50 



Gratuities — To Peter Smith, of Andover, for a fine collec- 

 tion of Hot House Grapes, $2 ; to. H. B. Robie, Lawrence, 

 $1 ; to N. Bodwell, Georgetown, $1, for a collection of Native 

 Grapes ; to John O'Brien, Bradford, and B. Goodwin, Haver- 

 hill, $1 each ; to M. W. Bartlett, West Newbury, and Henry 

 Shaw, Lawrence, 50 cents each. 



For the best basket of Assorted Fruit, $4, to Peter Wait, 

 Danvers ; second best, $3, to A. J. Hubbard, Peabody. 



Quinces — For the best plate of Orange Quinces, $1, to Pe- 

 ter Wait, Danvers ; for the second best plate of Orange 

 Quinces, $1, to Baldwin Coolidge, of Lawrence. 



We congratulate the Society on the decided step in advance 

 which has been made this year in the arrangement of fruit in 

 our hall of exhibition, — that is, of having each variety by it- 

 self, and not scattered promiscuously on several tables, as has 

 formerly been the case. It has in former years been impos- 

 sible for any fruit committee to do justice to the exhibitors, 

 and this year we find many of the exhibitors themselves de- 

 cidedly opposed to this "new arrangement;" especially those 

 who had for many years been in the habit of heaping all their 

 fruit too;ether — thus aimins: more for a laro^e "collection," 

 than for more choice specimens of fewer and better varieties. 

 We trust that in future this plan will be more perfectly car- 

 ried out, and that all the contributors will see the propriety 

 of the new method. We would suggest the importance of 

 having the several fruit committees commence work at an 

 earlier hour, so that a larger part of their duties may be per- 

 formed before the hall is crowded with visitors. 



The display of grapes this year was very fine indeed, and 

 the neat arrangement of the tables was a credit to those who 

 had charge in this department. 



This year has been a favorable one for the grape in all this 

 vicinity, as it always does best in a dry warm season, without 

 any hinderauce from early frosts. Hence we should plant the 

 grape only in the driest and earliest locations. Even in 

 western New York and Ohio, where the climate is much more 



