FRUIT committee's REPORT. 37 



of the largest prizes offered for the strawloerry. ]Sro%y shall this continue 

 to be the case when our numbers have so increased and we are or ought 

 to be better able than formerly to produce this fruit? What can be done 

 to furnish our tables more abundantly? Shall we offer larger premiums 

 and in this way try to induce more of our members to enter upon the 

 cultivation of the strawberry in right good earnest, not only for their 

 own tables, but for exhibition? 



We presume strawberries are grown to considerable extent by those 

 connected with this Society, but from indifference, or from the fact that 

 the fruit is not of the best quality', they refrain from exhibiting. Some 

 changes will be made in the Schedule of Prizes for the coming year, that 

 we hojie will have the effect to increase the number of contributors, 

 liovey & Co. take the lead in number of vax-ieties and quality of fruit. 

 If others can be induced to give the subject the attention it has received 

 at their hands we shall be able to excel in this fruit. 



The whole number of contributors of this fruit the past season was 

 twelve. IIove3''s Seedling is still the best variety of its season. Jenny 

 Lind is a favorite early sort. La Constante has been gaining friends, 

 though we fear that for ordinary field culture it will ikx^ succeed. Brigh- 

 ton Pine still holds its place, especially among market gardeners. The 

 Buffalo Seedling and Eussell's Prolific are not valuable varieties. The 

 French Seedling is soft and poor and of no value as a market fruit. 

 Some fine specimens of the Agriculturist were shown by E. A. Brack- 

 ctt, of Winchester, who has been quite successful with this variety. In 

 point of quality, it is not up to our well known varieties, but may like 

 the Wilson, to which it is siiperior, be grown for market. It is a good 

 grower and bearer. The ^Monitor is a soft and worthless variety. The 

 Brooklyn Scarlet is acid, small or medium size, and of poor quality. 

 Hon. M. P. Wilder brought to our notice two seedlings raised by him, 

 from a cross between the Hovey Seedling and La Constante, partaking 

 of the good qualities of both those sorts; large, fine color, firm, excel- 

 lent fiavor, and if we mistake not, one or both promise to prove valua- 

 ble' acquisitions to our list of strawberries. The foliage is better than 

 that of La Constante, though resembling it somewhat. We iinderstand 

 that if they shall prove on further trial equal to the expectations already 

 entertained of them, thej* will be jiroperly named and given to the pub- 

 lic without charge li}- their originator. 



Other varieties were shown, many of them of foreign origin, and none 

 of particular value except for amateurs. Members of the Society, we 

 beg of you to cultivate more good strawberries. 



Soon after the strawberries come the cherries, which seem to have im- 

 proved in quality within a year or two. There were but six contribu- 

 tors of cherries, and some of the fruit was quite ordinary. This fruit 

 during the past season sold in the market at very high prices. One great 



