194 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICL'LTUKAL SOCIETY. 



and scientifically treated will grow far better fruit than was ever 

 believed possible in the state; so, perhaps, these things, so hard to 

 bear for the present, will in the end work for our benefit, and mean 

 an advancement in horticulture as well as in other ways. 



Probably the least afl'ected of the fruits by the severe winter was 

 the strawberry, for the dee}) snow completely protected the plants 

 from harm and in most of the state, at least, the blossoms es- 

 caped the frosts in May, and the drought came too late to injure 

 the fruit. All this combined to make an unusually large cro]) 

 which ripening about ten days later than in the average year tended 

 to make it unprofitable. The fruit all came in within a few days 

 in eastern Massachusetts and the Boston markets were flooded 

 with berries many of whicli sold as low as four cents a quart. In 

 spite of the conditions aliout Boston, however, some of our smaller 

 cities and large towns had hard work to get good berries, which 

 goes to prove that there are not enough strawberries grown in 

 rural districts for the local markets, or else that too many are 

 shipped to one point. 



The apple cro]) was a great surprise to growers in ISIassachusetts, 

 for early predictions placed it at about one-quarter the usual size. 

 Some districts which were not counted upon at all produced abun- 

 dantly and brought the crop above normal. Although early 

 apples were undersized the rains of September kept the late apples 

 growing so that they were harvested in the best condition. 



There were not as many pears as usual this year but this is not to 

 be wondered at for pears are not grown as much now in this state 

 as formerly, and the acreage under cultivation is on the decline 

 rather than the increase. Many of the older trees are being cut 

 down and no new ones planted. This is especially so in the imme- 

 diate vicinity of Boston where buildings are replacing the once 

 famous pear orchards. 



In the season just past ])eaches were almost a total failure, the 

 buds being unable to stand the severe winter. This condition 

 seemed about the same all over the Eastern States and made the 

 few peaches which were shipped from the West and South bring 

 good prices, though the quality could not compare with our own 

 home-grown fruit. One such failure of this crop should not 

 discourage growers for we know what can be done with this fruit 



