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Webster of Haverhill, says that he has been almost entirely exempt from this disease in an orchard of over four hundred pear trees. He laid it down to grass seven years ago, and it has borne heavy crops of fine hardy fruit most every year since. He also says that his orchard has had no top dressing of any kind during that time, which is a strong argument against heavy manuring. We have said, and believe it, that over manuring and imperfect drainage are some of the causes that produce the blight; still there are other agents that work death to all kinds of fruit trees, and that is growing corn, oats, barley or rye between and around them, especially corn, which draws from the soil its woody substance, or materials; robbing the trees of that which by nature belongs to them. This is proved by the present appearance of a once beautiful pear orchard of some one hundred trees or more, owned and cultivated by Mr. Albert Kimball of Bradford. This orchard was set out in 1864, and has been planted to our knowledge with corn almost every year for the last ten years, and growing every year a heavy crop of that produce; but what has been the result? The trees made a fine growth during the first eight years, an after that Mr. Kimball began to lose some of his trees from the blight, and kept losing more and more every year, till this season, when the destroyer made a wholesale sweep, leaving in its march but very few of what might be called sound trees in the whole orchard. We must ascribe this to being planted with corn so long rather than to heavy manuring, though it is well known to fruit growers that trees grown in rich soils are about the only ones affected with the disease. Any kind of plants that make a hard, woody fibre, like corn, rye, &c., should not be grown around fruit trees, as such plants being fast growers take to themselves most all the woody particles in the soil at the expense of the trees. We hope to obtain the experience of others on this point, in next year's report, as it is a question that interests every fruit grower, throughout the country.

Before bringing this report to a close, we would ask permis

sion to stray away from our subject for a moment, and call attention to those unsightly stumps, called apple trees, that line our thoroughfares, and take up much valuable room in fields and orchards. We have reference to those seen as if ready to tumble down, having hollow trunks surrounded with root suckers, white branchless limbs, and gray with age all over. Such trees, in our opinion, ought to have long since found their way to the wood pile, to make room for others more beautiful and profitable. Clear away along the stone walls, also, and burn up all the rubbish. Then may it be said of us, that we have well filled our sphere in cultivating the soil, and left it better than we found it.

John O'Brien, Chairman; John Preston, G. W. Gage, James A. Teel-Committee.

APPLES.

The more experienced and efficient members of the Apple Committee were unable to be present, making the labor of the untrained remnant severe, and the results unsatisfactory to them and probably to many of the exhibitors.

The show of apples was very fine, for the off year, especially considering the very large crop of last year. It would be interesting to know whether or not the trees, which produced the fruit shown, bore last year, and if so, the state of cultivation they were under.

There seems yet to be a question as to the possibility of changing the bearing year, and whether or not there are offyear bearing stocks which, if budded or grafted from, would continue to produce on the off-year. The general subject of apple growing, including the above, and questions as to the influence of the stock on the scion, variations in varieties, &c., might profitably be a subject for discussion at one of our society meetings, lately established. Should it be brought up, it is

hoped that every one interested will be prepared to contribute toward the settlement, if possible, of some of the still mooted points.

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There were 106 exhibitors, showing 370 plates. Of the 110 varieties, the leading ones were represented as follows:

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Baldwin, S. B. George, Groveland, $3; Danvers Winter Sweet, Frank Perkins, Newbury, $3; Drap d'Or, S. F. Newman, Newbury, $3; Hubbardston Nonsuch, Thomas G. Ordway, West Newbury, $3; Porter, Breed & Co., Lynn, $3; Pickman's Pippin, Mrs. N. J. Warren, Marblehead, $3; Red Astrachan, J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, $3; Roxbury Russet, F. P. Todd, Rowley, $3; Rhode Island Greening, Mrs. N. J. Warren, Marblehead, $3; Sweet Baldwin, John C. Vennard, Lynn, $3; Gravenstein, J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, $3; Hunt's Russet, S. B. George, Groveland, $3.

Any other Variety.

Snow Apple, G. P. & H. E. Goss, Lynn, $1.50; Red Canada, Thomas C. Thurlow, West Newbury, $1.50; Spitzenburg, Thomas C. Thurlow, West Newbury, $1.50.

