6 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL .SOCIETY. [1899. 



this much interest on their part in growing and earing for trees 

 that bore such luscious fruit. 



September — Mavida Fiske, daughter of David Fiske, placed 

 upon exhibition a quart of Prince Albert Currants. 



Of Grapes, we had immense crops, the exhibitions large and 

 the specimens shown very fine. Of Quinces, the same may be 

 said, while it is generally claimed that Quinces yield more and 

 are better in a year when the rain-fall is great, there has been 

 no better showing than this season since my connection with the 

 Society of twenty years. Currants and Gooseberries were 

 good, with a fair crop. 



The drouth commenced while Strawberries were in bloom 

 and those who were fortunate enough to have their plants on 

 moist or wet lands had a fairty good crop, while those on 

 light soils were almost a failure. One of our members, Mr. 

 Henry Rich, was situated so that he could irrigate his land 

 and use water on his Strawberries in large quantities, the result 

 proved the value of an unlimited supply of water, for he had 

 as good berries in quality and quantity as one could wish for ; 

 while your Secretary at an expense for water of about one 

 dollar and fifty cents, raised at least twenty-five dollars' worth 

 more of berries than he would have done without the water. 

 George McWilliams exhibited for G. Marston Whitin, a fine 

 plate of the new Strawberry, the Talbot, a berry originat- 

 ing in Uxbridge, for which we awarded a Certificate of Merit 

 last season ; this, with the Record Seedling, a berry originating 

 with S. H. Record, and shown by him the past year, I 

 consider two very promising varieties and worthy of trial. 



This has been an exceptionally fine year for Dahlias, and no 

 complaint as to quality or quantity has reached this Society, 

 while Sweet Peas and Asters have been nearly a failure, as in 

 the past year or tw T o. Nearly every day this season complaints, 

 either personal or by mail have been received. There has hardly 

 been a grower of this flower who has met with any success 

 whatever, some who make no pretensions to the cultivation of 

 Sweet Peas, more than to sow the seed and gather the blossoms 

 they desired to use, have had quite good crops, even this year; 



