SELECT LIST OF FRUITS. 



215 



The next great natural agent, to the con- 

 sideration of which our remarks are natu- 

 rally led, is water. In importance, perhaps, 

 it ought to hold the precedence, though 

 treated numerically as second to earth. Its 

 composition and agency may induce others 

 to arrive at the same conclusion. Few per- 

 sons, in this age of reading, consider water 

 as a simple element; every chemist knows 

 it to be a compound, consisting of the two 

 great elementary principles, hydrogen and 

 oxygeyi, two parts of the first, one of the se- 

 cond, and both estimated by their volume 

 or measure. But the question now arises, 

 what are hydrogen and oxygen ? The re- 

 ply is simple, (yet expressive of ignorance :) 

 — they are the constituent elements of that 

 fluid which might be regarded as the first 

 of created things — water. 



The sublime experiments of Professor 

 Faraday have shown that this all impor- 



tant fluid is the standard measure of elec- 

 trical developments. His " Experimental 

 Researches into Electricity " should be read 

 with deep attention by all who would under- 

 stand this most interesting subject. The 

 electrical hypothesis of water, may now be 

 regarded as clearly proved ; consequently, 

 it may be viewed as the grand agent of all 

 terrestrial meteorology ; as the depository 

 and medium of that elementary fire or es- 

 sence, which, through the primary agency 

 of solar light, is the vital, stimulating prin- 

 ciple of vegetable development and growth, 

 and coincidentally, as the instrument by 

 which all manuring substances are brought 

 into a condition to furnish the liquid aliment 

 that is absorbed by the roots of a plant, and 

 which we term sap. 



We shall continue this subject in the 

 next number. Wm. W. Valk. 



Flushing, L. /., Oct. 1847. 



A SELECT LIST OF UNIMPEACHABLY GOOD FRUITS. 



An unknown correspondent, in Pittsburgh, 

 writes us as follows: — "I am just in the 

 midst of the improvement of a new place. 

 My house is finished, my garden laid out, 

 and now I am sitting at my table, up to my 

 elbows in nursery catalogues — some of them 

 almost books in size ; and, shall I confess it, 

 I am rather puzzled than aided in making 

 a selection for my fruit garden. Among 

 so many 'splendid,' ' first rate,' ' delicious' 

 varieties, how am I to choose the few that I 

 really want ? Especially does this become 

 difFicult, when I look into the thing a little 

 more closely, and observe that Mr. A. of 

 Long Island casts a cloud of doubt over 

 what Mr. B. of Western New-York consi- 

 ders of the highest excellence ! In this di- 

 lemma, may not I, and other readers of 

 your journal, (and undoubtedly there are 



many in my position,) look to you for a lit- 

 tle impartial advice ? Tell those, for exam- 

 ple, who, like myself, don't wish to go into 

 the fruit growing business, but merely to 

 stock a small fruit garden with choice fruit, 

 and choice fruit only, what sorts we may 

 plant that will be sure to give us the worth 

 of our money, and not to disappoint us, 

 whatever may be our soil, in other words, 

 unimpeachable sorts. This may be difficult, 

 but it is to you we naturally apply in our 

 difficulties of this nature." 



Our correspondent asks for a selection not 

 easily made, when he requires a list of 

 fruits of the first " quality, whatever may 

 be the soil." To give such a list requires 

 a great deal of observation, and large ac- 

 cumulation of facts in fruit culture, from 

 all parts of the country. The favorite fruit 



