6 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



serious consideration. Still this is almost the only cost, and certainly 

 would be readily met, provided we could have the crops of former years. 

 For home use, at least, the Cherry must have a place. Black Tartarean 

 took our first prize, as is usual. But we must caution the public that 

 this variety is by no means as hardy or as certain as many other kinds 

 of fair quality. 



Currants. — La Versaillaise has uniformly taken the first prize, and 

 is first on the list. Eed and White Dutch are still standard kinds. 

 In view of the growing scarcity of this health-giving fruit, and its 

 enhanced price in our market, our culturists Avould do well to extend 

 their plantations, remembering to provide a generous supply of manures 

 retentive of moisture; cultivating the ground as carefully as for Pears, 

 and guarding against all approaches of the currant worm. Nearly 

 all our gardens are infested by this pest. The eggs of this worm are 

 deposited singly on the branches, and near the buds. As soon as 

 hatched, the worm penetrates to the pith, upon which it feeds, until the 

 month of June, when it escapes as a moth to deposit another batch of 

 eggs. It is manifestly impracticable to reach the boi'er when burrowed 

 in the stem, secretly destroying the heart of the bushes. But it has 

 been asserted that the applications of air-slacked lime, plaster, ashes, or 

 even super-phosphates, and whale oil soap vipon the foliage and stems 

 of the bushes, have been found to be destructive of the pest. Without 

 having had experience, we suggest that these remedies are probably 

 effectual only against the winged moth, which appears about the middle 

 of June, and she may be prevented from depositing her eggs, either by 

 the offensive odors, or by the gritty dust of the lime and plaster which 

 is fixed by the dews. Whether these remedies are effectual, or not, of 

 this we are confident that good culture will insure good results. 



Haspherries. — Knevett's Giant is still the leading and the prize kind. 

 Clarke has fruited M'ith us, and is regarded as very hardy, vigorous and 

 promising, but its qualities can be more definitely determined another 

 season. The Philadelphia will never appear as an exhibition fruit, and 

 its size is much against it as a market fruit. Its marked productiveness 

 and hardiness will commend it to many. Will not the increasing 

 scarcity and the very high price of the Raspberry in the Boston market 

 induce many to attempt the supply of this want. 



Blackberries.— On the 8th of August Mr. R. R. Fletcher exhibited the 

 Wachuset Blackberry, which is called thornless. It is similar in 

 shape to the Dorchester, but not as large nor as sweet, though the 

 specimens exhibited were not quite ripe, and probably not the best of 

 the kind. It is claimed to be very productive and hardy. It cannot be 

 said to be thornless, yet the evil is essentially mitigated, in comparison 

 with common kinds. On this account it deserves trial. The culture of 

 the older kinds is decreasing, but newer varieties bid fair to increase the 



