REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON VEGETABLES 



FOR THE YEAR 1897- 



By CHARLES N. BRACKETT, Chairman. 



The past season has been an unusually trying one to the growers 

 of vegetables. Owing to the too frequent rains, followed by cold 

 cloudy weather during the growing season, many crops suffered 

 severely, while some of the leading ones proved almost entire 

 failures. It follows as a natural consequence that some of our 

 exhibitions were to a greater or less extent affected from this 

 cause. Yet, notwithstanding all the drawbacks and discourage- 

 ments with which our contributors had to contend, the exiTibits 

 liave on the whole been more satisfactory tban we were led to 

 expect. 



Good cultivation, it is true, enters largely- into our success as 

 tillers of the soil, but it does not foUow that he who tills best shall 

 always have the largest yield. It matters not how fertile the soil 

 when climatic influences are adverse. So much depends on 

 atmospheric conditions during certain periods of plant growth that, 

 although all other requisites are complete, total failures are some- 

 times the inevitable result, some sections being blest with abundant 

 crops, while those of others are poor and imperfect. The culti- 

 vator, of all men, must continuall}' feel himself at the mercy of 

 the elements ; he can never count with safety upon a crop until it 

 is harvested. 



During the winter months forced vegetables have been shown in 

 about the usual quantit}' and variet}', most of the prizes having 

 been competed for and awarded. 



