SECRETARY'S REPORT. 323 



15. Produdion of New Varieties of Flants. — Messrs. Bull, 

 Cliadbournc and Garfield. 



16. Agricullural Education. — Messrs. Perkins, Ilomer and 

 Watkins. 



17. Agricidturol Fairs : their Management and Usefulness. 

 — Messrs. Smith, Hubbard and Billings. 



18. Preservation of Birds beneficial to Agriculture. — Messrs. 

 Saltonstall, Smith and Taft. 



19. Cranberries. — Messrs. Kenrick, Davis and Thompson. 



20. Nature and Extent of the Disease among- Swine, — 

 Messrs. Davis, Slade, Smith and Moore. 



21. Peat as an Article of Fuel : Modes of Preparation and 

 Value to the Commomvealth. — Messrs. Loring, Thompson and 



Perkins. 



Voted, To hold the regular meeting for public discussion, 

 lectures, &c., at Concord, commencing on Tuesday, December 

 11th, at 12 o'clock. 



Mr. Bull presented the following Report on 



THE GRAPE. 



The season just passed has been somewhat peculiar in its 

 effects upon the grape crop. Premature heats pushed the grape 

 into a too early growth, which was, in many instances, blighted 

 by subsequent storms, alternated with cold, so that the crop was 

 reduced considerably, and the beauty of the fruit ultimately 

 gathered for market much impaired. The deliility thus induced, 

 also paved the way for mildew, rust and other grape-like weak- 

 nesses, still further injuring its value, and, for the first time in 

 many years, the expectation of a full crop was disappointed. 



These adverse circumstances, however, were not without com- 

 pensations ; they uncovered to the cultivator faulty modes of 

 culture, and, to some extent, the relative value of the various 

 khids under cultivation, and will thus lead to better methods of 

 culture and a judicious selection of varieties for the vineyard. 



The cultivation of the grape is rapidly assuming the impor- 

 tance of a commercial staple. A Western periodical, in an 

 article enumerating some of the most prominent grape-growers 

 of that section, says they each of them grow from 100,000 to 



