334 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



continuing to use Leicester rams with the cross- 

 bred ewes. 



There was a superior show of swine but noth- 

 ng calling for particular notice. 



We understand that there was a very fine show 

 of horses, but they were all locked up in their 

 stalls when we were there. 



Here we are among the machinery, and there is 

 the Prince of Agricultural Implement Makers, Hoii- 

 ACE L. Ejiery, of Albany. He is posted on his 

 celebrated R. R. Horse Power distributing pamph- 

 lets by the thousand. Now he is showing the ef- 

 ficacy of his Hand Cider Mill in grinding and press- 

 ing apples. — Now, to test the strength of the ma- 

 chine he puts it to its utmost speed and then drops 

 a stone in, to demonstrate its strength and power. 

 There is but a meagre show of plows, and less 

 than the usual number of hay and cornstalk cut- 

 ters, with nothing new that we observed. Here is 

 a cultivator similar to ordinary corn cultivators 

 but seven feet wide and used for putting in wheat. 

 This machine for husking and shelling corn will 

 admit of considerable improvement, before it comes 

 into general use. 



It is useless to attempt to examine the products 

 of horticultural skill exhibited in "Floral Hall," 

 but we will take a hasty glance at them. Here 

 are eleven varieties of out door grapes, grown by J. 

 B. Fay, Salem Cross Roads, Chautauque Co. N. Y., 

 who has nine acres devoted to grape culture. These 

 Isabellas are truly magnificent. The bunches and 

 berries are nearly as large as ordinary Black Ham- 

 burghs, weighing, it is said, 13oz. It pays to raise 

 such gro.pes. Mr. F. has just sold 500tt)s in Buffalo 

 at 15 cents per lb. That they are productive is evi- 

 dent from a stem exhibited, eighteen inches long 

 bearing eleven bunches which would average nearly 

 ibalf a lb each. They are grown on a ridge of grav- 

 •elly sand, on five feet wire trellises, the plants set 

 ■out 8 feet by 10. There is an unusually large exhi- 

 ' 'bition of pears and apples, the Rochester, Syracuse 

 and Boston nurseries being well represented. Ama 

 teur exhibitors are not numerous. W. R. Prince is 

 •descanting loudly on the extraordinary merits of the 

 Dioscorea, or Chinese potato. Listen: "It is infin- 

 itely the best vegetable which the great Creator has 

 caused to grow upon the earth. It is the only vegetable 

 which is a substitute for animal food. It will prove the 

 greatest of blessings to the poor man. It is the only 

 plant which combines nitrogen with vegetable matter 

 £what nonsense.] Man can live on it alone. This is 

 true of no other vegetable. It will be the only potato 

 <5ultivated in a few years." Such statements are ill 

 •calculated to increase the reputation of the Dioscorea 

 with intelligent, tiiinking men. Here are some stalks 

 of the Chinese Sugar Cane 13 feet high, grown at 

 •Orange-, 111. 



M * fc 



PROVINCIAL EXHIBITION OF CANADA WEST. 



The twelfth annual exhibition of the Agricul- 

 tural Association of Upper Canada was held at 

 Brautford Sep. 29th to Oct. 2nd. Owing to unpleas- 

 ant weather the attendance was not as large as usual, 

 but the exhibition itself was everyway excellent, and 

 a credit to the farmers of the Province. Over twelve 

 thousand dollars were oGered in premiums. Let us 

 take a hasty walk round the show ground and see 

 •what our Caaadiau brethren are doing in the way of 



agricultural improvement. As it rains, let us first g» 

 into the "grain and vegetable Hall." What a jam. 

 It is next to impossible to see, let alone examine any 

 of the many fine products on exhibirioiu Ii. Canada, 

 as in Western New York, the wheat has suffered con- 

 siderably this year from the rust and midge, but there 

 is nevertheless a magnificent show of wheat. The 

 " Canada Company " offer an annual prize of £30 

 for the best 25 bushels of wheat — the prize wheat to 

 be given to the company for distribution — There are 

 twenty lots of 25 bushels each entered for this prizek 

 Never have we seen such a fine show of wheat in the 

 "States." For the prize offered for the best Two 

 Bushels of Wheat there are forty eight entries. 

 Here is the prize wheat, grown by J. H. Anderson of 

 Flamboro West. It is a long and plump berry, of a 

 somewhat dark color, and weighs 66 lbs. per bushel. 

 Name of the variety not given. Probably a mixture. 

 Looks some\\hat like the bluestem. What a mag- 

 nificent show of roots. We have never seen it equaled 

 except at the exhibition of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of England. Here is a monstrous Squash. 

 There are several that weigh from 130 to 160 lbs, 

 but this one casts all the others into the shade. Ik 

 must weigh at least 250 lbs. This old gentleman 

 here, says that some cottonwick was tied round the 

 stem and placed in a vessel of water, and that the 

 fruit absorbed the water fiom the wick and hence in- 

 creased prodigiously in size, but he apprehends noJ» 

 in solid matter. These Cauliflowers are very fine — 

 some of the heads are 15 inches in diameter' — white, 

 compact and beautiful. 



The show of fruit is not very good. The ubiquitous 

 Ellwanger & Barry of Rochester, N. Y., exhibit a 

 good collection of pears. Hon. John Young of 

 Montreal shows 20 varieties of pears. These Bart- 

 letts are not as large as some Seckels grown in Roches- 

 ter this season. Judge Campbell of Niagara, as 

 usual, shows a good collection of peaches, pears, ap- 

 ples, &c., and takes a number of prizes. Charles 

 Arnold of Paris exhibits a collection of pears, which 

 proves that as ^ood pears can be grown in Canada 

 West as any where else. 



There is an excellent show of cattle and sheep, In 

 number and quality. The list of entries are as fol- 

 lows. Shorthorns, 117; Devons, 91; Ayrshires, 23; 

 Galloway, 30; Herefords, 6; Grade 60;' Ffit cattle, 

 16; Working oxen, 38 yoke. Of sheep the entries 

 were: Leicesters, 193; South Downs, 88; Cotswold,45i 

 Cheviots, 16; Mprinos and Saxons, 28; LongWools— 

 not pure Leicesters, Cots wolds or Cheviots, 62; Fat 

 sheep, 20. The shorthorns, or as they appear to be more 

 generally called in Canada, the Dnrhams, are evident- 

 ly the favorite breed, though the Devons are fraining 

 ground. Last year, at the I'rovincial Fair at Kings- 

 ton there were 88 entries of Durhams and only 15 of 

 Devons. This year there are 117 Durhams and 91 

 Devons. This increase in the numlier of Devons ex- 

 hibited is the more remarkable when we consider 

 that the Devons are usually considered better adap- 

 ted to the severer climate of the North; and the Dur- 

 hams to the rich lands which abound in the western 

 part of the Province. 



We have so often given the names of the principal 

 breeders in Canada, and our space is so limited, thi^ 

 we cannot now particularize. The quality of the 

 Durham stock is rapidly improving in Canada. 

 Large importations have been made within the laf* 

 few years, and the rule adopted by the Society fiw 



