R E P O Pv T 



COMMITTEE ON FRUITS, 



FOR THE YEAR 1878. 



By JOHN B. MOORE, Chairman. 



Another season has passed, and the time has arrived wlien this 

 Society requires a report of the doings of their Fruit Committee. 



Perhaps it would be proper first to give the general conditions of 

 the weather and season, so far as they have influenced the growth 

 of plants and their products. 



After passing tln-ough the winter season of 1877 and 1878, 

 which, taken as a whole, was rather mild and pleasant, we had an 

 early spring, March being remarkably mild for that usually boister- 

 ous month, and the frost leaving the ground quite earl}'. April was 

 mild, dry, and warm for the season, and these favorable conditions 

 of both the weather and the soil were earl}'^ taken advantage of, 

 and all garden operations were in a very forward state at the close 

 of the month. 



The month of May was cool, with occasional sharp and, in some 

 instances, destructive frosts. The first half of June was also cool, 

 with frosts in some localities ; up to this time, and including the 

 whole of the spring months, there were seasonable rains. The 

 last half of June and the first half of July were quite hot, and the 

 surface of the ground became quite dry ; still the soil was not dried 

 so deep as to seriousl^^ check vegetation, which advanced very 

 rapidly. 



