52 ON FRUIT TREES. 



standard varieties, principally of winter fruit. The land was broken 

 up in 1843, and planted with potatoes. The soil is a light loam, 

 eight to ten inches deep, on a fine gravelly bottom. I have manured 

 it but once, and then to the amount of three cords of stable manure 

 to the acre. I have hoed the ground as I would in the cultivation 

 of corn and potatoes, so as to keep it free from weeds, light, and in 

 good condition." 



No pear trees were exhibited to your Committee for premium. In 

 all the nurseries visited, the young seedling pears had evidently suf- 

 fered from the effects of the preceding winter, and nearly all of 

 them, as is almost uniformly the case with young seedling pears from 

 the middle of August to the middle of September, had dropped the 

 quarter part of their leaves. The cause of this disease, for such it 

 must be, appears unknown ; whatever it may be, it is a serious evil, 

 injuring the growth of the tree and diminishing its thriftiness, and 

 besides, as the bark will not readily peel on a tree thus deprived of 

 its leaves, frequently rendering it necessary to bud them at too early 

 a period of the season. The discovery of the cause of this disease 

 in pear trees, and thus, perhaps, leading to the discovery of its 

 cure or prevention, is a subject worthy of the careful attention and 

 inquiry of those engaged in their cultivation. 



Taking into view all the circumstances, the species of trees offered 

 for premium, their growth, vigor and general appearance, as well as 

 the number of specimens, the quality of the soils, and the cultivation 

 of the several nurseries examined, your Committee are of opinion 

 that Mr. Woods is entitled to the first premium offered by the Society, 

 Mr. Lake to the second, and Mr. Cole to the third, and they accord- 

 ingly award these premiums as follows, viz : 



To Ephraim Woods, of Salem, the 1st premium of $10 

 To Wm. a. Lake, of Topsfield, the 2d " 8 



To James B. Cole, of Beverly, the 3d " Washing- 



ton's Letters on Agriculture. 



All which is respectfully submitted, 



For the Committee, 



JOS. S. CABOT. 

 Lynn, October 1st, 1846. 



