1882.] TRANSACTIONS. 9 



held out better than the market price; and that the early sale to 

 the horticulturist was more encouraging than the later sacrifice to 

 the huckster. 



The problem of a Public Market, in a City as large as Worces- 

 ter has now become, is not of the easiest settlement. It has at 

 least two sides ; while, to many, it presents itself — polygonal. 

 Yet its advantages are more evident to the writer, with eacli 

 recurring year. And he doubts not, were one established in some 

 capacious and central location, that the producers and consumers 

 of Worcester County might find a common ground, whereon to 

 meet and traffic to their mutual benefit. 



The Summer season has not been propitious for the growth 

 and maturation of fruit. How then shall we be able to add 

 anything to the sum of existing knowledge concerning such 

 varieties as are newer, or but lately introduced to your notice. 

 Our veteran associate, Mr. Joseph C. Lovell, of West Boylston ; 

 who has kept up with the times more tenaciously' than most of 

 us ; does not feel* that he can deduce trustworthy conclusions after 

 such unwonted climatic experience. He exhibited perhaps a dozen 

 of the recently developed varieties of Fears at the New England 

 Agricultural Fair:* but then the skies had been as brass, and 

 the earth was heated like an oven. Savor, size, or succulence, — 

 there could be none ; none at least that would aftbrd a satisfac- 

 tory test of quality and its probable permanence. 



The Francis Dana ; and the Student, understood to be one of 

 the Dana Seedlings, cultivated at the Agricultural College in 

 Amherst ; were also shown at that Fair by Mr. O. B. Hadwen ; so 

 mucii of whose attention and time are spared to the diffusion of 

 thoroughly accredited, or accepted knowledge, at the various 

 Agricultural Institutes. Your Secretary was subsequently 

 favored with specimens of both those varieties. The Francis 

 Dana tilled a vacuum more juvenile than that for which it was 

 intended ; but of the Student he can frankly say that it appears 

 to be of good promise. And so little, if not more, he feels can 

 be expected, hereafter, from the College itself. Its degrees will 

 be grades, — thoroughbreds or not ! 



*Eveu their novelty scarcely elicited more thaa a casual glance from the over- 

 worked Committee. e. w. l. 



