76 



early autumn varieties should remain on the tree until they 

 show signs of maturity by their change of color. The Bart- 

 letts, for instance, are finer by being allowed to remain on the 

 tree until they have turned to a yellowish tinge, but they 

 should never be permitted to remain until they become mel- 

 low. By picking them from the tree only as they thus ma- 

 ture, they may be kept in eating much longer than they can 

 be if all are gathered when the fruit commences to ripen. In 

 most seasons this pear may be kept in good eating to the first 

 of October, if gathered only as it ripens. Pears keep best on 

 the trees. The late autumn and winter pears should remain 

 on the trees as long as the season will permit. When picked, 

 they should be carefully packed in boxes or barrels, and placed 

 under a shed with a northern exposure, if possible, and kept 

 there until required for eating ; or until there is danger of 

 their freezing, when they should be removed to a cool cellar. 



APPLES. 



The Committee on Apples have attended to their duty, and 

 report that the show of apples, although small, was much 

 better than they expected. There were quite a number 

 of very fine specimens of apples. Mr. Benjamin P. Ware> 

 of Marblehead, presented twenty-three varieties, most of 

 them fine specimens, and the Committee award to him Har- 

 ris' Book on Insects. They award to 



B. P. Ware, of Marblehead, for Yellow Bell Flower, $1 ; 

 A. P. Burnham, of Andover, for Porter, $1; Eleazer Lake, 

 of Topsfield, for Pickman Pippen, $lj James Johnston, of 

 Amesbury, for Baldwin, $1 ; Thomas K. Leach, of Topsfield, 



