21)8 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



variefy of Strawberry was awarded to a seedling shown by Warren 

 Ileustis & Sun, and named the Bay State. It is above medium 

 size, of good form, very dark color, and fair quality. The most 

 noticeable single exhibit of fruit at the Annual Exhibition was an 

 old variety shown by F. R. Shattuck, who placed upon the table 

 some thirty specimens of Bartlett pears picked from the original 

 imported Bartlett Tree, in Roxbur}'. Though not as large as 

 some others that were shown of the same variety, 3'et in smooth- 

 ness of surface and in form and color, they were superior to any 

 others on exhibition. 



At the November Exhibition Ex-President Hyde called the 

 Committee's attention to a dish of apples which he had received 

 from Worcester County, grown by a Mr. Barnes, who had given 

 the ffuit his own name, and sent a full account of the conditions 

 under which it was grown, such as would seem to leave no doubt 

 that it was a seedling variety. Soon after it was placed upon the 

 table it was recognized by a member of the Society who had grown 

 it for mau}", and known it for more than fift}', years as the Murphj'. 

 He sesnt some of his own fruit to be compared with that on exhibi- 

 tion, aud there was no room for doubt as to their being identical. 

 It is a medium sized red apple with peculiar black striped mark- 

 ings, which once seen would be readily recognized ; and a small 

 calyx in a very shallow corrugated basin. This is an instance of 

 one of the ways by which synonyms become so largely' multiplied. 



The Hayes Grape, and the Belmont and Jewell Strawberries are 

 the only fruits shown the past year as competing for Prospective 

 Prizes. 



Of the five hundred dollars appropriated for Special Prizes for 

 fruit at the Pomological Society's Exhibition, there were awarded 

 two hundred and fifteen dollars, leaving a balance of two hundred 

 and eighty-five dollars. Of the seventeen hundred dollars api)ro- 

 priated for prizes and gratuities for the Society's Exiiihitions, 

 fifteen, hundred and sixty-eight dollars were awarded, leaving a 

 balance of one hundred and thirty-two dollars ; unexpended 

 lialance of both appropriations, four hundred and seventeen dollars. 



The results of the year show that there is a constantly increasing 

 demand for fruit. The improvement in the different varieties 

 makes it more desirable as a dessert for the table, the constantly 

 increasing knowledge of its health-giving qualities as an article of 

 food increases the demand for it for domestic uses, and the advan- 



