33 TRANSACTIONS, &c. 



and reached England about the end of tlic Seventeenth Century. 

 The Potato, so well designated as the "the poor man's blessing and the 

 rich man's luxury," is said to have been brought into Ireland by Sir 

 Walter Raleigh, about the year 1690, and became gradually known 

 and used in Scotland and Plngland. During the middle ages, accor- 

 ding to the historian of that period, even the common Horticultural 

 art for culinary purposes, though not entirely neglected, had not been 

 cultivated with much attention. The fact is interesting and instruct- 

 ive, that our principal knowledge as to its cultivation, in that period, 

 is derived from ancient deeds, in which the produce of gardens is oc- 

 casionally mentioned. 



In our own country, as we are all aware, the principal esculent 

 vegetables were introduced during the Seventeenth Cenlury; al- 

 though there were some varieties, which remained unknown to our 

 ancestors, until but about a hundred years ago. Of the more recent 

 history of these products, we have no occasion now to speak, but 

 will proceed to the subject of our present Exhibition, so far as it 

 comprises entries assigned to this Committee. 



The whole number of Competitors or Contributors, in the Depart- 

 ment of Vegetables, was ascertained to be forty-three. The num- 

 ber of luts or specimens, included in the different entries, so far as 

 the Chairman could estimate the same, was about one hundred 

 and twenty-five. We will allude to tliese, briefly, in the alphabetical 

 order of Contributors ; their residence being in Worcester, unless 

 otherwise stated. 



E. E. Abbott entered a lot of very excellent Blood Beets. 



Paine Aldrich, one plate of superior round Tomatoes. 



B. F. Bailey exhibited a very good specimen of Root Onions. 



E. M. Banning, two Globe Beets, two Sweet Turnips, and one 

 Cowhorn Beet, all superior varieties. 



Wm. M. Bickford entered eighteen different lots, which were 

 much praised by your Committee. They comprised specimens of 

 the Vegetable Oyster, Purple Egg-Plants, very fine Peppers, Toma- 

 toea (two kinds). Sugar Parsnip, White Belgium Carrots, a splendid 

 stalk of "Stowell's Evergreen Corn," Early Horn and Long Orange 

 Carrots, Summer and Winter Squashes, "Corlo Rapa" (somewhat 

 resembling green and thrifty Turnips), Turnip and Long Blood 

 Beets, Mock Orange, two Citron Melons (believed to be very palata- 



