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regard to drying fruit, berries, etc., improvement seems to be the 

 order ot the day, and while much time is saved over the old manner 

 of sun-drying, a much nicer article can be produced, of an agreeable 

 snowy whiteness, and less liable to be destroj'ed by worms or mold. 



In canned fruit there were two competitors. Mrs. Mattie Smith, 

 of North Amherst, displa3'ed twenty-one cans, containing as man}^ 

 varieties, all verj- nicely prepared and of fine color. Mrs. P. D. 

 Hubbard, of Sunderland, exhibited twenty-four cans, containing 

 twenty-four varieties, many of which seemed to excel in the size and 

 beaut}' of the fruit chosen, and also for preserving the natural form 

 and shape during the process of canning, for which reason, and 

 because of the largest number ot varieties, your Committee gave her 

 the first premium and Mrs. Smith the second. 



Mrs. Hubbard also entered ten varieties of Jelly, of exquisite color 

 and firmness, and also a delicious sample of Maple Syrup, the product 

 of the well-known Hubbard sugar Orchard. 



Eddie Kellogg, of Hadle}', brought in samples of domestic vinegar 

 and cane molasses, which were of decided merit, very agreeable in 

 taste and clearness. 



Three specimens of dried apples were shown, all of superior 

 excellence, differing, however, verj' much in color, and as that is 

 becoming an essential qualit}' in dried apples at the present day, your 

 Committee accordingly awarded the fiist premium to Mrs. Sanford 

 Boice, of Amherst, the second to Mrs. Asahel Gates, of Felham, and 

 third to Mrs. W. W. Dickinson, of Amherst. Through the liberality of 

 the Society the Committee were enabled to grant a premium to each of 

 the competitors in our department, and we wish to call attention to the 

 fact that the Hampshire Agrciultural Society recognizes the import- 

 ance of this growing industry which combines skill and usefulness, and 

 we suggest to the young ladies of our communit}' who have felt that 

 they could do nothing for our Annual Fair, that here is a broad field 

 for the exercise of their skill in which the}' can displa}^ their industrj^ 

 and taste, in the number, variet}', and superiority of their canned 

 fruits and jellies. 



For the Committee, 



J. L. Delano, Chairman. 



