1878.] REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 37 



cents per quart tliroughout the season, making at the rate of 14,461 

 quarts per acre. This is in common field culture. Habit of plant is 

 very strong; never has blighted or rusted, and needs no cultivation; 

 will overrun all foul material ; even witch-grass and sorrel gives way 

 to it." 



After that, — may we not sing with the humorist, — 



"Draw me a pot of beer, mother ! 

 And— mother ! draw it mild." 



The advertisement says that the habit of the plant is very strong. 

 Which is precisely what your Committee on Small Fruits thought of 

 the scent of the berries. If, however, this new variety will overrun all 

 foul material, even witch-grass and sorrel, your Secretary is assured, 

 upon good authority, that the Commission of Public Grounds, of 

 the City of Worcester, will take all the plants of it that can be obtained. 

 A contest for the supremacy in Kim Park, between this pugnacious 

 Strawberry and the Azalia hispida, would be a botanical tournament 

 worth travelling some distance to see. 



The season, as a whole, was favorable to the Strawberry crop, when 

 well cared for ; and not subject to local or particular disadvantages. 

 Eain fell copiously and at just the right times, while the berries were 

 swelling; although a period of intense heat and comparative drought 

 sensibly affected the later maturation. But it was amply proved, were 

 demonstration needed, that the Strawberry-crop need not fail, where 

 skill and diligence are applied to its cultivation : and that a market 

 can be found for fruit of the highest excellence, when cleanly gathered 

 and tastefully packed. It may shed some light upon future discussions 

 of the question of tariff or free trade, to observe that, on Sunnyside at 

 least, they expect no other protection than the surpassing excellence 

 of their product. 



A better exhibition of Currants was never witnessed, in our Hall, 

 than that held during the last Summer. Yet the yield of this whole- 

 some and but half-appreciated fruit was materially lessened by the 

 cold, keen winds, followed by a period of very low temperature which, 

 supervening to a remarkably mild winter' and spring, blasted flower 

 and young germ with fatal impartiality. There would have been some 

 compensation for other injury, had that cold wave tended to reduce the 

 j'ield from the Apple Orchards, whose bloom was then excessive. No de- 

 gree of frost appears to impair the vitality of the Currant-Worm (Abraxis 

 grossulariatd) or diminish his numbers : and there can be little doubt 

 7 



