REPORTS. 



REPORT ON APPLES. 



Stephen Salisbury, of Worcester, Chairman; Asa H.Allen, of Shrews- 

 bury, S. P. Champney, Samuel H. Colton and Jonas Hartshorn, of 

 Worcester. 



The Committee on Apples, all present, unanimously and respectfully pre- 

 sent their report. 



The character of this department of the most important of fruits in our 

 exhibition, will excite no surprise but rather satisfaction when it is remem- 

 bered that the fine blossom of the last spring was blasted by a cold storm in 

 this part of the country, except in localities which were sheltered from its 

 attack. Then followed the cold wet summer which enlarged the growth of 

 foliage, and diminished the size and beauty of the fruit. To the injuries of the 

 weather, the numerous curculios and other insects added the wounds and 

 deforming scars of their insidious and inevitable assaults. In this succession 

 of injurious incidents, we have no occasion to take up the lamentation of the 

 prophet, " that which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten, and that 

 which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten, and that which the 

 canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten," for the privation of the crop 

 of apples is but partial, and in the aggregate of your exhibition there is abund- 

 ant cause of gratitude to the bounteous Providence that has given us, with the 

 rain from Heaven, a season fruitful in the luxuries of the harvest, " filling our 

 hearts with food and gladness." 



In this department the number of contributions is forty-five, and of varieties 

 four hundred and three. At the last year's exhibition the contributors were 

 fifty-four, and varieties four hundred and sixty-six, showing a decrease of nine 

 contributors and sixty-three varieties, and the quality of the specimens is more 

 inferior than their number, yet this quality and number, though not up to the 

 standard of the times, would have been regarded with admiration in the early 

 years of this society. 



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