TRANSACTIONS. To John Murdock, Jr., for one basket very fine To W. & J. Murdock, for four varieties of Apples. Plums. H. WOODS, T. J. BIGHAM. 577 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. THE twenty-fifth annual exhibition of this Society is to be held in Philadelphia, on the 21st, 22d, and 23d of September next. We have been favored with a printed schedule of premiums, embracing the usual extensive list of floral designs and bouquets, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. One of the premiums strikes Cayuga Horticultural Society. us as rather novel. "For the best twenty plants from THE first exhibition of the Cayuga County Horticul- a private collection," a silver pitcher is proposed to be tural Society was held at Stanford Hall," in Auburn, very liberal, but on reading farther, we find it is to be "presented," of the value of $200. Thus far, seemed on Friday, the 17th day of June, and it presented a held by the owner, (not of the pitcher,) but of the suc fine display of flowers, fruit, and vegetables. The at- cessful collection, for one year, and to be yearly comtendance of visitors was very large. The articles pre-peted for; the donor's and victor's names to be ensented for exhibition were very tastefully arranged up- graved thereon. There is originality at least in this on the several stands, by the committee appointed for that purpose, which added much to the display. premium.-Farm Journal. The display of strawberries, according to the report, was very fine; there were thirteen contributors, and fifteen or twenty varieties shown. P. R. Freeoff exhibited thirteen varieties; R. G. Pardee, thirteen varieties, and Dr. A. Thompson, four varieties. Mr. Pardee had in his collection the Crescent Seedling, but as no particular notice of it appears in the report, we conclude it has failed when in comparison with the older sorts. The premiums for strawberries were awarded as follows: To Mr. P. R. Freehoff, for the best and most extensive collection. For the second best, to A. V. Pulsifer. For the best and finest flavored variety, to Henry Morgan, for Hovey's Seedling. For the second best, to S. A. Goodwin, no names given. For a choice seedling, to George Clapp. Chester County Horticultural Exhibition. THE Chester County Horticultural and Industrial Exhibition, usually held in June, occurred on the 16th. 17th and 18th ult. In addition to the fruits of the season, flowers, green-house plants, vegetal les, the display embraced agricultural implemen's, etc. An increased impulse is being given to Horticultural as well as Agricultural improvement by these annual exhibitions, all over the country. The effect of which will be, and is seen, not only in an increased production from the soil, but in those moral influences with which attention to these two great departments is always more or less connected. Some specimens of prepared willow twigs for baskets, were exhibited by Isaac G. Darlington, which appeared well adapted to the purpose. They were of the variety Vitellina, which is much used in Europe for baskets. It is found in several parts of Chester county, and according to Dr. Darlington's Flora Cestrica, came originally from some wicker work found sprouting in Dock creek, near Philadelphia, by Dr. Franklin, who took them out and gave them to Chas. Norris, by whom they were reared, on grounds now the site of the Custom House, in Philadelphia. Warren County Agricultural Society. THANKS to my friend. W. F. Parshall, I have received a pamphlet containing the premiums and regu. lations, and the awarding committees, for the fourth annual fair of the Warren County Agricultural Society; to be held at Lebanon, on Wednesday and Thursday, 14th and 15th of September, 1853. Among the premiums for appropriate articles, fruits, President J. P. Gilchrist, Lebanon. THIS body of the savans of our country has recently held a very pleasant meeting at the city of Cleveland, Ohio. The attendance was large, and the general character of the papers read was highly creditable to parties presenting them. The section of Mathematics and Physics contained the most eminent men; that of Natural History was not without its ornaments, how. ever, although many of the most eminent geologists were absent, in the field. I had hoped in this body to have had the strawberry question referred to some eminent botanist, and submitted a resolution referring to such an one as committee to report next year," Upon the permanency of certain aberrations from the normal or general condition and development of the sexual organs in some plants," but unfortunately the committee was not raised, and the subject must be brought up as an original paper at the next session of this body, in Washington, District of Columbia, on the last Wednesday in April