Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 29 



were put up in small boxes, and to our taste were for better than two-thirda 

 of what are sokl in our market for the best Smyrna figs. — Ed. 



Large Strawberries. — I know it is out of season for strawberries, 

 but merely wish to mention the very large ones raised on the firm of Mr. 

 Pelham, (see .Tuly No., p. 3'2C). Only think of it once, thirty-nine straw- 

 berries averaging two and a half inches in diameter, and one measuring 

 eight and three-eighths inches round. All this you do not doubt. Well, 

 you need not have any fears of being lost through any want of faith ; this 

 Mr. Pelham is no doubt a wonderful man, and the strawberries are not all 

 the wonderful crops he gets ; for in Downing's late edition of Fruits he copied 

 a letter from Mr. P., where he says, that in an apple orchard of twenty acres, 

 and the trees eighteen years growth, the whole field was planted to corn, and 

 averaged one hundred and forty bushels ears to the acre. This is all prodi- 

 gious, and will discourage a modest man like me from ever trying to raise 

 large strawberries or great crops of corn. But to be plain, let me say, 

 against the weight of the opinion of the experienced editor of Hovey's 

 Magazine and the publisher of the book on the Fruits of America, &c,, 

 who stands among the foremost on the list of Horticulturists, (as he is pre- 

 sumed to credit the account), that it is not so. Most truly, I am. Dear Sir, 

 yours, and an interested reader of the Magazine, notwithstanding the differ- 

 ence in our opinion on the strawberries, Abijah Reed, Hulherton, Or- 

 leans Co., A*, y., Oct 13, 1851. 



Art. II. Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Saturday, Dec. 6. — Exhibited — Fruit : From J. Lovett, 2d, pears, Beurre 

 Diel, superior, Le Cure, fine. Winter Nelis, Echasserie, Glout Morceau, 

 and Catillac. From S. Downer, Jr., pears, Chaumontelle, superior. From 

 D. T. Curtis, pears preserved by him — Duchess of Angouleme, St. Ger- 

 main, Winter Virgalieu ; apples. Porter ; grapes. Black Hamburgh and 

 Sweetwater. The grapes were cut Sept. 1st, and were in a perfect state of 

 preservation. 



Dec. 13. — An adjourned meeting of the Society was held to-day, — Vice 

 President Cabot in the chair. 



On motion of C. M. Hovey, it was voted that the Society's silver medal 

 be presented to A. Leroy, of Angers, France, for the fine collection of fruit 

 sent by him to the Society, and that the Corresponding Secretary be au- 

 thorized to forward the same with a vote of thanks. 



Charles Hall, of Medford, was elected a member. Adjourned one week, 

 to Dec. 20. 



Exhibited — Fruit : From H. Vandine, pears, Glout Morceau, superior, also 

 Beurre Diel. From C. S. Homer, pears, Martin Sec. From J. F. Allen, 

 pears, Winter Nelis, Passe Colmar and Cross ; and four kinds of grapes. 

 From J. Lovett, apples, Minister. From J. H. Morrison, pears. Winter 

 Nelis, fine. 



Fruits tested. From Hovey & Co., Belle Epine Dumas, excellent, Cal- 

 houn, fine. 



