WORCKSTEll COUNTY 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



For the Year Ending Oct. 31, 1903. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



To the Members of the 



Worcester County Horticultural Society: 



The weather conditions of the past season have been very 

 unsatisfactory for the growers of fruit, flowers and vegetables. 

 November, 1902, was so warm the growth of trees and shrubs 

 was soft and unripe and in very poor condition to stand the 

 severe cold weather of December 8, 9 and 10, which was several 

 de;grees below zero. This caused in many cases the killing of 

 various shrubs, particularly Privet hedges. The winter opened 

 with very little snow, March being so warm as to cause buds 

 to swell — and m as advanced a state as they should be in April — 

 in fact April and March exchanged places. Strawberries 

 couldn't be kept back by covering as they pushed up through 

 the mulching; then the cold storms and frost killed the first 

 bloom. Later they bid fair to have a crop, when the drouth 

 struck them and nearly dried them up. Then the cold rain 

 came and rotted them on the vines, after which we had pleasant 

 weather for a few days. Saturday I visited one of our large 

 growers and looking over his beds we estimated he would pick 

 the first of the week, at least one hundred and sixty crates. 

 Sunday and Monday were so hot the upper side of the berries 

 were scalded so that he picked less than ten crates. 



Apples, pears, plums and cherries l^lossomed and indicated 

 a good crop, but the late spring frost injured the plums, cherries 



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