Collections of Apples.

Best collection, J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, $8.00
Second collection, Peter Waite, Danvers, $6.00.
Third collection, John W. Allen, Newbury, $4.00.

Twenty-four Specimens Apples.

Best, Gravenstein, J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, $6.00. Second, Baldwin, T. C. Thurlow, West Newbury, Birds of New England.

Crab Apples.

Hyslop Crab, Amos K. Noyes, Lynn, $1.50.

Montreal Crab, J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, $1.50.

Collection of Crab Apples.

Z. C. Wardwell, Groveland, $5.

GRATUITIES.

Danvers Winter Sweet, C. H. Buxton, Salem, $1.

King of Tompkins Co., Daniel Plummer, Newbury, $1.
Merrimac Sweet, Alfred Green, Salisbury, $1.
Gravenstein, F. J. King, West Newbury, $1.
Gilliflower, Frank P. Todd, Rowley, $1.

Rhode Island Greening, Joseph Horton, Ipswich, $1.

E. P. RICHARDSON, for the Committee.

PEACHES, GRAPES AND ASSORTED FRUIT.

PEACHES.

Best White Flesh, $2, to Edmund Gale of Amesbury.
Best Yellow Flesh, $2, to J. Henry Hill of Amesbury.

Best Seedling, $2, to Susan M. Jenkins, Lynn.

Best Collection of Peaches, $3, to E. F. Webster, Haverhill. Gratuity, 50 cents, to Sylvester Parrott of Lynn.

Gratuity, $1, to P. M. Neale, Lynn.

Gratuity, $1, to Mrs. Wm. F. Hill, Lynn.

GRAPES.

Premiums of $3 each for Best Concord, Geo. W. Gage, Methuen; Hartford Prolific, Charles E. Pecker, Lynn; Isabella, Edward Todd, Lynn; Delaware, Z. C. Wardwell, Groveland; Iona, Augustus Very, Danvers; Creveling, Augustus Very, Danvers; Clinton. W. F. Newhall, East Saugus ; Diana, Samuel Porter, Lynn; Adirondac, F. Batchelder, Lynn; Eumelan, B. G. Ladd, Bradford; Rogers, No. 3, Geo. W. Gage, Methuen; Rogers, No. 15, Augustus Very, Danvers; Rogers, No. 4, Edwin Sheldon, Lynn; Salem, H. C. Whippam, Lynn; Rogers, No. 39, George W. Gage, Methuen.

Best Cold House, $6, Wm. E. Lovejoy, Lynn; 2d best, $4, J. M. Teel, Lynn.

Best Collection, $7, George W. Gage, Methuen; 2d best, Birds of New England, J. W. Ropes, Danvers.

Best Seedling, $1.50, Geo. W. Ladd, Bradford.

Best Brighton, $1.50, Timothy Jones, Peabody.

Best basket Assorted Fruit, $4, Peter Wait, Danvers; 2d best, $3, A. J. Hubbard, Peabody.

GRATUITIES.

Wm. F. Vining, Amesbury, $1; J. W. Ropes, Danvers, $1; Chas. B. Smith, Upper Swampscott, $1; Sylvester Parrott, Lynn, 50 cents; P. M. Neal, Lynn, $1.50; Mrs. Wm. F. Hill, Lynn, $1; Samuel G. Ashton, Lynn, 50 cents; Lucius Newhall, Lynn, 50 cents; John W. Blaney, Lynn, 50 cents ; Aaron Low, Essex, $1; George W. Pettingill, Salem, $1.50; J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, 50 cents; P. M. Neal, Lynn, $1.50; Walter B. Allen, Lynn, $1.50; Henry G. Hawthorn, Lynn, $1.50; B. G. Ladd, Bradford, 50 cents; John O'Brien, Bradford, 50 cents; Alfred Green, Salisbury, $1; J. Henry Hill, Amesbury, 50 cents; Chas. F. Rhodes, East Saugus, 75 cents; M. S. Andrews, Jr., Essex, 50 cents; Everett M. Twiss, Peabody, 75 cents.

THOS. C. THURLOW, Chairman.

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