FRUIT committee's REPORT. 41 



and M. P. Wilder, were also large contributors. J. W. Bailey contrib- 

 uted tine looking clusters of the Adirondac, whose appearance was much 

 admired. Mr. Moore, of Kochester, jSTew York, favored us at a later 

 day with a bunch of the Diana Hamburg, but owing to the causes al- 

 ready named it did nt)t come up to the specimens of last year. It can but 

 be regarded as promising. Out-door grapes have brought a higher price 

 than in years past, though of an inferior quality. The display of foreign 

 grapes was principally made by E. S. Kogers, Mrs. T. W. Ward, H. S. 

 Mansfield, M. H. Simpson, R. W. Turner, Mrs. F. B. Durfee, Davis & 

 Bates and G. W. Harding. ]Sro entirely new^ variety of native or foreign 

 grapes has been brought to our notice. 



Of apples we cannot say much, for very few have been shown. The 

 apjDle crop proved the past season a greater failure than ever; even where 

 there has been no cankerworm or caterpillars to injure the trees there 

 has been the same dearth of fruit. The only plausible theory that we 

 can advance to account for this scarcity is the drouth of the tv.-o preced- 

 ing years. The trees were not in a condition to give a crop, for they 

 have had all they could do to support themselves and keep alive without 

 preparing for a crop of fruit. Even where the trees blossomed fidl last 

 spring and gave promise of fruit, still it was a failure, and for the same 

 reason given; there was not enough strength and vitalitj' in the tree to 

 carry the fruit. 



Some may object to this theory- and say that on low moist lands it 

 could not be true that the trees suHered to such an extent as to prevent 

 their bearing, but we think trees so situated suffer jvs much as those on 

 drier land, for the roots are naturally near the surface, and when a severe 

 drouth prevails they suffer. This is true of all vegetation in a season 

 when the early part is wet, followed by a drouth. In confirmation of 

 the theory advanced, we give an instance where a few trees that stood in 

 a moist piece of land were mulched and watered all through the drouth 

 of ISO."), and the result was a tine crop of fair fruit in 18G6. This fruit 

 we saw^ on the trees, and it was the handsomest lot of apples we have 

 seen during all the season. The past season has been very favorable for 

 growth of wood and preparation for a crop, and we predict a large crop 

 of apples next year in regions not infested with cankerworms. 



Messrs. F, & L. Clapp, whose tine orchard is in Dorchester, sur- 

 rounded by cankerworms, have exhibited many very tine apples. Among 

 others the Gravenstein, of which these gentlemen raise large quantities ; 

 also Williams, Baldwin and others equal in every respect to the jn'oduct 

 of former years. We know that they are obliged to contend with the 

 insects injurious to the apple as well as others, but they have done it suc- 

 cessfully for many j^ears, by the aid of wooden troughs tilled with oil 

 about the base of the tree. Apples have been contributed liy J. W. Fos- 

 ter James Eustis, Josiah Newhall and otaers. Dr. Eben Wight brought 



