1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIvIER. 



381 



surface. Stem, long and elender, set in an open, deep 

 cavity; calyx closed, with long reflexed scgmenta; 

 flesh, creamy yellow, crisp, Bub-acid, a little astringent 

 until fully mellow when it is pleasant and agreeable ; 

 seeds, full and abundant; leaf, broad, oval, with an 

 acute point, and narrow, sharp, regular, eerratures; 

 season, early Autumn. This is one of the best of early 

 autumn varieties; but while I have had specimens 

 gathered in August, keep until October, I have failed to 

 keep it later, and fruit taken from the tree late in Sep- 

 tember has failed to keep more than a month. 



Hutchinson's Winter Sweet, 



Fruit medium size; roundish oblate; light yellow 

 ground, with n blush red cheek in the sun, and many 

 minute dots ; stem long, slender, in a deep open cavity ; 

 calyx closed, with long pointed segments; basin broad, 

 deep, corrugated; flesh yellowish white; dry, sweet; 

 core large; seeds abundant; season November and De- 

 cember. 



Ckasefs Winter Sweet. 



Fruit medium size ; roundish oblate ; rich, warm, yel- 

 low ground, mostly overspread with dark, rich red ; 

 minute dots; stem long, slender; cavity broad, open, 

 deep; calyx half closed, with short almost erect seg 

 ments; basin shallow, corrugated; flesh yellowish, very 

 firm, moderately juicy, mild sweet; core small; seeds 

 plump and abundant; season December. This, appa- 

 rently, is a long keeper, and much the best sweet apple 

 among its class. 



OUB AGRICULTUKAL "WKITEBS. 



Many of our contemporaries take much sat- 

 isfaction in announcing the names of the vari- 

 ous distinguished agricultural writers and 

 speakers who may have engaged to enliven 

 their columns by an occasional contribution. 

 From the character of their pursuits, many 

 persons who have obtained wealth as mer- 

 chants or manufacturers, or notoriety in politics 

 or the professions, have acquired, at the same 

 time, a facility in speaking and writing which 

 enables them to express their thoughts, and to 

 communicate the facts of their observation, in 

 an agreeable and attractive manner. 



On the other hand, men who devote their 

 lives to practical farming, — who work not only 

 for "a living" but for the support of a family, 

 — have little time and less inclination to prac- 

 tice their faculties of communication. 



Hence it comes to pass that in the columns 

 of most agricultural papers, as in town meet- 

 ings, legislative bodies, conventions and assem- 

 blages generally, a certain few individuals 

 are expected to "hold forth" on all subjects 

 and at all times. They speak or write, not 

 because they "have something to say," but 

 because they wish, or think they are expected 

 "to say something." Such men are liable to 

 talk and write until people are tired of hearing 

 and reading. 



Those who read agricultural papers call for 

 articles written by practical farmers, and it Is 

 encouraging to note the steady increase of 

 such articles in most of the papers In the 

 country. The change in this respect has been 

 very great within a few years past. Among 

 the evidences of this change we may mention 

 the fact that during the past year a larger 

 number than ever before of the communica- 

 tions forwarded to this office have been accom- 

 panied by a postscript, like that attached to 

 one of the best articles In the present number, 

 in which the writer says, "I never attempted 

 before to write anything to be printed," &c. 

 Such men write because they have something 

 to say, and when they have said It they stop, 

 and give others a chance. 



Our own estimation of the value of the com- 

 munications of writers of this class, we are 

 pleased to find is shared by otJiers, and is ex- 

 pressed by a corespondent of the Western ■■ 

 Rural as follows : — 



Who are our best Agricultural writers ? Are 

 they men that gain their knowledge of farming from . 



