1859.] REPORT ON APPLES. 21 



REPORT ON APPLES. 

 Georoe Chandler, Worcester, Chairman; George A. Chamberlain, 

 Worcester; T. R. Norcross, Shrewsbury; Edward Earle, D. S. Messen- 

 ger, Worcester. 



To the President and Memhers of the Worcester County Horticultural So- 

 ciety. The Committee on Apples respectfully report, that they have attended to 

 their duty as well as the time and their other duties would allow. The Chair- 

 man first received notice of his appointment at the close of the second day of 

 the Exhibition. This must be his apology for any seeming neglect to notice the 

 contributions of any one. 



The season has been unusually unfavorable to the growth and perfection of 

 the apple in this County, and, indeed, throughout New England. The flower- 

 ing was scanty in the spring, and the apples that set were badly attacked by 

 insects, and stinted in their growth by the drought in the summer. These 

 truths are too plainly manifest in the market, if not on our tables, although we 

 have some specimens here that show the bounty of Heaven and the skill of their 

 cultivators, notwithstanding all untoward circumstances. The number of con- 

 tributors, as entered on the books, is only thirty-four, and the number of plates 

 of apples three hundred and six, against ninety-two contributors with their 

 nine hundred and sixteen plates last year. 



Since the organization of this Society, whether as a result of its operations, 

 I would not say, but the fact is nevertheless ti'ue, that the price of the apple 

 has increased, the demand has increased, the quality has increased and the 

 quantity has increased. 



The Committee award " for the largest and best collection :" 

 The first premium, for his 46 plates of Apples, to Sylvanus Sears, of 



Worcester, SO 00 



The second, for his 15 plates of Apples — specimens that would any 



year be pronounced excellent — to S. S. Foster, of Worcester,.... 5 00 

 They were the best, but not the largest of the large collections. 



The third premium is awarded to L. B. Hapgood, of Shrewsbury,... 4 00 

 And the fourth for his, the largest collection, 50 plates of Apples, 

 thereby manifesting his most laudable desire to gratify your wishes 

 by adding of his abundance to the show, to George A. Chamber- 

 lain, of Worcester, 3 00 



For the premiums for the best six varieties of not less than eight 

 specimens each, the Committee, with no little distrust in their 



decision, award the first to Joseph Allen, of Northborough, 3 00 



The second to Samuel D. Ward, of Shrewsbury, 2 00 



And the third to Isaac Mills, of Worcester, 1 00 



Of the premiums " for the eight best specimens of Autumn Apples 

 of one variety, the first was by acclamation awarded, for his boun- 

 tiful plate of large, fair, translucent Porters, to Charles Johnson, 



of Northborough, 2 00 



4 



