FRUIT committee's REPORT. 45 



into general cultivation, and be valuable both for home use and market. The 

 WhielJon pear has been more carefully tested by us the past season than ever 

 before, and we do not regard it as of any particular value for general cultiva- 

 tion. It is coarse and gritty, lacks character, and is not so good as many other 

 pears of the same season. The Mount Vernon has been shown several times 

 this season, and has appeared very well. It is a good pear, with a very peculiar, 

 and, to most people, agreeable flavor. Though not of the very hij^hest quality, 

 still, we think it worthy to be pluced on the list of pears, at least, for amateurs, 

 if not for general cultivation. It will prove like the Duchesse, when over ripe, 

 lo show slight signs of decay about the core, but this it is believed \vill not prove 

 a serious defect. There are good reasons to hope that it will improve on more 

 general cultivation. 



We were favored with specimens of a seedling from George Hyde, Newton, 

 ■which was described in last year's report ; size rather above medium, yellow 

 ■with red cheek, somewhat spotted, stout stem, fine grain, melting, pleasant 

 flavor; ripe this year November 18, but keeps into, and some times through, 

 the winter. Good. 



A new pear has been exhibited for the list two or three years, by A. J. Dean, 

 ■which promises well. It resembles the Washington in the dots, marking and 

 flavor, but more the Louise Bonne de Jersey in shape and size ; and is superior 

 to both in quality. Ripe last of September. We have repeatedly tested the 

 Augustus Dana, and pronounce it a pear of very high character, but with a 

 thick, rough skin. No pear among the comparatively new ones has pleased 

 us more than Dana's Ilovey, to which it will be seen we have awarded a prize 

 of Sixty dollars, " for the best new seedling pear after a trial of five years." 

 This compliment is well deserved, though it comes too late to benefit him in 

 the sale of his stock. No one has been more succe.-sful than he, in raising 

 new pears, and it fully proves that good results will surely follow the sowing 

 of the seed of the best pears. We doubt if any pomologist or fruitgrower 

 ever gave to the world so many really fine pears as Mr Dana. These facts 

 are rather damaging to the Van Mens theory, of going back to first principles 

 and starting with the small wild button pear, and working up through successive 

 generations. We do not now remember a pear, raised by Van Mons, equal to 

 Dana's Uovey and others, raised by Mr. Dana. Many of our best pears are 

 chance seedlings, and we feel that we risk nothing when we affirm, that any 

 person who will pursue the course adopted by Mr. Dana, that is, select seed 

 from the very best varieties grown in close proximity to other good varieties, 

 then select the best specimens of that particular sort, then the best seeds from 

 those specimens, he will be quite sure to get some valuable new pears. 



Your Committee having proposed some alterations in the Schedule of Prizes 

 for next year, both for fruits during the season and at the Annual Exhibition, 

 would take this opportunity to call the attention of all exhibitors to the subject. 

 We close our report by annexing the award of premiums made by us. 



JAMES F. C. HYDE, Chairman. 



Boston, December 31, 1865. 



