DECEMBER MEETING. 293 



for this purpose unworthy connnercial basis heretofore considered, an alterna- 

 tive which we trust no devotee of pomology and no one ambitious of the credit 

 and usefulness of our society, will for a moment consider. 



Indeed, if we have not utterly misnndersLood the mission which this society 

 has assumed, it is to elevate rather than lower the standard of pomological, we 

 ■wish w^e might say horticultural, tastes, till instead of gloria muiidi, striped 

 bellflower, red and green and i)umpkin sweetings, not our orchards and gar- 

 dens only, hut our fruit (.'xhibitions as well, shall annually put in tiie front 

 rank the more delicious and worthy, though smaller sorts, that commend them- 

 selves to the palate more than to the eye, when tasted begetting the desire to 

 taste again. We could certainly not forget that when a surplus sliall be pro- 

 duced it should, as far as jn'acticable, be capable of answering the commer- 

 cial demand, but we would by no means forget the grower, if any one can 

 afford to produce for himself, family and friends the very best, and that to en- 

 able him so to do, so far as fruits are concerned, it becomes jieculiarly needful 

 that ho be informed what to plant for the jjurpose, as well as what peculiarities 

 of management may be necessary to the highest success therewith. 



WRONG EDUCATIOX. 



If such be the inission of the Society, it may be well worth its while to 

 consider whether by encouraging, as it seems tacitly to do, the exhibition at its 

 fairs of large and showy, but worthless fruits, such, for instance, as those 

 previously mentioned, it is not in effect educating a large class of planters in a 

 Avrong direction. Whether Ave might not, for instance, as well offer leading 

 premiums for bouquets of the finest and largest sunflowers as to permit 

 committees, as is often done at our fairs, to place premium cards upon 

 collections of fruits in which such very showy but utterly worthless sorts figure 

 conspicuously. Indeed, the advantage would seem to be with the sunflower, 

 inasmuch as their exhibition could hardly mislead the lookers on, while in the 

 case of fruits the fact is notorious that many visitors seeing premiums appar- 

 ently, if not really, awarded to these w'orthless sets of fruits, are thereby 

 induced to introduce them into their own plantations. 



FAULTY PREMIUM LISTS. 



We may also be permitted to suggest the query whether our premium list of 

 the past year nuxy not be faulty in the following particulars: Whether the 

 number of varieties of apples (20) is not too great for a market orchard without 

 succession, and too small where a succession throughout the season is required; 

 also, whether the society should iu)t in its premium lists in some manner 

 indicate its views as to the number and the relative value of varieties requisite 

 to a farm, or a family orchard, including also lists of the other fruits which 

 more or less commonly constitute a portion of plantations for this purpose, at 

 the same time, by means of the collections shown and the awards of the 

 committee, drawing out some indications of the views and preferences of 

 exhibitors and of committees. In this respect the society has, during the past 

 year, taken a new departure by the adoption of a plan for the preparation and 

 gradual perfecting of a catalogue of the fruits deemed worthv to be recom- 

 mended for cultivation in tliis State, and proposing in sucli catalogue, to supply 

 such information as shall enable the planter to select for the desired object by 

 means of the characteristics of the varieties, and tlieir valuable or objectionable 

 qualities as therein set forth, and inasmuch as there is, and of necessity must 



