REPORT 



OF THE 



COMMITTEE ON FRUITS, 



FOR THE YEAR 1889. 



Bt E. W. wood, Chairman. 



While the fruits of New England suffer more or less from 

 drought in the average of years, the past year has been excep- 

 tional in this respect, and all the fruits have suffered from too 

 much and too constant wet weather. The fine flavor for which 

 our fruits are noted, the result of the usually bright and sunny 

 days of late summer and early autumn, was wanting in our 

 autumn and winter fruits. This was especially noticeable in 

 pears. 



The winter of 1888-89 was less severe than usual, and the 

 fruit-bearing vines, shrubs, and trees suffered little or no injury, 

 except strawberries, which, owing to the ground being bare almost 

 constantl}', unless well protected were badly injured. In some 

 localities, beds which in the fall gave promise of an abundant 

 crop, were found so badly winter-killed that the ground was 

 ploughed and devoted to other crops. Of the beds that were 

 comparatively uninjured, owing to some cause, apparently the 

 cold storms that prevailed while the plants were in bloom, a por- 

 tion blasted, and few if any beds produced full crops. 



No new strawberries have appeared during the past year that 

 are superior to those already in general cultivation. Among the 

 growers for market, the Belmont, Jewell, and Sharpless, still 



