ESSEX SOCIETY. 55 



berries, he replied that to keep this bed well weeded, required 

 five times the labor. The whole process, from the first prepa- 

 ration of the land, — the placing of meadow or swamp mud be- 

 tween the rows in mid-summer, the weeding throughout the 

 season, the necessity of covering them in winter with ever- 

 greens, — requires a vast amount of labor. In considering the 

 above testimony, which is corroborated by S. P. Fowler, of the 

 committee, we have arrived at the conclusion, that the upland 

 culture could not be recommended to the farmers of this 

 county. Your committee also found, that in Mr. Needham's 

 mode of culture, the fruit cannot be gathered by the cranberry 

 rakes without great injury to the vines, but that they must be 

 hand picked. 



The same objections we should not make to their cultiva- 

 tion on their natural habitats, as we should to the corn field, 

 but would strongly commend the setting out and extending 

 the area of our cranberry meadows, and also in preparing 

 others by the same means which are now used in reclaiming 

 them for the production of English grass. For the best man- 

 ner of doing this we would refer to the former reports of the 

 society. 



For the committee, 



John M. Ives. 



Introduction of New Fruits. 



The committee on the introduction of new fruits, report that 

 Messrs. J. & E. Lake, of Topsfield, presented three varieties 

 of seedling grapes, for the consideration of the committee, 

 ripening about the middle of September. One of these varie- 

 ties, bearing a small berry, is an improvement on the native 

 grape. But the committee do not consider it as approaching 

 that high quality, for which the society offer the premiums of 

 twenty -five and fifty dollars, viz.: "for a variety of native or 

 seedling grape, of decidedly superior quality, ripening in this 

 county in the open air, by the middle of September; prolific, 

 and suitable for the table." 



The committee would suggest to persons making experi- 

 ments in raising new varieties of the grape, to avail themselves 

 of the process of the cross fertilization of the flowers of differ- 



