28 



carefully tested them during the last two years, and our opinion is unani- 

 mous in favor of the Dorchester. The Dorchester is a seedling ; so, also, is 

 the Lawton, (though it is a mooted question,) and not the common blackber- 

 ry which springs up by the wayside, and is sometimes transplanted for gar- 

 den culture in the vain hope of its proving equal with the two above named. 



We would again remind cultivators that to insure a prolific crop it is 

 absolutely necessary to train the stalks horizontally in order that shoots 

 may break at every eye, while, if allowed to grow upright, they only break 

 at the top. Mr. Merriam, who has had most eminent success in fruiting it, 

 says he does not obtain a full crop till the third year of planting. 



Cherries. — Several seedlings have been tested by the Committee, but 

 none have proved of superior merit. It will be seen that the awards were 

 given to old established varieties, viz., Black Eagle, Black Tartarian, and 

 Napoleon Bigarreau. Messrs. Hovey contributed their Seedling, called 

 "Hovey," July 18th, and the specimens were of marked superiority, prob- 

 ably from the fact that the tree is more fully matured ; the quantity shown 

 was not sufficient, however, to compete for premium, and even these few 

 were saved from the birds under the protection of netting. 



Only a few of the many seedlings raised by Dr. J. P. Kirtland, Cleve- 

 land, Ohio, have been fruited in this section, but such as have been give 

 promise of productiveness and quality over many of the older varieties of 

 foreign origin. Those of a dark color are Black Hawk, Osceola, Brant, 

 Logan and Pontiac. Those with a red skin are Gov. Wood, (one of the 

 very best) Kirtland's Mary, Cleveland, Hoadley, Favorite, and Kinicott. 



Currants. — The White and Red Dutch were the best grown, and the 

 Victoria was nearly equal. W. C. Strong made a liberal display of new 

 varieties, though not in sufficient quantity to compete for premium ; a few 

 of the new varieties were the Circassian, Red Grape, Versailles, and Ma- 

 crocarpa. 



Figs. — There were several contributors of this fruit, though the largest 

 and best display at any one time was made by General Newhall. These 

 were ripened off in the open air. 



Gooseberries. — There does not seem to have been much headway 

 made in the culture of gooseberries since the introduction of Houghton's 

 seedlings, some twenty years since ; and we are surprised that no good 

 seedlings have been brought to notice till within the last year or two. We 

 now have the promise of a superior seedling, raised from the Houghton, 

 which, like the original, is not subject to mildew. It was produced by 

 Mr. Charles Downing, another by the Shakers at Lebanon, N. Y., and still 

 another by Mr. Smith of Vermont. All three give good promise as to 

 quality, fruitfulness and freedom from mildew. 



This is really one of the most valuable fruits of its season in England, 

 where it is raised in the perfection of nearly an ounce to the berry. 



Grapes — grown under glass — have been raised in such abundance the 

 past year that our tables have been graced with them, from week to week, 

 for nearly the whole year. Mr. Simpson has been eminently successful in 

 his novel mode of culture. From vines started in August, he cut grapes 