next. Correspondence. WESTERN STRAWBERRIES ABROAD. MR. EDITOR:-I doubt not that yourself, as optics a copy of Mr. Hovey's Magazine for well as many of your readers in this western July may have chanced to fall, will have portion of our hemisphere, before whose felt mightily amused thereby; especially by the manner in which that impartial writer have it genuine, without regard to cost, and learned pomologist has discussed the merits of our western seedling strawberries. In them he can discover little merit and many faults. Can it be that the transplanting into a sterile and inhospitable region has produced an unhappy change in their constitution, or that they have not yet become sufficiently acclimated? or can it be that our eastern seer has not a "correct standard to judge by ?" The former is certainly the more rational conclusion; they need acclimating, and we shall all be forced to adopt the whole string of nonsensical dogmas upon that theory, which have been set forth by its advocates. As to the standard of comparison, if my recollection serves me, our committee has always assumed the Hovey Seedling as the criterion in their decisions. The reviewer also suggests that eastern varieties do not succeed about Cincinnati; that we have not yet discovered the mode of growing them!" Heaven save the mark! Have we not repeatedly exceeded his own measurements? But, last, and worst of all, and most cruelly wicked and malicious, yet, oh, how short sighted, and how like the foolish boy who threw stones up into the air, to fall and break his own head, he suggests, that we "have not the genuine varieties, free from mixture of sorts." Well, that is rich. Where, let me ask, can he find men who have familiarized themselves to the same extent with all the peculiarities of the different varieties in cultivation, as some of the Cincinnati cultivators and amateurs ? Why, there are men hereabouts who could tell many varieties by a portion of a dried leaf; and then if we have not the eastern kinds correct and free from mixture, to whom are we indebted for the favor of receiving two or more sorts, when we have sent for one, to head quarters, on purpose to but to the great cultivator and advertiser himself, who has scarcely issued a copy of his monthly for years without a bulletin respecting the aforesaid Boston Seedling? Further, a neighbor suggests, from whom and at what date did he learn the true history and present state of the strawberry in its peculiarity of blossoming, if not from the poor, benighted backwoodsmen, who do not know "the genuine varieties ?" It is apparent to me that Mr. H. has used a bad pair of spectacles in this investigation; a shade of jealous green pervaded his vision, or perchance that he, too, has failed to have the genuine sorts. This appears to be the case in regard to No. 1, and Schneicke's Pistillate particularly, for his mention of them does not describe them correctly; both are prolific, especially the former, and neither have a pale, dingy color. Try again, Mr. Hovey, and let your committee try again also. Fear not; your own favorite with all its faults has a world-wide celebrity, and beauty enough to carry it through great opposition. It has and will prevail as widely as any strawberry can ever expect to prevail, and it has taught John Bull a useful lesson, even in spite of the botanists. A glorious good fellow, however, is the aforesaid Boston editor, and honest with all to a fault; in the very same number of his work, he reports the proceedings of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, at which these western varieties were exhibited in perfection, and elicited high enconiums from the fruit committee, whose report he publishes in full. I honor his fairness in this as highly as the taste and judgment of the Philadelphia fruit committee, as evinced in their decision. Yours, FRAGARIA OCCIDENTALIS. EDITORIAL. Editorial. 579 CLEVELAND-PEACH ORCHARD-VINEYARD. may well be contemplated with great complacency by the enterprizing proprietors, who may see in them a rich reward for their years of untiring labor. THE favored region of the shore of lake mer sun, and beginning to swell for the Erie has often been referred to; the narrow ripening and harvest. They constitute a belt of land forms a low ridge of light sandy very interesting and promising object, and soil, that is immediately within the genial influence of this extended sheet of water, which constantly envelopes it with a humid atmosphere, as with a friendly cloak, or even better than a garment retentive of Varieties. Mr. Haughton has endeavored caloric, for this vesture, in its change from to secure a continuous supply during the a fluid to a liquid form, by condensation, season, and selected those that ripen conis really a generator of