1846. 



GExXESEE FARMER. 



239 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT 



BY P. BARRY. 



Thi' State Fair. 



The b.iilding set apart for the exliibition of 

 Fruits and Flowers here, was, itself, worth going 

 a long journey to see. It was appropriately des- 

 ignated- "Floral Hall." The taste disj)layed in 

 its architecture and decorations was admirable, 

 and reflects the highest credit on Dr. ThompsOxN 

 of Aurora, who, we believe, was the chief archi- 

 tect — and who, we know, spared no exertion to 

 make it, what it really was, magnificent. The 

 finest structure of the kind ever got up in this 

 country. 



For the Stale Fair, the show of Fruits, Flow- 

 ers, and Vegetables, was decidedly meagre. — 

 Most of the ea&tern fj-uit growers and nursery- 

 men preferred palrunizing the E.\hiuition of the 

 Massacluisetts Horticultural Society, which, un- 

 fortunately, was held at the same time. Tiie 

 people of Auburn and v'cinity contributed noth- 

 ing worthy of notice. Buffalo was very well 

 represented. Messrs. B. Hodge, and A. Bry- 

 ant & Sons had large and fine collections of 

 fruits. Ml-. Tyler and Mr. Webb, Florists, 

 had nice collections of fruits and flowere. Lew- 

 is F. Allen, Esq., the President of the Buffalo 

 Horticultural Society, would have had a fine col- 

 lection of fruit, but it was accidentally left behind. 

 Professor Coppock, Vice President of the Socie- 

 ty, presented a Floral Design, in the form of a 

 banner, 9 feet by 5, with "Buffalo Horticultu- 

 ral Society" and a spread eagle, wrought with 

 German Asters, Dahlias, and other flowers, on a 

 ground woi'k of moss. It was a tasteful and beau- 

 tiful thing — an honor to the Society and to Mr. 

 CoppocK and his pupils who assisted in working 

 it. Col. CoiT, of Cleveland, a Member of the 

 Buffalo Society, presented a fine collection of 

 fruit. On the whole, the Buffalo people did 

 well, and contributed largely to the interest of 

 the exhibition. 



Rochester did her part creditably. She sent 

 in the greatest quantity, and the finest fruits — 

 some flowers, and the best vegetables. Jas. 

 Wilson, of Albany, sent a large quantity of 

 flowers. Mr. Menard, of Albany, two exquis- 

 ite boquets. Prof. Jackson, of Schenectady, 

 quite a collection of miscellaneous flowers ; and ■ 

 Mrs. E. T. Throop Martin, of Willow Brook, ! 

 a pretty pyramid. There was no fine collection 

 of Dahlias. The unfavorable season was no doubt ' 

 the cause of that. It was a great loss to the show, j 



Considerable fault was found by visitors, in j 

 regard to the great distance at whicli they were 

 kept from the fruit stands — preventing them from 

 being able to see anything satisfactory of the j 

 fruit, or even its name. This we know was a 

 bad arrangement, and we mention it now thit it 

 may be guarded against in future. 1 



We think it would be judicious in the State So- 

 ciety to be more liberal in the encouragement of 

 Horticulture. "Floral Hall" may be made, 

 and was in this case, one of the most attractive 

 features of the exhibition, and a great source of 

 revenue. Fruit culture should be encouraged, 

 as well by offering respectable premiums as by 

 appointing proper committees, who are capable 

 of discharging the duties devolving on them, and 

 willing to do it. For details, see Premium List 

 published in other pages of this paper. • ■ 



.-■ - ' - Reviews.. - 



Kkmarks ox thk Culture of the Gkafe, and llie Manu- 

 facture of Wine in the Western State*. By Malzer 

 Fi.AGG. (^inoinnnti. 



This pamphlet contains the substance of a Re- 

 port on " The Vineijards nf Hamilton County,''^ 

 made to the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, by 

 a committee of wh.Ich Dr. Flagg was Chairman. 

 The committee seem to have made a careful and 

 thorough investigation of the subject, and the 

 facts wliich they have collected, and the deduc- 

 tions they have made, are worthy of consideration. 



It appears from the tables appended to the Re- 

 port, that there are some 350 acres devoted to 

 the culture of the Vine in that county, mostly 

 cultivated by Germans. We should have known 

 it without seeing the report, because no other 

 people could be found who would undertake such 

 an enterprize in a country like this. To embark 

 in the culture of rocky hill sides, and w^aste, bar- 

 ren looking lands, where millions of fertile acres 

 are spread out on all sides, requires German en- 

 durance, industry, and economy — and requires, 

 toe, a love for that pursuit, that must be bred in 

 the bone. 



N. Long WORTH, Esq., of Cincinnati, has the 

 credit, and no doubt deserves it, of making great 

 efforts to introduce the culture of the Vine to 

 that vicinity. But we are disposed to give some 

 credit to those patient toiling Swiss, who have 

 lived on "hominy and sour crout," and have en- 

 dured privations that no American would endure 

 in establishing those Vineyards. We hope they 

 will be amply rewarded. 



Whilst we should rejoice to see our hill sides, 

 in all favorable localities, devoted to the culture 

 of the Grape, we have no desire to see our peo- 

 ple embark in the production of wine for "a 

 common beverage." There is no country in the 

 world where wine, or any other strong drink, is 

 used as " a common beverage." but presents a 

 sad spectacle — a large proportion of the popula- 

 tion in a state of moral and intellectual degrada- 

 tion from the very effects of that beverage. We 

 have heard much about the tempej-ance of the 

 people of wine districts in Europe, but from what 

 we have ever seen we have no very high opin- 

 ion of it. We should prefer a higher standard 

 of excellence, in this respect, for America ; and 

 we think as long as we live, we shall not attempt 



