EEPOET OF THE EDITOR. 233 



name of any fruit, even though it be not of the most valuable 

 character. In all doubtful cases assistance has been obtained 

 from such adepts in pomology as were accessible. While on this 

 subject I may saj' that those who seek to ascertain the names of 

 fruits Avill be much more likely to be successful if they will present 

 normal and perfect specimens for examination, than when they 

 bring specimens, which, as in many instances, have lost the stem, 

 so important a characteristic, especially of pears, and which often 

 necessitate the remai'k when a fruit is presented, " that it is 

 not a fair specimen of its kind." It may be that this is often un- 

 avoidable, as growers wish to identify the fruit of a tree as soon 

 as it bears, and the first produce of a young tree frequently varies 

 from the type of the variety. The chances of identification are 

 much greater with several specimens than with a single one, and 

 accurate information as to the habit of growth of the tree is also 

 of great assistance, but seldom thought of by those who bring fruits 

 for name. These remarks are introduced here for the information 

 and assistance of novices who wish to have their fruits correctly 

 named, and I think none of those who have seen the rubbish 

 sometimes presented, as if anything were good enough to identify 

 a fruit by, will deem them out of place. I would not have it 

 understood, however, that even the inferior specimens have been 

 neglected. On the contrary they have received as careful exami- 

 nation as the better ones, and have been identified to the best of 

 our ability. But we do greatly prefer, both on account of inquir- 

 ers and on our own, to have fair specimens presented, in such a state 

 that we shall not be compelled to ask first of all, " Where's the 

 stem ? " 



The interruptions during the annual, as well as the weekly 

 exhibitions, were such as to make it diflScult to carry on the 

 work of the history, and under these circumstances I complied 

 with the request of the Chairman of the Fruit Committee to assist 

 in the award of prizes, two of the members of that Committee, 

 owing to sickness and other causes, being unavoidably absent. I 

 also made quite a full report of the exhibition, which may be 

 found in the " Horticulturist" for November, 1874. 



On the 20th of October a large collection of apples and pears 

 was received here from the Fruit Growers' Association and Inter- 

 national Show Society, of Halifax, with a request that they should 

 be examined particularly as to the correctness of the names. A 



