296 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



conditions must not only exercise eternal vip;ilance, but equal per- 

 sistence. However, the trees are easily and quickly grown, and 

 an occasional crop will pay the expense of their cultivation. 



The strawberry growers thought it was impossible to make a 

 creditable exhibition on the day fixed for the Rose Show, and it 

 was postponed to a later date. As this exhibition is one for which 

 an admission fee is charged, it seems desirable to make it as 

 attractive as possible to those interested in both fruit and flowers ; 

 and the experience of the past season as well as of some former 

 years, goes to show the desirability of uniting the Rose and Straw- 

 berry shows in one exhibition. So much depends upon the con- 

 dition of the weather at the time of this exhibition that it is 

 extremely diflicult for the Committee of Arrangements to fix the 

 most desirable date, and still have time to give sufficient notice. 



The amount of fruit shown at the last Strawberry Show was 

 above the average of past years. The Belmont, Jewell, and 

 Sharpless were the largest prize winners. The latter, having the 

 advantage of time, has been the most widely disseminated ; but 

 the Belmont and Jewell have been very generally introduced the 

 past season, and another year will determine their value for 

 general cultivation. Within the past few years there has been a 

 tendency among growers of this fruit to sacrifice quality to size. 

 The three varieties alluded to, are all large and attractive, and 

 command the highest prices in the market, but those who grow the 

 fruit for their own table can hardly afford to accept them in ex- 

 change for La Constante, Wilder, Jucunda, and Hervey Davis. 



The displays of other small fruits at the weekly exhibitions 

 through the summer have been good ; those of Cherries and Cur- 

 rants especially so. Black])erries and Raspberries are not so 

 generally grown, as we have not a variet}' of either, of good size 

 and quality, that has proved entirely hardy, and the wild fruits of 

 these species form no exception. 



The Annual Exhibition was held in connection with that of the 

 American Pomologieal Society, and, in compliance with the wishes 

 of its members, at an earlier date than was desirable for making the 

 most creditable show of our own fruits. The (][uantity shown by 

 members of our Society was above the average, but the specimens 

 were not so large as in some former years, ♦'he quantity of fruit 

 shown by members of the Poinological Society was unexpectedly 

 small. The reason assigned was that the fruit crop in several of 



