170 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



plant such tender flowers, fruits, or vegetables as would be injured 

 by frosts or cold nights, until, in their judgment, there is a reason- 

 able prospect of settled warm weather. They should not be led 

 astray by one or two warm da3's. It has been said that one 

 swallow does not make a summer, neither does one pleasant day 

 make a warm season. 



The cool, cloudy, wet weather in August was unfavorable to the 

 ripening of grapes, and some other crops, and unfortunately 

 presented the .conditions which favor a rapid development of 

 roildew on the foliage of the grape, and many other plants. The 

 rest of the season was favoi-able for almost all purposes. The 

 most prominent, and perhaps most uncommon feature of the season, 

 has been the fine verdure of the grass, and the health}' foliage on 

 the trees from early spring until late in October. 



Strawberries. — The first strawberries placed on exhibition 

 were the Triomphe de Gand, forced -in pots, and exhibited in April. 

 The next were some berries grown in cold frames, and shown on 

 the 25th of May. In the latter named class there was only a 

 small competition on the prize day, June 1st. These premiums 

 have been omitted in the list for 1879, and, in the judgment of the 

 Committee on Fruits, very properl}"-. 



On the 26th of June the Society held its Annual Strawberry 

 Show. The number of baskets was not as large as the previous 

 year, and the specimens as a whole were not as good, owing, 

 probably, to the fact that in man}^ instances the first, or what 

 would have been the largest berries, were killed by the frost. Still 

 there were some fine baskets of fruit ; the best was La Coustante. 

 This old variety comes to the front every few years. It is thought 

 to be an extremely capricious variety, and not desirable for general 

 cultivation. 



The first prize for two new named varieties was awarded to 

 Ex-President Marshall P. Wilder,^ for two seedlings of his own, 

 named Hero and Abundant. They were both large and show}'' 

 berries. Mr. Wilder also showed some other seedhngs, but the 

 Committee did not give any of them such an examination as would 

 warrant an opinion. George S. Harwood exhibited some foreign 

 kinds, taking the second prize for two new varieties with the 

 President Green and Duke of Edinburgh. The two prizes for the 

 best fifty berries were awarded to ^he Walden and the Belle. A 

 few new varieties were exhibited early in the season from the State 



