FRUIT committee's REPORT. 93 



very fine pears, and fine trees, and Vicar of VVinkfield. This last, how- 

 ever, to be recommended for the exceeding beauty and vigor of the tree 

 and its bearing property, rather than for the quality of the fruit, that 

 although large, and when carefully ripened sometimes good, is more gen- 

 erally very indifferent. The Easter Beurr6, the best of the very late-keeping 

 varieties, in favorable situations, and the Columbia, a strong, vigorous, 

 American variety, but whose large fruit is exceedingly apt to be blown off 

 by the winds, in sheltered places, may also be worthy of attention. 



In cases where not much attention can be bestowed on their cultivation, 

 in the open country, in exposed places, the coarser varieties, those suitable 

 for cooking only, are probably those that, as a matter of profit, will give 

 the most satisfactory results, are perhaps the only ones that will at all do 

 so, such varieties as the Truckhill Bergamotte, Uvedale's St. Germain, 

 Spanish Bon Chretien, Vicar of Winkfield, and others of similar character. 



In making awards of premiums the Committee are, by the Rules of the 

 Society, restricted to its members. It may have been that cases have 

 occurred where exhibitors have been precluded by this rule from awards to 

 which they would otherwise have been entitled. 



Reports to the Society from its several Standing Committees, except the 

 Award of Premiums, are customarily, if not necessarily, prepared by their 

 respective Chairmen, without much consultation with the other members. 

 This has been the case on the present occasion ; and although a desire and 

 intention has existed to give, when such had been expressed, upon all 

 matters of doubt, where a difference of opinion had occurred— the opinion 

 of his colleagues rather than his own — yet, as such expression has rarely 

 been made, no one of the Committee should be considered responsible for 

 the sentiments herein advanced, when such do not commend themselves 

 to the judgment, but the Chairman. 



JOSEPH S. CABOT, Chairman. 



Mr. Cabot, the Chairman, having sailed for Europe in October, the 

 remaining members of the Fruit Committee deem it due to the public, 

 that a more emphatic expression of opinion be given in regard to the 

 " Massachusetts White Grape." 



It was introduced by Mr. Watson of Plymouth, Mass., who described it 

 as "the greatest acquisition ever made to our hardy domestic grapes," .... 

 "the flesh is tender, juicy and melting, and entirely free from pulp." A 

 vine, received directly from Mr. Watson, has borne fruit the past season, 

 which has been exhibited before the Society. Other gentlemen have also 

 fruited it, and state their fruit to be identical with that exhibited. There 

 seems to be no good reason to doubt that the fruit is genuine. If so, it is 

 rightly named. The woods of Massachusetts abound with grapes of similar 

 quality. " Domestic" is an unfortunate adjective to apply to this variety, 

 for, in the opinion of your Committee, it is far from being domesticated. 

 It has ALL the strongly-marked characteristics of the Wild Fox or Bullet 



