FRUIT committee's REPORT. 83 



them, is applicable to this variety also ; but yet, as much has been said re- 

 specting it, — and some opinion in regard to it may be perhaps expected, — it is 

 felt to be a duty to state that, in a cursory and slight examination, no superi- 

 ority over many of the common wild grapes of the country was indicated, 

 and it is not believed that it will prove to be worthy of any cultivation. 



At the first weekly exhibition, subsequent to the Annual Exhibition, 

 many grapes were shown, and among them some new seedlings. Of the 

 quality of these, it is not intended to express any decided opinion, — it would 

 be premature to do so, if there were not other sufficient reasons to pre- 

 vent it. Among them were the following : — 



J. F. Allen's Hybrid Seedling, No. 13. A rather small, oval-shaped, dark 

 purple grape, with a thick skin, — a probable indication that it will keep 

 late ; it was of a very sweet, pleasant flavor. Mr. A. considers it perfectly 

 hardy, but it has not ripened out of doors. Mr. Allen also showed the Early 

 Amber, — a lig-ht, amber-colored grape, — and the McLean. This last was 

 a small berry, in appearance almost exactly like the Clinton, and like the 

 Clinton acid. A grape was also exhibited called the Framingham Seed- 

 ling, from Mr. G. Morneburg, of Saxonville, said to be a seedling from the 

 Isabella, and it seemed to the Committee to be a reproduction of that 

 variety. 



Mr. J. W. Manning, of Reading, showed a grape without name, only de- 

 scribed as a native. It was a dark amber-colored grape, sweet, without 

 much hard pulp, or the peculiar foxy flavor that generally attends native 

 varieties. 



APPLES. 



The crop of apples in the vicinity of Boston must, for the past year, be 

 considered as below an average. Indeed, the Baldwin variety is so exten- 

 sively cultivated, that on alternate years, when this variety does not bear, as 

 was the case the present year, from that cause only the quantity of the 

 crop is sensibly affected ; indeptendent of this, however, the bad weather, 

 frosts, and storms, have told seriously to its injury. There were many fine 

 specimens and varieties of this fruit upon the tables at the Annual Exhibi- 

 tion ; although, perhaps, not as many as on some previous similar occasions. 

 No new varieties have been noticed as calling for any particular observa- 

 tion. Tlie number of varieties of apples is already so large, and is also being 

 constantly increased by new seedlings from diflferent parts of the country, 

 that, to become acquainted with them, so as to be able to identify them, has 

 become almost an impossibility; while, to obtain a knowledge of even those 

 kinds that have been for some time in cultivation, and whose merits have 

 been tested and described, is a work of no small labor. This is a difficulty 

 that must be expected to increase, and the result in the end probably will 

 be, that, in each section of the country, of limited extent, different varieties, 

 such as are found suited to them, will be grown, and only a limited number 

 of kinds, whose superiority will be generally acknowledged, will be objects 

 of general cultivation. 



