1868.] 



SECRETARY S REPORT. 



23 



a syringe or watering pot, apply it to the trees or bushes affected. Use a rose 

 upon the syringe and be sure that all parts of the leaves are well saturated with 

 the liquid. What falls to the ground will aid in destroying the worms which 

 have been washed off, as well as enrich the soil. The cost is trifling when 

 compared with other receipts, and infinitely more effectual, as two or at most 

 three applications are enough through all the season. Neither dcxo nor rain 

 affect it. In addition to the above, I strongly recommend a slight covering of 

 gas-lime, say half an inch thick, strewn under and around each tree or bush of 

 currant or gooseberry very early in spring, before the leaf appears, as the 

 effluvia from gas-lime is highly offensive to all the moth tribe. I tried it in 

 Cambridge two years since, and I was not troubled with a moth or caterpillar 

 for the season, although my neighbors were in an awful plight." 



It will be observed by the above that Mr. Harris varies from the formula of 

 the late Mr. Haggerston in increasing the proportion of whale oil soap to water 

 as one in three is to one in seven. Of course neither Mr. Phelps nor Mr. Har- 

 ris pretend to have originated the employment of the hellebore or soap. And 

 it should also be added that neither of these gentlemen have made any claim 

 whatever upon this Society. But they do think that they have discovered im- 

 proved methods — the one of application and the other of proportion, whereby 

 the objects which the Trustees had in view in the proposal of a premium, may 

 be more cheaply and effectually obtained than in any other known way. The 

 subject is commended to your attention, with the suggestion that the experi- 

 ments of members, thus enlightened, during the next season, may afford such 

 facts as to guide you in doing equal and exact justice. 



A table of entries, or number of articles of each variety, exhibited during 

 the past official year, exclusive of those displayed at the annual autumnal exhi- 

 bition, is herewith submitted : 



COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. 



Anno Domini. 



1862., 

 1863., 

 1864. 

 1865. 

 1866. 

 1867. 

 1868. 



29 

 44 

 36 

 48 

 23 

 43 

 37 



<=a 



O) OJ r- .£! tn 



^ -r ^ oi oj 



;^ S i^ t^ p. "t; 



c« u t. o ci "^ 



rt^ 3 o u 



98 

 83 

 79 

 104 

 151 

 112 

 132 



'^ 



632 



616 

 1008 

 1643 



811 

 1716 



807 



1431 

 1483 

 1447 

 1997 

 1315 

 2186 

 1207 



The Library has received constant accretion, both from donation and pur- 

 chase. To Hon. Andrew H. Green, of New York, and Charles L. Flint, the 

 accomplished secretary of the Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts, our 



