84 FRUITS. 



the finest -winter pears we should enumerate for table fruit, the 

 Winter Nelis, Lawrence, and Lewis ; and for cooking " Yicar of 

 Wakefield," Black Pear of Worcester, Pound and Catillac. For 

 Peaches, Crawford's Early and Late Melacoton and the Red 

 Cheek do. 



There seems to be an increasing desire among many of our 

 farmers, to grow the best varieties of apples, and we trust the time 

 is not distant when our fine New England apples shall take the 

 place of old varieties, such as the York Russet (called Cat-Head) 

 the Blue Pearmain and other indifferent winter apples. 



Although fruit is not absolutely indispensable to the support of 

 human existence, it is a useful and wholesome article of food, and 

 should be ranked among the best gifts of Providence. Mr. Knight 

 has well observed that the " palate which relishes fruit is seldom 

 pleased with strong fermented hquors; good fruit therefore operates 

 favorably both on the physical and moral health of the people," 

 and it is quite as easy to cultivate the best kinds, as those of an 

 inferior quality. Among the fruits exhibited at this Show were the 

 finest specimens of large sweet apples that we have been accus- 

 tomed to see — one from Hiram Webster, of Salem, N. H., marked 

 Pumpkin Sweet, was very fine. There were three distinct varieties 

 marked " Pumpkin Sweet." We have not as yet been able to 

 identify the true Pumpkin Sweet from the above sorts ; these were 

 severally from Georgetown, Beverly and Newburyport. 



From the limited time your Committee had for their examination, 

 and the opening of the Hall for visitors before they had finished 

 their preliminary business, they cannot be expected to have per- 

 formed their duty in the most satisfactory manner, at least to 

 themselves; still among the varieties of fruit upon the tables, they 

 noticed fine Hubbardston Nonsuch Apples from Moses Newell, T. 

 S. Carlton, E. G. Jackman and C. F. Putnam ; superior Roxbury 

 Russets from various towns ; Peaches of seven varieties, (a large 

 collection) from Harrison Eaton, of Haverhill. These Merrimack 

 River Peaches were of the high New Jersey flavor, as we have 

 always found this fruit grown around the Merrimack. 



In the presentation of fruits, and particularly pears, it has been 

 usual to exhibit those varieties, which are described in foreign 

 catalogues as " desirable," (but when received and tested on our 

 soils are found worthless or nearly so,) in order that individuals may 



