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it But the business of raising vegetable seeds for sale, is car- 

 ried on in the county, and by a single individual, on a scale 

 far more extensive than many are aware of. We allude to J. 

 J. H. Gregory, of Marblehead, who by devoting himself per- 

 sonally to the details, has from small beginnings built up a 

 business that now gives employment to many hands to fill the 

 orders that yearly come to him from every part of the country. 

 This year he has had under cultivation nearly sixty acres, for 

 the sole purpose of raising seed for his establishment. Some 

 of his crops, however, are grown to furnish seed next year, so 

 that his business is that of a farmer and seed-grower combined. 

 Great care and pains are taken in the management of a busi- 

 ness so vital to the interests of those engaged in vegetable 

 culture, and he has achieved a reputation of wliich any man 

 might be proud. Mr. Gregory has also written and published 

 two little manuals, one on the Onion, and the other on the 

 Squash, giving full information as to their different varieties 

 and qualities, the best methods of raising and keeping them, 

 and answering enquiries that have been made of him in the 

 course of his business, all in so plain and practical a way, that 

 even a novice can understand it. 



The exhibition this year was largely indebted to S. A. Mer- 

 rill, of Danvers, whose collection contained over a hundred 

 varieties, and to William Huff and others of Newburyport, 

 who severally made large and excellent displays. There were, 

 however^ not a few specimens of mammoth squashes, the qual- 

 ity of which must be inferior for table use. We trust the So- 

 ciety will not lend its sanction to mere monstrosity. There is 

 a standard in size and quality for nearly all varieties of vege- 

 tables, which is well known to cultivators and dealers, but 

 not easily described. To this standard competitors should be 

 held to conform, in order to retain them in their purity, just 

 as much so as the exhibitors of the various breeds of animals 

 are required to conform to their standard. It is well to re- 

 member, too, that all vegetables raised on low wet lands, 

 ■whilst they attain to a large size, have more water and less 



