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fig-tree in his garden, tliougli liable to be killed by tlie cold of. winter, 

 has withstood it for two years and. borne fruit. 



Almond trees in Texas. — Mr. John W. Moore, of Georgetown, 

 Williamson County, Texas, has four almond trees one year old, which 

 appear to be as hardy as the fig-tree. 



Cork oak. — Mr. William 11. Harris, Red Eiver Landing, Louisiana, 

 has a cork oak one foot in diameter, raised from au acorn obtained from 

 the Agricultural Division of the Patent Office before the war. 



The J^ational agrkjultural congress. — The Congress of the Cot- 

 ton States, organized at Augusta, Georgia, in 1870, and the National 

 Agricultural Association formed at Kashville, Tennessee, in 1871, met 

 by previous appointment at Saint Louis, May 27, and were consolidated 

 under the name of the National Agricultural Congress. The number of 

 delegates present was about 400. Among the rules adopted by the new 

 organization was one that there should be a vice-president from each 

 State, to be nominated by its delegation when represented, otherwise 

 appointed by the president of the congress. The principal offices were 

 filled as follows : President, John P. Reynolds, of Illinois 5 secretary, 

 Charles W. Greene, of Tennessee; treasurer, Lee R. Shryock, of Missouri. 

 The vice-presidents chosen, as nominated by the several State delega- 

 tions present, were: Alabama, C. C. Langdon; District of Columbia, 

 John Saul ; Georgia, O. H. Jones ; Illinois, A. M. Garland ; Indiana, F. 

 C.Johnson; Iowa, J. M. Shaffer; Kansas, George T. Anthony; Ken- 

 tucky, James H. IVIoore ; Maryland, Henry A. Parr ; Minnesota, J. H. 

 Stevens ; Mississippi, J. G. Worden ; Missouri, A. B. Barret ; Montana, 

 Mr. McArdie ; ISTorth Carolina, W. F. Cornica ; Ohio, Norton S. Town- 

 send ; Pennsylvania, A. Boyd Hamilton; Tennessee, W. H. Jackson; 

 Virginia, M. F. IMaury ; South Carolina, W. M. Lawton. The delegates, 

 men of intelligence and high standing in the communities they respect- 

 ively represented, seemed thoroughly alive to the importance of improve- 

 ment in agriculture, as that branch of industry which is more general than 

 any other, and upon the successful prosecution of which all others depend 

 for their prosperity; enlightened and catholic views were expressed, a 

 spirit of harmony and enthusiasm prevailed, and the deliberations gen- 

 erally were of a character to inspire the hope that this new organization 

 will justify its name by the extent and efficiency of its influence in pro- 

 moting the agricultural i)rosperity of the country. 



The Hyde steam-plow. — Another trial of this invention, claimed to 

 be successful, was recently made at Obert's ranch, near Brighton, Cali- 

 fornia. Since the trial last autumn changes have been made by which 

 the working of the plow is much improved. Two steering-wheels have 

 been substituted for one, and the driving-wheels have been widened 

 from 15 to 30 inches. It is claimed that the machine now works well, 

 both in tule and in hard-clay ground, turning up the soil so as to leave 

 it light and sponge-like ; not in long, straight, but in short, spiral fur- 

 rows, thoroughly pulverized. Sixteen acres were thus broken up at the 

 recent trial. 



The Valley of the Rappahannock. — Mr. John A. Parker commu- 

 nicates the following interesting facts and opinions respecting this valley : 

 He has traveled much in the United States, and somewhat in foreign 

 lands, and yet he has never seen any country so highly favored by 

 nature as the valley of the Rappahannock. But while nature has done 

 everything for it, man has thus far done but little. It has great facili- 

 ties for living on luxuries at a cheap rate ; oysters, crabs, fish, and wild 



