DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE. 



SAMCEL T. MAYNARD. 



REPORT ON SMALL FRUITS. 



The season of 1893 has on the whole been favorable to a large crop 

 of small fruits in Massachusetts, although in some sections the 

 drouth seriously reduced the yield. The season opened late and the 

 weather during the summer was such, that all fruits ripened consid- 

 erably later than in 1892. Little or no loss among the small fruits 

 was occasioned by attacks of insects or fungi, the dry season having 

 been unfavorable to the development of the latter, while the former 

 were less abundant than usual. 



In this Bulletin we shall confine ourselves to the comparison of the 

 different varieties of small fruits, especially the newer sorts, reporting 

 upon one hundred and eight varieties of strawberries, fourteen vari- 

 eties of blackberries, twenty varieties of blackcap and twenty varieties 

 of red raspberries. 



All of the above were planted in a soil of even composition, each 

 variety being under the same conditions of cultivation, manuring, 

 training, etc. The fruit of all varieties was gathered on the same 

 day and carefully weighed, the comparative size, quality, etc., being 

 determined by frequent comparison and testing. It is found a very 

 diflScult matter to determine accurately the place, as to qualit}, that 

 a variety should occupy, but by the combined results of frequent 

 tests made by different persons we feel that as far as it is possible 

 we have arrived at correct conclusions. It is well known that many 

 varieties vary very much in different seasons and under different con- 

 ditions of soil and manuring, and in cases where doubt has arisen as 

 to the value of any variety, its behavior in other localities has been 

 used as a factor in making up the report. 



