34 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



having been grown on an open fence without protection from the North. Mr. 

 Powers stated that he was unavoidably prevented from showing the fruit in a 

 perfect state at its maturity, and when seen at a later period it was not in a con- 

 dition to justify the formation of an opinion as to its quality. Some specimens 

 of new grapes from Mr. Cliarles Carpenter, of Kelly's Island, Ohio, were pre- 

 sented by Mr. William Kenrick, named Lydia, Mary, Mottled, and Ellen. 

 The specimens were in very bad condition and it was difficult to form, on that 

 account, any opinion of their probable value. The two first named were white 

 grapes, the tiiird black, and the fourth of a dark amber color ; they had all 

 small berries. So far as they could judge of them, in their then condition, it 

 appeared to the Committee that Lydia was rather acid, that Mary was pretty 

 good, with a thick skin, that the Mottled was sweet, good, though pulpy, with a 

 thick skin, and that the Ellen was rather subacid, with somewhat of a Catawba 

 flavor. It may be considered as an established axiom that, though some varie- 

 ties of grapes are sufficiently hardy to resist our winters, all are better for 

 being laid down and protected. Mr. C. E. Grant, an experienced cultivator, 

 attributes the superiority of his Isabella grapes this year, to the fact that his 

 vines were laid down. 



To speak of the fruit product of that most valuable and most important of 

 New England fruits, the apple, for the past year, is but to repeat what* has 

 already been said of others, that it was most abundant except in some regions 

 where the canker worm prevailed. The area of the ravages of this pest seems 

 to be yearly extending, although capable of being controlled or destroyed by the 

 . careful application to the trees of the proper remedial agents ; when unchecked, 

 and left to pursue its work of devastation, it not only destroys the fruit crop of the 

 year, but injures the trees and unfits them for bearing on the succeeding. The 

 display of apples, at the Exhibitions of the Society, for the past year has been 

 satisfactory, lor although some little disappointment was felt at the Annual 

 Show, that the display was not larger, yet no complaint on this or any other 

 account with those of the Weekly Exhibitions are warranted by facts, for 

 there has been constantly shown through their season perfect specimens of 

 many varieties, by many contributors. 



The interest of a fund, bequeathed to the Society by one of its former asso- 

 ciates, the late B. V. French, to encourage the cultivation of the apple, has 

 been appropriated to the forming of two special premiums, called the French 

 Plate, to be awarded yearly for this fruit. The past was the first year for 

 awarding these premiums, that were oflfered for the best and second best dis- 

 play of twenty varieties, to be exhibited on the first Saturday in November. 

 There were this year but three competitors for these premiums, to one of 

 which the first was awarded, the otlier two collections were ruled out by the 

 Committee as not coming within the condition established by the Society, that 

 all varieties offijred must be correctly named. 



The contributions of different competitors for the various premiums have 

 sometimes the past year been so superior, and at the same time so nearly alike 



