36 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



now coming into bearing, constantly increasing opportunities for testing the 

 quality, bearing properties and adaptation to general cultivation of these in- 

 troductions may be reasonably expected. As, however, no conclusive judg- 

 ment can properly be formed of the quality of a fruit the first year, or from 

 a few specimens only, but little more than a partial enumeration of these 

 new varieties will here be attempted. Although much disappointment 

 should be anticipated, yet it is not unreasonable to hope that among the 

 many varieties imported during the few past years, some may be found of 

 great excellence. That what is now beginning to be regarded by cultiva- 

 tors as one of our best winter pears, and well adapted to general cultiva- 

 tion, the Glout Morceau, was but a few years since almost condemned as 

 nearly worthless, should be a warning against hasty conclusions or a prema- 

 ture judgment respecting the quality of a fruit, and although, as has been 

 remarked on a similar previous occasion, it is best for beginners to content 

 themselves with those varieties whose qualities have been long and thor- 

 oughly tested, those who have new varieties should be cautious not to 

 reject after one or two trials only, but permit their trees to arrive at matu- 

 rity before coming to a decision respecting the value of their fruit. 



Through the kindness of J. P. Gushing, Esqr., your Committee had the 

 past year an opportunity to taste thirty-two varieties of the strawberry, 

 raised by that gentleman at his seat in Watertown, for the purpose of test- 

 ing their quality and value for cultivation. Many of these varieties are 

 American seedlings of recent origin. Among these strawberries, the New 

 Pine, and Burr's New Pine, were thought to be of high flavor and very fine 

 quality, and the Cornucopia, though acid, to be well flavored and good. As 

 none of the others, with the exception of a few well known sorts, were 

 considered above a medium quality, an enumeration of their names is felt to 

 be unnecessary. Of strawberries, the early Virginia, Hovey's Seedling 

 and Jenney's Seedling are thus far, taking all circumstances into considera- 

 tion, probably the most profitable and best for general cultivation \^ this 

 vicinity. There are, however, other varieties worthy of trial. The Presi- 

 dent of the Society has a seedling, raised by him, that gives indica- 

 tion of being worthy of a place with the foregoing, though the fact of its 

 being a staminate plant somewhat deteriorates from its value, and the quali- 

 ties of the two first above named are such as to entitle them to a place in 

 a collection. On June 2]st, a seedling strawberry was exhibited for the 

 first time by Isaac Fay, called by hmi Jenny Lind, that seemed of good 

 promise. 



There have been some new cherries upon the tables the past year. The 

 Hon. M. P. Wilder presented on 21st June a box of the Belle d'Orleans 

 cherries, that for its earliness, if for no other reason, promises to be of value. 

 It was in color of a light red, of good size, sweet, but somewhat deficient in 

 flavor. The same gentleman exhibited on July 5th, the Bigarreau Gabau- 

 lis or Monstreuse de Mezel, a very large cherry, resembling in appearance 

 the Black Tartarean ; also on the same day, the Cerise de Xavier, the Le- 

 mercier and De Spa: these were all acid fruits of a red color, not unlike the 

 Morellos, and probably better suited to the kitchen than tlie dessert ; and 



