Massachusetts Agricultural School. — The 

 Legislature of our sister state has placed the sub- 

 ject of an agricultural school in the hands of the 

 following commissioners, who are to draw up a 

 plan, etc.: Marshall P. Wilder of Dorchester, 

 Edward Hitchcock of Amherst, Thos. E. Pay- 

 son of Rowley, Samuel E. Eliott of Boston, 

 and Eli Warren of Upton. 



This is an admirable board, and we are heartily 

 glad to find the name of Hon. M. P. Wilder, 

 President of the Mass. Senate, at its head. Col. 

 Wilder unites, perhaps more completly than any 

 man in Massachusetts, a thorough knowledge of 

 what an agricultural school should be, with that 

 indomitable perseverance and energy which ena- 

 ble him to develop a good idea into an existing 

 fact. It is not enough to recommend plans to le- 

 gislative bodies, (as the commission in this state 

 found last winter.) There rnust be a champion 

 of steel ready to answer all objections and demol- 

 ish all opponents. For the very good reason that 

 we think Col. W. such a man, do we congratulate 

 the state on the excellent selection made by the 

 governor. 



President Hitchcock, of Amherst who is now 

 abroad, will, we learn, undertake to investigate 

 thoroughly the condition and management of ag- 

 ricultural schools in Europe. 



Clinton Point Vinery. — In reading our ac- 

 count of this vinery, of which we gave a plate 

 and description in our last volume, many good 

 cultivators were astonished at the magnificent 

 crop produced by vines actually of but one year's 

 growth in the borders, and not a few predicted 

 that the vines had been permitted to bear too large 

 a crop, and would therefore be greatly injured by 

 it. 



We confess that observation in similar cases 

 would have led us to entertain the same opinion. 

 But Mr. Van Rfnsselaer has convinced us that 

 we were in error. The condition of the vinery is 

 most admirable. The vines are not only strong 

 and healthy, but have set a very fine crop — the 

 bunches unusually large and perfect. Any culti- 

 vator may judge for himself of the satisfactory 

 condition of the vinery by the following statistics: 

 The nnmber of vines in the house is 54 ; number 



of bunches cut the first thinning 864 ; number of 

 bunches cut the second thinning 684; number of 

 bunches left on the fifty-four vines 590. It must 

 be remembered that these are partly trellis vines, 

 and are not all trained to the rafters. 



It by no means follows from this result, that all 

 vineries may be allowed to produce fruit heavily 

 the second season after they are planted. But we 

 think Mr. Van Rensselaer has conclusively pro- 

 ved that a large crop of the finest grapes may, if 

 the border is very thoroughly prepared, as in this 

 case, be grown without the slightest injury to the 

 vines. Indeed, give the grape plenty of food, and 

 one may do almost anything with it. 



Burr's Strawberries — I perceive that "Burr's 

 new Pine" strawberry is described bj' Mr. Hunts- 

 man and by Mr. Prince, in the third volume of the 

 Horticulturist, pages 67 and 70, as a '^pistillate" 

 variety. Last spring, I obtained a few plants of 

 that sort, in connection with one of my neighbors, 

 from Mr. Ernst, of Cincinnati, and I find that at 

 least three-fourths of the blossoms are perfect, or 

 hermaphrodite. I enclose a specimen, hoping that 

 your experience can inform me whether they are 

 genuine or not. 



When in London in March last, I procured some 

 plants of the "British Queen," which is the straw- 

 berry of Covent Garden, but they died on the pas- 

 sage. Can you inform me where I can obtain 

 them in this country? Yours, truly. B. Pough- 

 keepsie, N. Y., May 18, 1850. 



We had some of the same plants from Mr. 

 Ernst last spring, and Mr. E. has made an error in 

 disseminating them, which, of course, he will take 

 pleasure in rectifying. The true " Burr's new 

 Pine" is pistillate, and has been extensively sent 

 out to various parts of the Middle States by the 

 nurserymen at Rochester. We have seen plants 

 from Elwanger & Barry and Bissell & Hook- 

 er, blossoming in various gardens lately, and all 

 correct. 



Some of our readers, who have the British 

 Queen for sale, will oblige us by answering our 

 correspondent through our columns. Ed. 



Burr's New Pine Strawberry. — We have 

 just received from Mr. Ernst, a letter stating 



