534 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



Chasselas, or the Muscat of Alexandria, and that 

 is saying much. As to its hardiness or its bearing 

 qualities, we must, at present, rely on the declara- 

 tions of others ; but we have no doubt, from what 

 we have heard, that it is hardy and productive. 

 We, therefore, look upon it as a valuable acquisi- 

 tion to our list of fruits, and think the demand for 

 it will be very great. 



LETTEH FROM MR. BROWN. 



POWELTON, NEAR PHILADELPHIA, ) 

 OCTOBEE 10, 1856. ) 



Dear Sir : — My last closed with the closing 

 hour of the great show on Thursday evening. It 

 was a day of success. The eager throng enjoyed 

 the sunshine and the bland October air, as well as 

 the novelities and excitements of the occasion. 

 The mechanic had broken away from the rou- 

 tine of his daily labor, and with his wife and chil- 

 dren were looking on scenes which they had never 

 witnessed before. The professional man and stu- 

 dent were there, with pale and anxious faces, some 

 wondering what all the fuss might be about agricul- 

 ture, a trifling and unimportant affair, which only 

 finds people something to wear and to eat ! while oth- 

 ers, careful observers of men and things, beheld with 

 surprise, the wonderful progress which has been 

 made in nearly everything that relates to the farm. 



Friday morning dawned upon Powelton with as 

 much favor as any of the preceding days of the 

 show — but the point of excitement had turned — 

 men were becoming rational and considerate again. 

 Still, the human current set toward Powelton. 

 Stock men were early on the ground, and took one 

 more turn to see the cows and bulls, sheep, swine, 

 oxen, pigs and horses ; fruit men clustered in the 

 horticultural tent ; poultry fanciers gabbled with 

 the geese, while their hopeful boys imitated the 

 young cocks, that were making their first essays in 

 their line of music. For want of "articles of do- 

 mestic manufacture" to look at, the ladies eyed and 

 criticized each others bonnets and talmas and so-ons, 

 and were as lovely and good-natured as the morn- 

 ing itself, with their clean faces and bright smiles. 



Within a rifle shot of the westerly end of the 

 grounds, are the famous Fairmount Water Works, 

 where a row of cast iron wheels, of enormous di- 

 mensions, propel pumps which throw the water from 

 the Schuylkill up the steep bank some 100 feet in- 

 to a capacious basin, from whence, filtered and pu- 

 rified, it is conveyed in pipes all over the city. A 

 dam is thrown across the river, thus leading the 

 water into a side canal, and giving a fall of 10 or 15 

 feet, which aflbrds ample power to joropel the pon- 

 derous wheels that move the huge pumps, night and 

 day, unceasingly, through the lapse of years. At 

 the foot of the water-works nestles three or four 

 little gems of steamers, the "Fred Graff," "Wash- 

 ington," "Wissahickon" and "Reindeer," which ply 



to and from Fairmount, Laurel Hill Cemetry, Wiss- 

 ahickon Falls and Manayunk. This morning, after 

 again looking at all the departments of the show, 

 I took a seat on the Wissahickon for an hour's rec- 

 reation and respite from the crowd and confusion 

 of the show grounds. In going up to Manayunk, 

 only six miles, I passed under nine splendid bridg- 

 es crossing the Schuylkill, noticed another over 

 the Wissahickon, four railroads, an inclined plane, 

 three magnificent water works, locks and canals 

 bearing the coal in immense quantities down the riv- 

 er, aided by an unlimited amount of mule power, to 

 gether with some surpassingly lovely scenery, great- 

 ly heightened by the variously colored foliage of the 

 broken forests on the shore. Handsome villas 

 crowned the receding hills, or dotted the beautiful 

 la-\vns near the bank, while grazing cows and sheep 

 enlivened and charmed the scene, perfected by the 

 enthusiastic remarks of a sympathetic friend at my 

 side. I passed the far-famed Laurel Hill Cemetery, 

 but only caught a glimps of some of the statuary 

 which seemed moving among the trees, or of the 

 circling paths hidden or revealed as the boat went on 

 her way. The October sun of to-day has been like that 

 of July, so that the shade of the steamer's awning 

 and the cool breeze from the hills is grateful and 

 refreshing. I returned to the Babel below with 

 new vigor, and in season to join the gathering in 

 the President's tent, preparatory to marching to 

 the great Banquet tent. 



Here an hour was spent in pleasant introductions, 

 re-unions and renewals of old friendships. Many 

 ladies were present, and the President of the soci- 

 ety, with some of the Vice Presidents, glowing with 

 enthusiasm and good-will, met and received them 

 with an easy urbanity which soon infused itself into all. 

 Gov. Pollock, of Penn., with his wife. Gov. Price, 

 of N. J., and the governors of some other States, 

 Hon. Daniel M. Barpjnger, of N. C, late Minis- 

 ter to Spain, Col. Kimmel, Vice President of the 

 society from Maryland ,Hon. JosiAil Quinxy, Jr., of 

 Boston, together with the Editors of many agricultu- 

 ral and other journals, were present. 



At about 2 o'clock, a bugle blast and tattoo in- 

 terrupted the conversation in the tent, and the 

 clear voice of the President announced the order of 

 the procession, which was then formed and marched 

 to the Banquet. Some 3,000 sat down, and after 

 the usual attention to the demands of appetite, the 

 President made a short, excellent Address. He 

 was followed by Gov. Pollock, who welcomed the 

 vast crowd to the Key Stone State, in warm terms, 

 Gov. Price, the venerable George Washington P. 

 Custis, the only surviving relative of Gen. Wash- 

 ington, Mr. Quincy, of Boston, Mr. Congden, of 

 New York, and many others, spoke, and uttered a 

 good many pleasant and encouraging things. It 

 would have pleased my ear better, had the speakers 

 said less about saving the Union, and more about 



