and the common American cranberry, [Oxycoccus 



