FRUIT committee's REPORT. 63 



the expectation, when this Hall was built, that it would be sufficient for 

 this purpose, and such was for a few years found to be the case ; but lat- 

 terly, the great increase in the specimens offered rendered a large tent, or 

 the largest hall to be obtained in the city, necessary for the purposes of the 

 annual exhibition. 



The limited space afforded by the Hall of the Society required, this 

 year, the adoption of rules for conducting the exhibition different from 

 those that have usually regulated it, and these excluded from the table all 

 specimens of fruit but such as were offered in competition for the prizes — 

 except that contributors were allowed to place there a limited number, 

 especially of such as were new or rare, for exhibition only. 



No doubt this exclusion of ordinary specimens, and of indifferent vari- 

 eties, by which the exhibitions have sometimes been swelled, tend ma- 

 terially to increase the beauty of an exhibition, yet is not free from objec- 

 tions. Many, it is to be presumed, visit the exhibitions of the Society not 

 merely to gratify the eye and to view specimens of superior excellence, but 

 also to study the qualities of the different varieties of fruit, so far as that 

 can be done by a cursory examination, especially of such as are new or 

 rare, to make themselves familiar with their form and appearance. Now 

 to this class it is as important that varieties of poor qualities should be 

 exhibited as those that are superior; for to them it is desirable to know 

 what to avoid, as well as what to seek. 



The competition for the prizes offered by the Society has been as active 

 the past year as has been heretofore customary, and the efforts of cultivators 

 has resulted in placing upon the tables specimens of fruit equalling in 

 beauty and quality those of the most favorable seasons. 



The raising of forced fruits seems to be more and more becoming an 

 object of interest to cultivators: new competitors present themselves for 

 this class of prizes offered by the Society, and, by the displays in this 

 branch of horticulture, the exhibitions in the earlier part of the year, that 

 would be otherwise devoid of fruit, are rendered attractive. The raising 

 of forced fruits exercises the skill of the horticulturist in one of the highest 

 departments of his profession, and his success here, where all is artificial, 

 becomes a complete triumph over nature — its successful practice requiring 

 not only great skill, but also no small amount of scientific attainment, helps 

 to elevate the character of the art, and for this reason, if no other, is 

 worthy the continued encouragement of the Society. 



The forced fruits exhibited have consisted )f strawberries, grapes, 

 peaches, cherries, nectarines, &c. Strawberries were shown in consider- 

 able quantity on April 3d — a few berries having been placed on the table 

 on March 6th; grapes on April .3d ; peaches on May 8th, and cherries and 

 nectarines on the 15th of that month. Grapes and peaches are the forced 

 fruits principally cultivated, and the specimens shown this year of each 

 have been remarkable for size and beauty. One bunch of Cannon Hall 

 Muscat grapes weighed four pounds, eleven of the berries weighing six 

 ounces, and some of the peaches were each ten and five eighths inches in 

 circumference, and weighed ten ounces ; indeed, all the different kinds testi- 



