118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



taste, to the old Seckel. It is somewhat larger in form and 

 handsomer in appearance, and the tree is vigorous. 



Col. Wilder. That is a very fine fruit, and bears the name 

 of " Foote's Seckel." It is recorded now in Mr. Downing's 

 book, which is an encjclopasdia of pomology. It is a remarkably 

 fine pear. 



In answer to Mr. Slade's inquiry, I will remark, that I meant 

 to say, and believe I did say, that nature has furnished a waxy 

 secretion for the protection of fruit, and if it is robbed of this, 

 it tends, in my opinion, to injure it. 



Mr. Slade. I had an idea ^that by wiping, this waxy sub- 

 stance was more equally distributed over the skin of the fruit, 

 and the air more effectually excluded. 



Col. Wilder. In what season do you wipe it ? 



Mr. Slade. When I pick it in the fall. 



Col. Wilder. The best system I have found with pears is to 

 pack them immediately into boxes, being very careful not to 

 have the stems bruise the fruit. These boxes are carried into 

 a cool cellar and piled up, with a strip of wood between them, 

 and there they remain until sent to market. I packed my 

 Beurrd d'Anjous in that way. I do not want them touched after 

 they are picked from the trees until they are carried to market. 

 Apples can be managed very differently from pears. 



Mr. Gold. Dr. Reed exhibits a specimen here, and asks 

 something with regard to the character of the worm which has 

 done the mischief. I believe it is what is called the apple mag- 

 got. I know very little of its history, but a great deal of its 

 ravages. My attention was called to it some four or five years 

 ago, in the valley of the Connecticut, as infesting their sweet 

 apples. The apples appeared perfectly sound, but when cut, 

 they were proved to be perfectly worthless. [A specimen was 

 exhibited.] When the apple was gathered from the tree, it was 

 apparently perfectly sound, but^the maggot was at work in the 

 interior, and in a month or two, it was completely riddled or 

 honeycombed, and good for nothing. My attention was called 

 to it first from the vicinity of Middletown, Conn., where I was 

 told that it had entirely destroyed some varieties of sweet apple, 

 so that they were utterly useless for all other purposes, except 

 to feed to animals. We saw them at lona, at the sale of Dr. 

 Grant's grape-vines, about a year ago. Some of us gathered 



