414 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



were of the opinion that the Caroline and Grace, two of 

 Mr. Moore's seedlings, excelled any of the other varieties. 

 The Norfolk cherry, Mr. Fenno's seedling, was thought 

 to surpass the Downer in flavor. The Saunders and 

 Hers tine raspberries were found large and of fine qual- 

 ity. Very fine plums, nectarines, and peaches of orchard 

 house culture, were shown by John Falconer, gardener 

 to Mrs. C. H. Leonard. A fine collection of apples 

 was received from Dr. C. C. Hamilton of Cornwallis, 

 N.S., a corresponding member of the society. On the 

 17th of April, F. & L. Clapp presented specimens of 

 their seedling pear No. 64, of the previous season's 

 growth, which gave promise of value as a late keeping 

 and handsome variety. The pear crop of 1875 was 

 more than an average one, and the Bartlett, Beurre 

 Hardy, and Seckel were finer than ever before ; while 

 the Duchesse d'Angouleme and others were much below 

 their usual size and beauty. Many new seedling pears 

 and grapes were exhibited. At the annual exhibition 

 there were six hundred and seventy-nine dishes of 

 pears, one hundred and seventy of apples, forty-nine of 

 peaches, three of nectarines, fifteen of plums, one hun- 

 dred and twenty-one of native grapes, and fifty-four of 

 foreign grapes, making a total of one thousand and 

 ninety-one dishes. 



The Committee on Vegetables reported that the year 

 had been in many respects one of more than ordinary 

 interest in that department. Competition for the prizes 

 was active, and the products placed upon the tables had 

 rarely been equalled for beauty and quality in the most 

 favorable seasons. The extreme and long continued 

 cold in the early portion of the year lessened the contri- 

 butions of forced vegetables in the winter and spring ; 



