60 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FRUITS, 



For the Year 1861. 

 BY J. S. CABOT, CHAIRMAN. 



The Standing Committee on Fruits, of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society, present the subjoined as their Report for 1861. Before commencing 

 the announcement to the Society of their award of its premiums, the Committee 

 will, as has been customary, present such of the results of their observations 

 and conclusions as may seem to them applicable to the occasion. In so doing 

 they intend to be brief. The number of new fruits submitted to their inspec- 

 tion has been but few — hence they are in a great measure spared from the 

 necessity of attempts at descriptions, and having in previous reports expressed 

 somewhat at length their views with respect to many subjects connected with 

 fruit culture, at this time refrain from any extended remarks in reference to it 

 — that which would but probably lead to a repetition of opinions already 

 expressed. 



Exercising a powerful, if not controlling, influence upon its horticultural 

 product, a recapitulation of the more marked meteorological phenomena of 

 the year seems an appropriate introduction to the work in hand. On the 

 last day of September, I8G0, after a continuance of mild weather, and when 

 vegetation was yet vigorous, there was a frost so severe as to kill or seriously 

 injure tender plants and fruits exposed to its influence, and was, in the opinion 

 of some, one of the causes that contributed to the loss of the fruit crop of the 

 succeeding season. 



During the following and closing months of 1860, and the first of 1861, the 

 weather again became mild, continued to be of a favorable character, without 

 the occurrence of any marked event, unless it be that of a fall in the mer- 

 cury to 10° below on January 13th, the ground during the whole of this 

 month having been covered Avith snow, until February 8th. On the morning 

 of February 8th, the thermometer marked 21° below 0, having stood, at 12 M. 

 on the day previous, at 40°, and this too in a somewhat sheltered situation in a 

 town, while in some places in the open country it was reported as having 

 fallen several degrees lower. This was probably as great, if not the greatest, 

 degree of cold ever experienced in the vicinity of Boston, and productive of 

 very injurious consequences, some of which will not be immediately obliter- 

 ated. This extreme cold was not of long duration, and the weather soon 

 became mild and genial. The 3d of March was as remarkable for unseason- 

 able heat as February 8th was for intense cold, the thermometer on the former 

 day rising to 75° in the shade. Like the severe cold, this unseasonable 

 heat was but of short continuance; it very soon became cool, and on the 18th 

 of March the thermometer was at about 0. From this time forward the season 

 was of a peculiar favorable character. During the spring the rains were 

 copious and abundant, so as to well water the ground ; and the summer and 