sensible heat-a secutively. His favorites appear to be Honsurrounding stove; strange as this may est John, Crawford's Early, Crawford's appear to those who are accustomed to shudder at the idea of a damp atmosphere, which they properly describe as being cold, it is no less true. They are right, too, in their sensations, but it is no less true that heat, or sensible caloric, is set free by the change of form referred to above. All portions of this belt are not equally favored with the immunity from frost, however, and some peach orchards have never yet yielded remunerative crops, even though they appear to be well situated. The position of Messrs. Haughton & Morse, of whose success all have read, does not seem to be peculiar, except, perhaps, in the protection of a belt of timber to the west, and a group to the north-east. To the north they are exposed to the full influence of the lake. Their soil, however, is a delightful sandy loam, resembling strongly the peach lands of New Jersey, but generally in a fresh state, recently reclaimed from the forest. The appearance of the trees is admirable-fine size, fair growth, good color of foliage, but not too rank a growth, and fairly and evenly laden with beautiful and perfect fruit, now reddening under the sum Late, Old Mixon Free, Heath Free, Smock, Early Yellow Rareripe, etc. A large portion of these orchards is not yet in full bearing, but healthy trees in their third summer are all showing as much fruit as they should be allowed to carry. The yield this year promises to be five thousand baskets of choice fruit, besides the accompanying proportion of second grade. The home market of this growing city of the lake shore would consume a large quantity of fruit, but the proprietors look further, and contemplate drawing tribute from Cincinnati on the south, Chicago and Detroit on the west, and Buffalo on the east. The latter will always be their best and most accessible market, especially on account of the paucity of this fruit in that neighborhood, and because water conveyance is the cheapest and most favorable for delicate fruit. Cincinnatians must expect to pay dearly for transporation from this point, nor receive the fruit in good condition. That market will probably be well supplied this year from the Miami orchards. Treatment. The ground has been well manured with leeched ashes; where previously tilled with exhausting crops, a quan tity of charcoal, about a bushel, was de-acre, grubbing, plowing, and removing part posited about each tree at the time of plant- of the stumps, is estimated at two hundred ing. Lime was applied, and the ground is dollars. Query-Would not grubbing and kept constantly stirred with the plow; the digging three feet deep have been a better whole surface is turned over at least twice preparation, at a less, or even at the same during the season. The roots are examined expense ? thoroughly for the egeria larvæ twice a year, and left bare in the winter after the operation. The trees are trained standard high, to admit of plowing. Apples are planted in part of the ground at appropriate distances. Among these the Baldwin appears well, and proves itself profitable here. The Red Astrachan is now brilliant and tempting. The English Russet and Fall Pippin suffered most severely with the extreme cold of 1852, which caused the death of many fine trees of these varieties, and destroyed a long avenue of fine appricots. The soil appears well adapted to this culture, but will bear the application of ashes with advantage. The cuttings strike with great facility and certainty, so that the grape nursery presents a uniform appearance. Indeed, this light soil is well suited to nursery purposes, to which the proprietors have applied themselves to some extent. Their evergreens are very promising, especially those imported from Europe. Deodars, Lebanons, Pines, etc., look very well; especially to be admired is their collection of Pinus laricio; and their squares of Hemlock can not be surveyed without a feeling of pleasure by the admirer of American ever Fair of the American Institute. THE annual cattle show, as appears from the pamphlet of the managers, will embrace agricultural, horticultural, and floral departments, and will be held in New York, October, 1853. The annual exhibition of cattle, of all breeds, and all other useful farm stock, will be held on the 19th, 20th, and 21st days of October, 1853, at Hamilton Square, a beautiful plot of ground of ten acres, on third avenue, about four miles from the City Hall. The Vineyard.