REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON VEGETABLES. 22S 



It was about this time that the unfavorable weather before men- 

 tioned set in, beginning with rain which continued with such short 

 intervals that what promised to be an unusually favorable season 

 proved the reverse. Crops which promised well earlier in the 

 season, were on this account either partial or total failures. 



The exhibitions of forced vegetables on January 5 and February' 

 2, from some unknown cause, were not as good as usual. For the 

 prizes for Tomatoes January 5, there was no competition, and 

 none for Mushrooms February 2. The falling otf in these exhib- 

 itions was more remarkable from the fact that heretofore at both 

 these shows the number of contributors has been large and 

 competition close. 



May 4, Mrs. Francis B. Hayes showed three varieties of forced 

 potatoes, the specimens of each being remarkably well grown and 

 very fine. The varieties were Charles Downing, Lee's Favorite, 

 and Bliss's Triumph, or Stray Beauty as it is sometimes called 

 further south. 



The first Peas of the season were shown by Cephas H. Brackett, 

 June 1, which was from a week to ten days earlier than the 

 average for several years. There has been such an advance made 

 of late years, both in the quality and earliness of the wrinkled 

 sorts, that it is hardly worth while to waste time in growing the 

 little hard peas whose only recommendation is their earliness. 

 The green, wrinkled varieties are sweeter and much finer flavored, 

 and now follow them so closely that one can afford to wait a day 

 or two longer and get a variety well worth eating. 



At the Rose and Strawberry Show, June 18, the display of the 

 various vegetable productions of the season was very full and 

 complete, making it one of the best exhibitions in this depart- 

 ment during the year. Competition was unusually brisk, and 

 everj' prize offered was taken. 



The Tomato crop, like many others this year, has been affected 

 unfavorably by the unseasonable weather. The crop has conse- 

 quently been a short one, and the fruit inferior in quality. The 

 first exhibit of open culture was made Juh' 13, when Cephas H. 

 Brackett brought in the Dwarf Champion, a new variety intro- 

 duced last 3'ear, and which comes up more nearly to the promise 

 of the catalogue than new tomatoes generally do. The plants are 

 stocky and compact in their growth, and will admit of much closer 



