Worcester Coimty Horticultural Society. 561 



Pleasant, all kinds very little known out of Worcester County. The 

 committee preface their report as follows : — 



Of the exhibition, in general, we do not hesitate to say that it was emi- 

 nently successful. The chasle and beautiful decorations of the hall, the 

 unexpected richness of the floral display, the immense quantities, consisting 

 of more than a thousand plates and baskets of fine fruits arranged upon 

 the tables, were the admiration and wonder of all who witnessed them. 

 Competent judges, among the numerous strangers who were present, ex- 

 pressed their opinions very decidedly, that the varieties of valuable apples 

 exhibited surpassed in number and beauty any show of the kind ever before 

 seen in the United States. The pears also were, in some varieties, very 

 fine, and all of them better than an unpropitious season had led us to anti- 

 cipate. Beautiful peaches also were there, and plums and grapes which a 

 long drought had been unable to shrivel, and myriads of ravaging insects 

 had not found time to destroy. 



And it was exceedingly gratifying to perceive, in the improvements 

 which our citizens are making in horticultural knowledge, an evidence 

 that the instruction afforded by these exhibitions has not been lost. The 

 new and better fruits were more numerously exhibited, fewer erroneous 

 names were applied to those which have been long cultivated, and the silly 

 use of local and fancy names was less frequent than formerly. 



Owing to the immense quantity of fruits exhibited, it has been deemed 

 advisable to mention only the number of varieties of each sort offered by 

 each contributor. The few deviations from this rule which may be noticed, 

 were made from no other motive than a desire to enhance the value of the 

 report. Those who may feel aggrieved by this summary procedure, will, 

 we hope, become resigned to it by reflecting that probably far more people 

 saw their fruits at the exhibition than would ever read the names of them 

 here if written. 



In awarding the premiums, it will be perceived, that the committee did 

 not give more than one to the same individual. It was their object this 

 year to distribute them as much as possible. This will explain what might 

 otherwise be regarded as a very incorrect decision. The first articles laid 

 upon the society's tables were four plates of beautiful Porter apples, two 

 of magnificent Bartlett pears, and a basket of grapes, from Mrs. Amos 

 Brown. Mrs. B. will please to accept the society's thanks for this most 

 satisfactory evidence that the ladies are always foremost in a good cause. 



The principal contributors were as follows : — 



John Milton Earle, (president of the society,) pears, twenty-nine varieties, 

 constituting the largest and best collection in the hall. But, as Mr. Earle's 

 fruit was withdrawn from competition for the premiums, the first premium 

 was awarded to the next best collection not so withheld. Plums, six va- 

 rieties ; peaches, eight varieties ; grapes, Diana, and a seedling from the 

 Isabella. George Jacques. Apples, twenty-three varieties ; pears, seven 

 varieties; peaches, eight varieties ; grapes, Isabella; quinces, orange. 

 This fruit was not put in competition for the premiums. Charles H. 



