TJIE (JARni:.\ElvS MOXIHLV 



U"iy> 



of course, at this writiiii:, tell. It is Just pos- 

 sible some will siiow tliat if the work had bi-eii 

 five dollars instead of fifty cents, much better 

 plates or better work could have been <:iven ; 

 that if tlu' author had more intelli{j;ence it would 

 have been better done ; that if he had not blun- 

 dered here or blundered (here it would have 

 been nearer perfection ; that if the artist had 

 only seen tliis or seen that he would have made 

 a more accurate representation, or that the 

 lithographer should have put more color here 

 or les> there in order to have done just tin' 

 right thing. 



Pi-rhajis no one is more conscious of all this 

 than the editor himself. Had he hesitatwd on 

 these scores, as probably so many have before 

 him, the work would never have been begun. It 

 would have been much more to his taste if some 

 gentleman of means, greater accomplishments, 

 and more time to spare than he had, should have 

 undertaken it. If some such a one so well fitted 

 for the task could have been induced to take 

 it up, the public would probably have had a much 

 more complete work. 



IJut as the fact was, no one else would under- 

 take a people's work of this magnitude, so 

 the present editor tried it. Imperfect as it 

 may be, he yet hopes to improve as he pro- 

 gresses; and in the meantime he feels sure that 

 he will have taken an intelligent pleasure into 

 thousands of homes. 



Our Native Flowers. — It is pleasant to see 



so much attention being given to hardy herba- 

 ceous plants. We have before us a list wholly 

 devoted to the natives varieties, by Mr. \\. 

 Wheeler, of JJoston, !Mas8. We believi- the 

 time will come when mere bedding plants will 

 not be all that the tiower garden comes to. 



The RrRAL New Yorkeu. — We are glad to 

 note by an increase of size in the Rural Kern 

 Yorker, substantial signs of prosperity. The 

 Agricultural Press of the country has severely 

 sulfered b\ the general dejiression of the last few 

 years, and it is pleasant to note this lirst stej) in 

 prosperity, especially as the Rural New Yorker 

 deserves all the success it seems to gain. 



The American Aoriculti'rist.— A few 

 weeks ago we received a prospectus of "The 

 Country Home," to be started by E. II. Libby 

 and W. R. Beckwith, and we have now another, 

 announcing that Mr. I.ibby will in future he the 

 managing editor of the Americnn Agriculturist, 

 and Mr. Beckwith the Treasurer of the Orange 

 Judd Company. Mr. Judd is still to be the 

 President of the company. We understand from 

 the circular that Dr. Thurber is to continue; his 

 relations with the paper, which all will be glad 

 to hear. The Agriculturist has been of im- 

 mense service to American Agriculture, and 

 I has never shown the slightest signs of decrepi- 

 tude. It will be h£trd for the new managers to 

 1 make it better than it has been, but we wish 

 them every success in the endeavor. 



Horticultural Societies. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Centennial Exhibition of 1876.— The fol- 

 lowing is the report of Thomas Meehan, the 

 Secretary of Group 30, giving, according to the 

 rules of the Exhibition, a review of the progress 

 of the century from the standpoint of a judge at 

 the Exhibition, as just published by the Com- 

 mission : 



The Judges in the department of Pomology, 

 in reviewing their work for the season, would 

 observe that they were called on unexpectedly 

 to fill file office, and had not the opportunity 

 which the Judges of the other groups had of con- 

 templating their work months in advance, and 

 the advantages which time always gives for 

 reflection on one's duties. 



No provision had been made for Judges in 



this department, and it was not till fruit had 

 actually appeared on the tables at the Exhibi- 

 tion that the gentlemen who subsecpiently 

 accepted the honor offered them were invited to 

 serve. These were Messrs. W. L. Sbafler, A. 

 W. Harrison and Thomas Meehan, of Philadel- 

 phia; Edwin Satterthwaite, of Jenkintown, 

 Pennsylvania ; Josiah Iloopes, of West Chester^ 

 Pennsylvania; and AVilliam Parry, of Cinna- 

 minson. New Jersey. These gentlemen served 

 cf>ntinuously from the 25th of May till the close 

 of the Exhibition ; the perishable nature of the 

 products requiring regular attendance. No one 

 of them gave less than an average of one full 

 day a week to the work ; some gave two, and in 

 the case of others two and three days a week on 

 the average of the whole season were given. 

 During one week they were reinforced by Mr. 



