64 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1873, 



number, should be given to competitors within the County, but not be- 

 longing to the city of Worcester." 



Your Chairman of the Committee on Apples,t in his very able and in- 

 structive Report for 1872 ; which was not more highly than deservedly 

 complimented by the learned Editor of the Gardeners Monthly ; advised 

 that our Autumnal Exhibition be held at a later period. To quote his 

 own argument : 



"And there is another reason for selecting a different time for holding 

 our Annual Exhibition. The more valuable portion of the Apple crop of 

 Worcester County, the Winter and late Fall fruit, ought not to be and 

 will not be harvested, no matter what premiums are offered or how well 

 known they are, till at least two or three weeks later than the Annual 

 Exhibition was held this year. And there are not three weeks of the 

 whole season, of more importance to the growth and perfection of the 

 fruit than the last three. 



" The Chairman of your Committee, attending a Town Fair in one of 

 the adjoining towns— where, by the way, he saw an exhibition of Api)les 

 not much, if any, iuferior in substantial qualities to ours — asked several 

 farmers whom he met there and knew to be large growers of Apples for 

 the market, why they did not enter their fruits at our Exhibition. One- 

 replied that he belonged to our Societ}-, and that one year it gave him a 

 premium on his Apples. Further inquiry revealed the fact that he meant 

 the Worcester County Agricultural Society. This man is a good farmer, 

 skilled in Apple culture, and, to use his own language, has ' slathers of 

 Apples this ^-ear.' Others made replies that showed a like misconception. 

 Others, who knew of our Exhibition and our separate existence, knew 

 nothing of our Premiums; and all with one accord sftid that our Exhibi- 

 tion was too eai'ly for them. Jt was impracticable to go over large 

 orchards hunting best specimens. Such could only be selected at the har- 

 \est of the whole, and they would not for any premiums or exhibition 

 harvest Winter Apples in the middle of September." 



And, unless your Secretary errs in the assumption that the reference of 

 the Chairman is to his native town, it is safe to sa}- that what was predi- 

 cated of 1872, would be more than borne out by the experience of the 

 current Autumn. 



The Exhibitions of the AVokckstkr Couistty Hortk;ultural So- 

 ciety, for a length of time beyond which memory runneth not, have 

 been synchronous with those of the Agricultural Society. Why, it pnss- 

 eth the wit of man to explain. That we are more likely to escape early 

 frosts, thereby insuring a superior Floral display, cannot be denied. But, 

 in the opinion of your Secretary, an E(iuinoctial Storm is about an equal 

 (as in the judgment of the Agricultural Treasurer it is certainly an equine) 

 misfortune. Florists can, if they will use a little industry to supplement 

 reasonable forethought, secure their treasures from harm. A single frost, 

 in September, when one does occur, is almost invariably followed, as now, 

 by weeks of mild and pleasant wealhei-. 



tMajor William T. Harlow. 



