222 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[July, 



kinds of Newtown Pippins, and Red Canada. 

 The last seems remarkably fine for this part of 

 the country. Steele's winter, as exhibited by Mr. 

 John Waterman, of Plymouth, Michigan, was 

 so nearly alike with Canada Red, that if there 

 is any difference, the Committee failed to detect it. 

 Among the kinds little known East, but pre- 

 senting points of interest at this season, the 

 Committee noted Detroit Red, Emerson, Well, 

 and Brooks' Keeper. The collection from Messrs. 

 Hellings, embraced forty dishes of ten varieties, 

 all high colored, and large and well-grown fruit. 

 They are all grown in Michigan, 1875, and by 

 the method adopted by them in their fruit- 

 house, had even the stems as green and firm as 

 when plucked from the trees. The Rhode Island 

 Greenings, and Northern Spy's were fully equal 

 to the best average specimens known. Newtown 

 Pippins, Baldwins, Jonathans, Westfield, Seek- 

 no-farther, were very good ; Red Canada, Spitzen- 

 berg, and the others not quite equal to those 

 preserved in the common way. 



Thomas Meehan, 



Signed, 



W. L. Shaffer, 

 A. W. Harrison, 

 Thomas P. James, 

 Wm. Parry. 



Philadelphia, June Ist, 1876. 



To the Commissioners of the U. S. Centennial 



Exposition. 



Gentlemen : — By request of Mr. Burnet Lan- 

 dreth. Chief of Bureau of Agriculture, the regu- 

 lar jury not having fully organized, I have to-day 

 examined the collection of Tropical Fruits, 

 exhibited by Mr. Robert Thompson, of Jamaica, 

 through the British Commission, and respectfully 

 report that it comprises the following fruits and 

 vegetables : " Cho-Cho," (Sechium edule) of the 

 Cucumber family; the fruit is used in soupsand 

 pickles to a great extent. 



" Cocoa nuts," mature and immature, on the 

 stalks, as gathered from the tree. The young 

 fruit is boiled and used as a food for infants, 

 also as a mild form of domestic medicine. The 

 young fruit is from the same tree as the mature. 

 The tree when" once in bearing producing contin- 

 uously successive crops. 



"Jack Fruit," (Artocarpus integrifolia) a fruit 

 of the size and form of an average watermelon, 

 but with a rough coat simihir to an unripe mul- 

 berry. The fruit has an uninviting appearance, 

 but is said to be palatable to most ti:stes in its 

 natural conditions. It transports with diflRculty 

 and was beginning to decay. 



The " Bread Fruit," (Artocarpus incisa) simi- 

 lar to the last, unfit to eat in its natural condi- 

 tion, but more useful and popular. It is cut in 

 slices and fried or toasted as bread ; transports 

 very badly, and only when preserved in water. 

 This specimen was too far gone to exhibit. 



" Sapodilla," (Sapota achras) a round rough 

 brown fruit, the size of a medium apple, insipid 

 in its present condition, but said to be palatable 

 when ripened by keeping in some slightly damp 

 material for a few days. 



"Mamraee Apple," (Mammea Americana), 

 also called South American Apricot, from the 

 orange color of the flesh ; the large seeds occupy 

 most of the interior. The flesh is not of superior 

 quality in natural condition, but is highly es- 

 teemed when cut in slices and steeped in wine. 



" Mango," (Mangifera indica). This was the 

 most delicious of all the fruits exhibited ; it re- 

 sembles a large flattened papaw, the flesh yellow 

 and fibrous like a mature persimmon, and ex- 

 ceedingly juicy and refreshing. 



Of tlie better known fruits and vegetables were 

 fine specimens of Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Caladi- 

 um esculentum (allied to the American Indian 

 Turnip, the roots being boiled or roasted). 

 " Bananas, Plantains, (a longer and narrower 

 variety of the common Banana), Pine-apples 

 (three kinds), Oranges, Citrons, Shaddocks, 

 Limes and some stalks of Sugar cane. 



Since the last report of the Special Committee, 

 Messrs. Bliss & Sons, of New York, have depos- 

 ited four varieties of Potato of this season's 

 growth, among their great exhibit, and grown for 

 them ii» Florida. The varieties are Snow Flake, 

 Hundred Fold, Snow Ball and Lapstone Kidney, 

 a kind celebrated in England for their extra ear- 

 liness. The specimens were lai-ger than the 

 average of the very early varieties of potatoes. 



Thomas Meehan. 



Philadelphia, June 9th, 1876. 



Hon. a. T. Goshorn, Director General U. S. 



Centennial Commission. 



Sir : — The undersigned special committee, 

 acting at the request of Mr. Burnet Landreth, 

 have this day examined the fruit on exhibition, 

 and respectfully report that the collection of 

 Strawberries is very fine, though in many dis- 

 tricts they are not yet ripe ; the latter ones are 

 expected next week. Of those examined to-day, 

 a fine collection came from Mr. John Saul, of 

 Washington, but the distance and the lateness of 



