85 



are fast passing away and all things becoming new, your 

 committee would advise that the Society offer a reasonable 

 premium for the production of new varieties of grapes, 

 hardy and earlier than the Concord, that have been thor- 

 oughly tested and found to contain all the requisite quali- 

 ties of a perfect table grape. 



We make this suggestion to the Society that it may 

 serve as a stimulant to some person or persons to make an 

 effort to produce a new variety of grapes to take the place 

 of the older varieties that are fast becoming extinct. The 

 committee would also earnestly recommend a careful re- 

 vision of the book of " Arrangements of Premiums and 

 Committees,"as many of the articles contained therein are 

 somewhat antiquated and need revision. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



Abraham C. Osborne, 



For the Committee. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SMALL FRUITS. 



The committee on strawberries and other small fruits 

 have attended to the duty assigned them, and respectfully 

 submit the following report. 



There were two entries of strawberries, one of black- 

 berries and one of raspberries. 



The first visit was made June 21, to the crop of straw- 

 berries of Benjamin W. Farnham of North Andover. The 

 vines were of fine growth, evenly distributed over the plot 

 of ground they were grown on. The varieties were the 

 Beverly, Haverland, Lovett and Bubach. The eveness of 

 the plants, and size of the berries attracted the committee's 

 attention. They think it is seldom they are called to view 

 so nice or more complete a piece of strawberries. 



The second visit was made July 1, to the farm of Oscar 

 Gowen, West Newbury, to view the field of strawberries 



