56 



The use of tags now used for marking counterpanes, 

 rugs, afghans, flowers and articles of general merchandise, 

 assures the delivery of these articles to their right owners, 

 and if they could be used in marking fruit and vegetables 

 it would insure the delivery of every entry to its rightful 

 owner. But the society has an ample supply of plates for 

 fruit even when fruit is abundant. This year nearly or 

 quite half of the plates were used for vegetables, but in an 

 ordinarily good fruit year this could not be done and it 

 would be advisable to adopt some way of exhibiting vege- 

 tables other than by the use of plates. Some quite inex- 

 pensive method could bo adopted which would obviate the 

 difficulty above named ; boxes, baskets, wooden or fibre 

 plates could be procured at small expense. Each could 

 then be marked with a tag which would remain until the 

 delivery of the exhibit. 



Much difficulty is found in furnishing ticket sellers with 

 a -sufficient quantity of five cent pieces to make change. 

 The price of admission being, twenty cents it becomes 

 necessary to give to nearly every person purchasing a ticket 

 five cents in exchange. Nearly or quite eighty dollars in 

 five cent pieces had to be procured in Beverly each year for 

 that purpose, and it was with much difficulty that these 

 were obtained. Would it not be more advisable to make 

 the price of admission twenty-five cents for adults and fif- 

 teen cents for children under twelve years of age ? 



Very efficient aid was rendered by Mr. Whitcomb as 

 assistant superintendent, and by the ladies and gentlemen 

 who served on the committee of arrangements and those 

 who served as clerks. Nearly all served the previous year 

 and that experience gave to each ample knowledge of what 

 was required. 



The number of entries were as follows : 

 Dairy, Entries, 7 No. of contributors, 3 



Bread, " 46 " ", 42 



Canned fruit, " 19 " " 17 



Bees, hives and honey, " 19 " " 4 



