1863.] REPORT ON PEARS. 65 



For Concord, do., to Edward Earle, of Worcester, 2 00 



For Hartford Prolific, do., to Wm. D. Mascroft, of Northbridge,... 2 00 



For Native Grapes, to E. D. Batchelder, of West Brookfield, 1 00 



Peaches. — For ^tlie best twelve specimens of one variety, to F. Mc- 



Cracken, of Millbury, $3 00 



For the second best, to Asa H. Allen, of Shrewsbury, 2 00 



Gratuity. — For his plate of Peaches, to Gilbert Searles, of Sutton, 1 GO 



Plums. — Gratuity to Anthony Chase, of Worcester, 1 00 



[Note. Mr. Lincoln, the Chairman of the Committee, was also Chairman 

 of the Committee of Arrangements for the Annual Exhibition of the Agricul- 

 tural Society, and Mayor of the city. He explained that he found it perfectly 

 impossible, consistent with his official duties to prepare an extended review of 

 the action and decisions of the Committee. E. W. L.] 



REPORT ON PEARS. 



J. Henry Hill, Chairman; Henry Phelps, 0. B. Hadwex, Emory Ban- 

 ister, Worcester; and E. F. Daniels, Oxford. 



The Committee on Pears, having attended to the duty assigned them, have 

 directed me to submit the following report : 



The Committee, before passing to the more material parts of their report, 

 cannot refrain from suggesting, that if any evidence were wanting to prove the 

 value of associations like ours, in promoting and encouraging the pursuit of 

 Pomology, we have it, in abundance npoii the tables of this Society, at its 

 annually recurring exhibitions. The Society has just attained its majority ; 

 and nothing could be more profitable or pleasant, had we the time, than to 

 trace its progress from its formation to the present moment. A few words, 

 however, in relation to the department in charge of your Committee, must 

 suffice. 



Those who witnessed the first exhibition of the Society are the only ones 

 who can fully appreciate the vast improvement made in the culture of the Pear. 

 From the smallest beginnings we have arrived at a degree of excellence which 

 fairly challenges competition. Twenty years ago, few people knew of any 

 varieties other than the "Pound Pear," or the " Button Pear," as they were 

 respectively called ; and whoever was the fortunate possessor of a tree of either 

 variety was the envy of the neighborhood ; nobody knew or dreamed that any 

 one, with a little trouble, could obtain a tree of even like character. Beyond a 

 few professional or amateur growers, the subject of Pear cultivation was never 

 agitated or thought of. The first few exhibitions of this Society, however, 

 conceived and carried out by a few public spirited gentlemen — some of whom 



