202 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At the June Strawberry Exhibition, which was the largest the 

 society has held for at least ten years, all classes were well competed 

 for, and a number of very promising new varieties were shown. 

 Chief among these was the Barrymore, from H. L. Crane of West- 

 wood, Massachusetts. This variety has been shown before, but 

 never in such splendid condition as this year. The berry is won- 

 derfully attractive; in size it is as large as Marshall and somewhat 

 similar to it in shape; the color is a bright glossy scarlet, retaining 

 this color right through the berry. Barrymore is the first straw- 

 berry to supersede the Marshall in the four-quart contest since 

 the introduction of the latter berry and it promises to become one 

 of the leading fancy and commercial berries. 



Marshall F. Ewell, the originator of the Marshall Strawberry^ 

 exhibited an attractive new seedling which he has named the 

 Franklin, but the quality was so poor that the committee did not 

 consider it worthy of recognition. Mr. Ewell, although in his 

 eighty-fifth year, still retains his interest in strawberry culture and 

 now has a number of promising seedlings. 



The summer shows were fairly well filled with specimens of 

 fruit, but our exhibitions still lack a really good showing of the 

 summer small fruits other than the strawberry. Very seldom do 

 we see blackberries and raspberries on our tables, and only limited 

 exhibits of gooseberries and currants; while such fruits as blue- 

 berries, juneberries, and wineberries are never shown at all. We 

 ought to have specimens of these fruits brought in each year, for 

 the time is certainly coming when we shall have these fruits in our 

 gardens as we now have strawberries and currants. 



The hot dry summer was very favorable for the development of 

 the muskmelon and at our August shows some very fine specimens 

 were exhibited. James Garthly of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, 

 brought in some excellent Montreal and Honey Drop melons, and 

 also a seedling of his called Fairhaven Gem, a cross between the 

 above named varieties, which for flavor and quality surpasses both 

 of its parents. Mr. Garthly was awarded a First Class Cultural 

 Certificate for this melon. All over the state, indeed, muskmelons 

 were reported in good supply and of the best quality. Practically 

 no rust was in evidence thus showing that a dry season is favorable 

 to the best development of this class of fruit. 



