RIPENING AND MARKETING PEARS. 13 



The President also announced the appointment by the Executive 

 Committee, of Edwin W. Buswell as Treasurer of the Society, and 

 Robert Manning as Secretary. 



The following vote, presented b}' William C. Strong, was unani- 

 mously passed. 



Voted^ That the thanks of this Societ}' be presented to our 

 retiring President, Francis Parkman, for the valuable services ren- 

 dered during his administration, and that as an expression of our 

 appreciation of these services, a committee of three be appointed 

 to procure and present to Mr. Parkman a suitable testimonial. 



The Chair appointed as that Committee, W. C. Strong, C. M. 

 Hove}^, and Waldo O. Ross. 



On motion of Herve^' Davis it was 



Voted, That the Prospective Prize of sixty dollars, awarded to 

 John B. Moore, for the Moore's Earl}' Grape, be paid out of the 

 unexpended balance of the appropriation foi- prizes for the year 

 1877. 



W. C. Strong, Chairman of the Committee on Discussions, 

 announced that the Meetings for Discussion would be resumed on 

 the next Saturday, at 11 o'clock, when J. W. Pierce would read a 

 Prize Essay on " Ripening and Marketing Pears," to be followed 

 by a discussion of the subject. 



On motion it was voted that when this meeting adjourn it be to 

 Saturday, Januar}' 10, at 11 o'clock. 



Adjourned. 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. 



Saturday, Januarj- 12, 1878. 



A Meeting for Discussion was holden at 11 o'clock, William C. 

 Strong, Chairman of the Committee on Publication and Discussion, 

 presiding. The following Prize Essay was read b}' the author, 

 J. W. Pierce, of West Millbury, Mass. : 



Ripening and Marketing Pears. 



The pear stands next to the apple in the list of our most valuable 

 domestic fruits, and its cultivation is rapidly increasing, while with 

 man}' fruit growers there is a disposition to lessen the production 



