FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 415 



Statement of Edmund Tufts. 



I take pleasure in presenting for premium thirteen speci- 

 mens of the real genuine St. Michael pears. This tree is 

 twentj-five feet in height, and was engrafted by my father, the 

 late Joseph Tufts, about forty years ago. The fruit of this 

 tree has been of so little account of late years that they were 

 scarcely worth picking, and consequently much neglected. Last 

 year the tree bore several dozens of pretty fair pears that found 

 a ready market at thirty-seven and a half cents per dozen. This 

 year I was enabled to obtain a bushel that were not cracked at 

 all, and which were purchased, at the hall of the Mechanic's 

 Pair, by Mr. George H. Childs, confectioner, at his own offer, 

 which was four dollars for a bushel. 



SoMERTiLLE, Octobcr 4, 1853. 



These pears — although possessing some interest as evidence 

 of the recovery of the St. Michael pear from the blight which 

 has so long defeated the hopes and efforts of cultivators — were 

 surpassed in size and beauty by many other dishes of the same 

 kind. 



Mr. Tufts does not state whether he renovated his tree by 

 pruning and manuring, as has been sometimes done with old 

 trees of this variety. 



From the Report of the Committee on other Fruits. 



The committee chosen to examine all other fruits, excepting 

 pears and apples, have attended to their duty and beg leave to 

 report. They were highly gratified with the beautiful display 

 of every variety of fruit of the season, in this bright and 

 sunny, though temperate climate. The peaches were in great 

 abundance, and very fine for the season, many worthy of a pre- 

 mium. 



The show of grapes was magnificent, and the committee 

 were pleased to see so much attention paid to the cultivation 

 of this beautiful fruit, which has been heretofore sadly neglect. 

 ed. Long before other fruits were cultivated, much attention 

 was paid to the cultivation of the grape, by the Persians and 



