FRUIT committee's REPORT. S9 



serving this and other fruits so perfectly, in cars, and glass jars, that we may- 

 lay in a good supply for the season when we can no longer get fresh peaches 

 from the trees. 



Among the varieties exhibited at our rooms, none attracted more attention 

 than the seedling raised and shown by J. T. Foster of Medford. It resembled 

 very much Crawford's Early, being a yellow-fleshed peach, but was of very 

 large size, and handsome enough to sell for one dollar each to a dealer in 

 fruit. It is doubtless a seedling from the Crawford, and possibly an improve- 

 ment on that excellent sort. In has been named the " Foster Seedling." The 

 same gentleman exhibited the fruit of several other seedlings, but none of 

 them possess any particular merit. Francis Dana brought to our notice 

 several seedlings, one or two of which may yet prove desirable. Very fine 

 Crawfords and Early York were shown by Hervey Davis. We have not time 

 or space to speak of all the varieties that were shown, or give the names of 

 the contributors. 



GRAPES. 



The grape fever rages higher and higher each succeeding year. New vari- 

 eties are eagerly sought for, and the older ones are being extensively planted. 

 The public are hardly aware to what extent grape vines are being planted 

 even in New England, to say nothing of the vast numbers that are yearly 

 planted in other parts of the United States. It is astonishing to see what 

 efforts are being made to procure new and superior varieties. One person 

 claims to have thirty thousand seedlings, from good varieties, that he proposes 

 to fruit and test. Another has ten thousand, and has already fruited some 

 that have proved good. Almost every grape grower has his favorite seedlings, 

 from which he expects great results. What is to be the result of all this 

 effort, and we may say excitement, on the subject of gfapes ? That the pub- 

 lic will be benefited we cannot doubt, though we have grave doubts as to the 

 grape crop proving a profitable one to all who have embarked in it. The past 

 season has been in some respects an unfavorable one' for this fruit, as we have 

 before had occasion to remark. The great amount of moisture, followed by 

 cool nights and frequent and sudden changes, had the effect to rot and mildew 

 the grape, so that some varieties suffered badly, or were wholly ruined. After 

 the rains ceased, and the drought began, the weather was favorable to the 

 growth and ripening of the fruit which had escaped the rot. 



The show of grapes at the annual exhibition was hardly up in quality, or 

 quantity, to that of the year previous, though it was good. Owing to the 

 arrangement of our tables at the Annual Exhibition, this fruit did not have so 

 prominent a place as it deserved. Some specimens of the Adirondac, grown in 

 Cambridge by Davis & Bates, were exhibited and appeared well. The Groveling 

 did not appear as well as the year previous. Th'3 foliage mildewed considerably, 

 but the fruit very little. When fully ripe this is a very good grape. We have 

 often remarked that after eating heartily of other grapes, we could always 



