REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FRUITS. 27 



exceed the profuse clear white flowers, the luxuriant green foliage and 

 the bright colored fruit of the strawberry? 



Of other forced fruits there has been a marked decline in our 

 exhibitions, the usual fine specimens of Peaches from Messrs. Ilolbrook 

 & Turner, at the opening of the Hall, June 2d, and subsequently, being 

 all that have been presented. We again urge the pleasure and the profit 

 in ripening Grapes in April and May, in advance of the Strawberry 

 crop, at a season when prices will be largely remunerative. 



Strawberries. — The first of the season were exhibited June 11th, 

 Jenny Lind being decidedly the earliest and best. Still it is not pro- 

 ductive, and is not a favorite for a general crop. Brighton Pine and 

 other more popuhir and productive kinds are as early, within two, three 

 or four days, varying with the character of the soil. The President 

 Wilder took the prize of the Silver Cup, June 22d, for the best four 

 quarts of any variety. The Jucunda was a very close rival for this 

 prize, your Committee being divided upon other points, but yielding to 

 the President Wilder a decided preference in flavor. Mr. William 

 Underwood's seedling was again presented, as beautiful as heretofore; 

 clear, brisk and excellent in quality. We are still unable to exjiress an 

 opinion as to its vigor and productiveness. The Fillmore was fine in 

 appearance, and took a first prize for a variety not specially designated. 

 A new variety, called Bannana, was exhibited, June 22d, by J. D. 

 Willard of Hartford, Ct. It was of a light red color, irregular conical 

 shape, with a long neck and long stem, apparently productive, flavor 

 peculiar, smooth, not acid, slightly hautbois, properly suggesting the 

 name given. Though a marked variety, its defects in color and appear- 

 ance will probably exclude it from cur list. 



Several seedlings from J. B. Moore were pi'omising, and we may hope 

 to see them in future. But for exhibition. La Constante is incomparably 

 pre-eminent. The basket, of four quarts, exhibited July 2d, by J. C. 

 Park, was superb, the very acme in color, size, quality and general 

 beauty. Having said thus much, we regret to be obliged to add that it 

 lacks to such a degree in vigor and productiveness, that a large producer 

 expresses the opinion that the Wilson, Triomphe and Jucunda will yield 

 a larger profit at 1-5 cents per quart than the La Constante at $1 per 

 quart. The Nicanor was not on exhibition, and indeed it is not large 

 and attractive enough to make an impression. Yet it is remarkably 

 vigorous and productive, and if its fault of making an excess of runners 

 were restrained it would develop larger fruit, and might prove to be a 

 good market kind. 



The great error in general culture of the Strawberry is in allowing 

 the fruiting crowns to weaken themselves by making numerous runners. 

 With some kinds this error is fatal and hence some cultivators who have 

 tried the Jucunda in beds have ploughed it up, as worthless. Yet the 