—I was agreeably surprised to find a very flourishing collection of grapes, just coming into fruit. The vines are plant-greens. ed about eight feet apart, and have been pruned short, somewhat upon the distaff method. They are remarkably healthy, vigorous, and bearing a heavy crop for their age, which is four years. The bunches are not large, but the berries are well swollen, and have not been attacked by any disease whatever, and look as though they would ripen handsomely. The varieties collected are Isabella, Clinton, and Schuylkill or Cape; the former appears well adapted to this region and ripcns well; so does the Clinton, but the Catawba is too uncertain in its maturing to induce extensive cultivation. This vineyard is planted upon new ground, of a deep sandy loam; the undergrowth was thoroughly cleared off, when the soil was stirred to the depth of fifteen or eighteen. inches by a large plow, and a fine tilth produced, which is maintained by shallow culture during the summer. The preparation of this piece of ground, measuring about an Owners and breeders of stock from all parts of the United States, are invited to attend and bring their cattle. The list of awards has been revised, and the number of premiums and their value increased. A PREMIUM OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS Will be paid by the American Institute for the discovery of an effective and practicable remedy against the ravages of the Curculio on the plum and other fruit trees of our EDITORIAL. country. The remedy must be thoroughly tested, and proved satisfactorily to the committee to whom it will be referred. The department of the great fair of the American Institute, to be held at Castle Garden, will be opened at that place for the receipt of goods and specimens on the 1st, 3d, 4th, and 5th days of October. It will be open to visitors on the 6th, and continuc open through the month. Circulars, with full details, may be obtained at No. 351 Broadway. Elliott's New Fruit Book. 581 "Should his book not go beyond the cherries even, it can not fail of interesting pomologists, the Union over." The Earth, Plants, and Man. Ar a recent meeting of the New York Farmer's Club, Mr. Meigs, the excellent secretary, read some translations from this interesting work, from which the following has been selected : "The plants disclosed in the ruins of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabiæ, enable us to judge of the alterations in them during WHEN at Cleveland, attending the meet-mains of plants-the painted plants-those the long period of 1700 years. The reing of the Scientific Association, about the in Mosaic, remain to instruct us. Many of 1st of August, I enjoyed an opportunity of those painted are fanciful. The stone pine, glancing over the progressing manuscript of the Cypress, the Aleppo pine, the dwarf F. R. Elliott's new work on pomology. The palm, wheat, barley, millet, no Indian corn, no rice, broad beans, perfectly like our author has been devotedly engaged in the modern; asparagus in bunches, onions, study of fruits for many years, and posses- radishes, turnips, a small gourd, the olive ses a greater knowledge, especially of west--a glass jar contained olives which reern fruits, than any person I have met. His work will be put to press this fall, and when completed will form a valuable addition to the literature of the orchard, and will be indispensable to all cultivators who wish to keep posted up with the advance of the times. Mr. E. has adopted an alphabetical arrangement, which will make reference easy; he also subdivides some fruits into three classes, according to their quality and profit for cultivation, in this, each person will choose a standard for himself, but a tolerable approximation may be made that will suit mcst tastes. The illustrations of this work will be superior to those generally presented, as the sections of fruits are shaded to show the characters distinctly. In most cases the seeds are introduced; these furnish very important characters, and I may claim to myself some credit for these suggestions. A correspondent in the Horticulturist, says: tained their flavor-the oleander perfectly the same with ours; no lemon, orange, or citron; the citron was introduced into Italy in the third century, 200 years after the cities were buried; the orange and lemon still later; pears, peaches, apples, cherries, almonds, plums, medlars, pomegranates, were there." Napoleon's World's Fair. THIS Industrial Exhibition progresses finely in its course of preparation, and promises to be quite equal to that of Great Britain. America, and especially our Union, will, it is hoped, be well represented there. It has also been suggested that the governor appoint a special commissioner from Ohio to attend to the interests of exhibitors. Official notice has been received at the department of State, that articles, the importation of which is prohibited in France, will be admitted free of duty. If kept in the country, a duty of thirty per cent, ad valorem must be paid. |