48 



The^^Hall, however, though a large one, was very well filled, 

 and the general effect was good. We would respectfully 

 suggest to the Committee of Arrangements that it would be 

 easier and more satisfactory for the several committees, to 

 have the apples, pears, peaches, grapes and flowers placed on 

 tables by themselves^ with each contributor's collection by itself, 

 until they had been examined and the prizes awarded. It was 

 impossible for your Committee to do justice to all, scattered as 

 the fruit was over some half dozen long tables, and the time 

 for examination being limited. The most noticeable pear upon 

 the tables was the Bartlett, of which many fine specimens were 

 presented, and which generally succeeds better than any other 

 variety. There were also very handsome specimens of the 

 Beurre Clairgeau, which would have done credit to any exhibi- 

 tion, but as this pear is so variable in quality, it should be 

 planted with caution. The Doyenne Boussock was large and 

 fair, and we believe this to be a good market variety. 



Excellent reports and essays on pear growing have appeared 

 in former "' Transactions" of this Society, but as they have 

 probably been forgotten (if ever read) by the present generation 

 of fruit growers^ your Committee thought it might be well to 

 offer a somewhat extended report upon the general manage- 

 ment of the pear, hoping it Avould draw attention to the subject, 

 which we believe to be an important one. When we find, by 

 the census returns of Massachusetts a few years ago, the apple 

 and pear crop amounting to something over one and a half 

 million dollars, and in a year, too, when the apple was almost 

 an entire failure, we realize something of the importance which 

 this crop is assuming. 



We believe that pears can be grown at a much greater profit 

 than apples, especially on our best land, in the immediate 

 vicinity of our growing towns and villages ; and are fully of 

 the opinion (and that opinion has been formed from observa- 

 tion), that no more suitable soil is to be found in the Eastern 

 or Middle States for successful pear growing, than is found 

 along the coast of this state and New Hampshire. It often 

 appears as though our sea breezes, or a taste of salt in the 



