370 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



quality, from James Comley. At the opening exhibition 

 J. B. Moore presented four bunches of asparagus, of 

 twelve stalks each, one bunch of which weighed fifty- 

 three ounces. A bunch of Conover's Colossal, from New 

 York, weighed but little more than two-thirds as much, 

 stalk for stalk. The season was not so prolific in novel- 

 ties in this department as some of its predecessors ; but 

 the Trophy tomato was exhibited by William E. Baker 

 and others, and thought to possess valuable points. 

 The new introductions of the previous year continued 

 to produce a favorable impression. The exhibitions of 

 potatoes, both at the weekly and annual shows, were 

 unusually fine and in great variety. For earliness, pro- 

 ductiveness, and profit in the field and garden, the Early 

 Rose took the lead of all others. This and the Peerless 

 were considered the two best for general cultivation. 

 The General Grant and Boston Market were the two 

 leading tomatoes ; and on the 6th of August the former 

 took all the four prizes offered. 



The effects of the severe and long continued drought 

 were plainly visible in this department of the annual 

 exhibition ; but the show, though less in quantity than 

 in previous years, was, on the whole, much better than 

 anticipated by the committee. The display of melons 

 in all their varieties had rarely if ever been equalled. 

 Watermelons were shown weighing from thirty-three 

 to forty pounds, and in quality all that could be desired. 

 The fruit of the egg plant was also shown in great per- 

 fection ; but not a single cauliflower was offered. 



It is not often that we have the means of comparing 

 a horticultural exhibition here with a similar one in 

 Europe ; but the annual show was this year visited by 

 William Robinson, the author of the Parks, Prome- 



