SECRETARY'S REPORT. 71 



All these considerations teach us the importance of carefully 

 observing and noting the numerous circumstances which modify 

 results, and the constant demand for research, patience and 

 perseverance by the cultivator of fruits. 



In the subjoined list of fruits it has been the object of the 

 committee to point out, as far as possible, the peculiar charac- 

 teristics of certain varieties, and to exclude all sucii as are 

 difficult of cultivation or of doubtful utility; and as another 

 committee are charged with the duty of reporting on the grape, 

 these investigations are confined to the apple and the pear. 

 Your committee doubt not that there are other good varieties 

 of these not enumerated in this catalogue, which are success- 

 fully grown in this State. Some of these may be especially 

 adapted to certain districts. Local circumstances must there- 

 fore govern the fruit grower in the selection of varieties, and 

 he should first look around his own region and plant such as 

 are known to prosper in his immediate locality. A^ery much 

 depends on the suitableness of the soil, and upon the care and 

 culture which trees receive. To these we shall allude in the 

 subsequent pages of this paper. 



The arrangement of the varieties is alphabetical, according to 

 the nomenclature adopted by the American Pomological Society. 

 In regard to the latter, the committee have endeavored to 

 reduce as much as possible the multiplicity of names given to 

 varieties, and thus to prevent an accumulation which is of 

 no practical advantage, and leads to confusion. Only a few 

 synonyms are therefore given, and these follow the adopted 

 name in italics. The limits of this report will not admit of 

 giving descriptions of the fruits recommended, but simply to 

 indicate the color, size, season, use, and a few remarks in regard 

 to soil, habit of the tree, <fec. In relation to the time of ripen- 

 ing, instead of naming the months in which the fruit matures, 

 the general terms of summer, autumn and winter have been 

 used. 



The arrangement of the columns is as follows : first, the 

 name of the variety ; next, the color ; then the size, season, 

 use, &c. 



