192 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



liest plums we have ; the other, a late prune, which 

 is quite plenty in this vicinity, mostly producing its 

 like from seed. I have some of the fruit in ray 

 house now. The buds upon the Mirabolan ripened 

 their fruit just ten days before those on the late 

 prune. I could not vouch for their being the same, 

 did not the foliage show it. and also my eating of 

 the fruit at different periods ten days apart. 



From these observations I have concluded here- 

 after to collect my early peach and plum stones 

 separately, and mark them in planting, so as to bud 

 early kinds upon early stocks, and late upon late, 

 instead of having them mixed as heretofore. I 

 have now a large number of early peach and plum 

 stones collected, for this autumn planting. Query; 

 if the earliest peach stones were selected and bud- 

 ded from the earliest ripening twigs, of the earliest 

 kinds, could we not, in a few successions of the 

 same, have earlier peaches than we do ? Yours re- 

 spectfully, S. Miller. Union Nurseries, Lebanon, 

 Pa., September 8th, 1848. 



[Our own observations lead us to believe, also, 

 that the nature of the stock exerts a decided influ- 

 ence, not only on the season of ripening, but the 

 keeping qualities of grafted fruits. Ed. ] 



PoMoLOGicAL Convention AT Buffalo. This 

 convention, called together through the exertions 

 of the officers of the N. Y. State Agricultural So- 

 ciety, and of the Horticultural Society of Buffalo, 

 assembled on the first ultimo, and extended its ses- 

 sions through the 2d and 4th, occupying three days 

 in all. Fear had been entertained that at so early 

 a season, but few fruits would be collected ; a large 

 number, however, were received from several differ- 

 ent states, and among them many varieties ripening 

 so early as to be usually excluded from our autumnal 

 exhibitions. In other respects, the convention may 

 be regarded as a very successful effort , and has re- 

 sulted in the interchange of much valuable informa- 

 tion. 



Among the principal contributors were noticed 

 the following: — Robert Manning, Salem, Mass.; 

 Charles Downing and A. J. Downing, Newburgh, 

 N. Y.; F. W. Hayes, Newark, and Thomas Han- 

 cock, Burlington, N. J.; David Thomas, Aurora, 

 W. R. Smith, Macedon, and EUwanger, Barry &, 

 Rowe, and Bissell, Hooker & Sloane, Rochester, 

 Benj. Hodge, and A. Bryant and Sons, Buffalo, 

 N. Y.; F. R. Elliot, Cleveland, Ohio; George An- 

 drews, Montreal; James Dougall, Amherstburgh, 

 C. W.; A. C. Hubbard, Detroit; all of whom pre- 

 sented large and interesting collections. Charles 

 Hamilton, of Canterbury, Orange county. N. Y., 

 sent to the convention a large and very fine assort- 

 ment of plums ; and several other smaller collec- 

 tions were received, among which were those of J. 

 W. Bailey, of Plattsburgh; L. F. Allen, Black 

 Rock; N. Goodsell, Greece, N. Y., and others. 

 The most interesting and important varieties in 

 these collections, were taken up, and occupied the 

 time of the convention during its several sittings. 



The number of delegates in atttendance was be- 

 tw,een fifty and sixty, — from the States of Massa- 



chusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey ?' 

 New- York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana. 

 Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri, and from the twc 

 provinces of Canada — fourteen states and provin- 

 ces in all. The convention was organized by the 

 appointment of David Thomas, of Aurora, N. Y., 

 as President, three secretaries and ten Vice-Presi- 

 dents, from as many different states and provinces. 

 A set of rules, for the government of its delibera- 

 tions, was adopted by the convention, the substance 

 of which was as follows: — The most perishable 

 fruits to be examined first, and to be brought to 

 the notice of the convention by a committee ap- 

 pointed for that purpose—one variety to be exam- 

 ined at a time, and comparisons made from differ- 

 ent specimens present; — members allowed to state 

 facts only in the briefest manner. Discussions on 

 special subjects to be allowed during evenings and 

 intervals, at which no one to speak more than ten 

 minutes, nor twice on the same subject. The po- 

 mological rules adopted by the New York State 

 Agricultural Society, were also adopted by the 

 Convention. Committees were subsequently ap- 

 pointed to examine and report on the seedling or 

 new fruits present. 



Among the more active members who participa- 

 ted in the discussions, were Thomas Hancock, and 

 F. W. Hayes, N. J. ; Wm. R. Prince, Flushing; 

 Charles Downing, Newburgh ; Dr. H. Wendell, 

 Albany; P. Barrv, J. W. Bissell, and N. Goodsell, 

 Rochester; B. Hodge and W. R. Coppock, Bufl"a- 

 lo; J. J. Thomas, Macedon; L. F. Allen, Black 

 Rock; all in New- York; F. R. Elliott, Cleveland, 

 and H. H. Coit, Euclid, Ohio; J. D. G. Nelson, 

 Fort Wayne, Indiana^ J. C. Holmes, Detroit, A. 

 T. Prouty, Kalamazoo, Mich.; J. A. Kennicutt, 

 Chicago, 111.; Thomas Allen, St. Louis, Mo.; C. 

 Beadle, St. Catharines, and James Dougall, Am- 

 herstburgh, C. W. 



With a single exception of a fruit convention, 

 held last year at Columbus, for the State of Ohio 

 only, this appears to have been the first attempt 

 of the kind ever made in this country. It was of 

 course to be expected that in so untrodden a path, 

 some time would be consumed in settling prelimi- 

 naries, and in adopting the best mode of action. 

 Difficulties existed, perhaps inseparably connected 

 with a convention of this nature, which occasioned 

 some confusion, and which are well worthy the at- 

 tention of those having the control of future meet- 

 ings of this kind. In all deliberative bodies, it is 

 absolutely essential to preserve order. But speci- 

 mens must be selected from large collections while 

 the discussions are going on — and if members are 

 to speak understandingly of these, they must 

 " cut and try." If fifty delegates are present, it 

 evidently becomes a matter of extreme difficulty 

 to prevent noise and confusion — more especially if 

 they give way to the strong temptation to converse 

 with each other, instead of always addressing the 

 chair. We know of but one way to prevent efTec- 



