56 



WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



[1871. 



Upon the printed Schedule of Premiums, the Committee on Exhi- 

 bitions gave notice that ''about a month hiter than tlie Annual Exhibi- 

 tion" there would be again offered premiums for small collections and 

 single dishes of Pears Mter, perhaps, a too hasty consultation with 

 such members of the Committee as he met, the Secretary' gave notice 

 through the newspapers that these premiums would be offered on Oct. 

 lUth, this early date being selected on account of the unusually rapid 

 ripening of the late Fall pears. This experimental Exhibition aroused 

 an unexpected degree of interest, and well deserves repetition. 



The weekly Exhibitions have been generally interesting and about 

 as well attended as in former years. The following table contains the 

 figures for the past year, in connection with my predecessor's compara- 

 tive statement of the ten i^receding years : 



C O M P A R A J' 1 V^ E S T A f E M E NT. 



Auno Domini. 



1862 



186.3. 



1864. 



1865. 



1866 



1867. 



1868. 



1869 



1870 



1871. 



1431 

 1483 

 1447 

 1997 

 1315 

 2186 

 12C7 

 1597 

 15.39 

 2825 



The numerous Apples credited to the present oHicial year, were of 

 course from the crop of 1870. 



In accordance with a vote of the last Annual j\teeting, the Secre- 

 tary prepared and forwarded to the General Court a Petition that the 

 Statutes be so amended as to allow the destruction, upon private prem- 

 ises, of birds injurious to fruit and the garden products. This docu- 

 ment was referred to a Committee on Agriculture, and (piietly remains 

 in their custody. 



