i 



FRUIT committee's REPORT. 33 



of the succeeding- season was destroyed, but also the trees injured, so far as to 

 leave but little hope of such a recovery, that a supply of this fruit for the 

 present could be counted on. But these evil forebodings were to some extent 

 falsified, and although the crop of cherries could not be characterized as 

 abundant for the past season, yet it may be stated as having been on an average 

 about half the usual product. On several occasions there M'ere fine displays 

 of this fruit, in more than one instance of very superior specimens, tlie varie- 

 ties being for the most part Black Tartarian and Black Eagle. 



The cultivation of the grape continues, as it has for some time, to excite a 

 great if not absorbing interest with fruit growers, and their efforts in this 

 direction have certainly not been without favorable and encouraging indica- 

 tions. When it is recollected that efforts, growing out of this interest to 

 obtain a grape suited to the table, have succeeded in introducing to general 

 notice such a grape as the Delaware, it cannot be said that such have been 

 barren of results. And while it is not believed that any glowing anticipations 

 are justifiable, that Massachusetts can ever be a vine growing and wine man- 

 ufacturing region, yet to think that grapes may be produced, if they do 

 not now exist, as it is believed they do, that shall furnish an agreeable fruit 

 for the dessert, is not unreasonable. The great obstacle that the vine grower 

 has to contend with is the mildew ; were it not for this, it is thought that in 

 ordinary seasons grapes might, by properly selecting varieties, as for instance 

 the Delaware, be grown and ripened in Massachusetts without difficulty. 

 The past season must, on the whole, be considered as favorable for the grape ; 

 it is true, that in many instances the mildew has been very destructive, but in 

 others and more generally, the vines have escaped its ravages. The assertion 

 that the season has been favorable is certainly sustained by the displays made 

 the past season of this fruit, for never were finer specimens of the Isabella 

 placed upon the tables of the Society than on one occasion, when even Ca- 

 tawbas were also exhibited in as perfect state of ripeness and perfection as 

 that variety ever attains in our climate. There have been some new or hitherto 

 little known varieties of grapes exhibited, of which brief notice may not be 

 thought out of place herein. One, which attracted the attention of the Com- 

 mittee by its good quality, was called the Crevelin. But a single bunch of it, 

 grown in Salem by Mr. Bosson, was exhibited at the Annual Exhibition. It 

 was a black, not large berry, sweet and spirited, that made a favorable impres- 

 sion on the Committee and all who tasted it ; it is an early grape, ripened the 

 past year on a vine trained against a fence, on Sept. 14th. This variety may 

 not be new, but it has never, as is believed, been before fruited in this vicinity ; 

 it is, as is understood, an accidental seedling, and comes from Mr. Goodwin, of 

 Kingston, Pennsylvania. Soiiie specimens of a new seedling grape were pre- 

 sented by Mr. Charles J. Power, of South Framingham, represented as a seed- 

 ling from the Isabella, now in its third year of bearing, the vine being seven 

 years old, and as fully ripe this year on Sept. 15th; said to be an abundant 

 bearer, the vine perfectly hardy, and that does not drop the berries ; the vine 

 3 



