234 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



special meeting of the Fruit Committee was held for the consider- 

 ation of this collection, but as the committee had not the time to 

 examine them as carefully as was desirable they requested me to 

 do so. Very soon after the formation of this Society, a Committee 

 was appointed to facilitate an exchange of fruits with other socie- 

 ties for the purpose of establishing their nomenclature, and as we 

 were much gratified with the revival of this old custom, and felt it 

 an honor to have the authority of the Society sought in regard to 

 this subject, I did my best to sustain the credit of the Society by 

 a careful examination, and a full report, which was transmitted to 

 the Halifax Society by the Secretary. A smaller, but very hand- 

 some, collection of apples was also received from St. Joseph, Mo., 

 with a similar request, which were in like manner examined and 

 reported on, and I believe that the senders of both these collections 

 were much gratified with the information received. Notes of 

 the varieties new to us were also made for the use of the Fruit 

 Committee, as well as of several new fruits not comprised in these 

 collections. These notes will be found appended to the Report of 

 the Fruit Committee. 



Many other calls have been made on my time which it is diflicult 

 to particularize, sometimes, for example, from the Librarian, when 

 he has thought that the experience acquired in making the 

 Catalogue of the Library might be of use, but it is believed that 

 enough has been said to give an idea of the manner in which the 

 rather indefinite duties of this new office have been performed, 

 without further extending this report. 



Robert Manning, Editor. 



