50 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Feb. 



to that of a Siberian Crab, — but they are generally 

 harder and richer than ours. The Newtown Pippin 

 and Roxbury Russet come nearer the English taste 

 than any other varieties we cultivate. I had some 

 Northern Spy and Melon with me, that I have here 

 now in London in fine condition. They have elicited 

 the admiration of all who have seen them. There 

 are indeed no such apples to-day in England. The 

 Northern Spy may be sent to Covent Garden market, 

 just as well as to Fulton or Washington markets, 

 New York. The pears in the markets here now, are 

 from France or the Island of Jersey. They come in 

 half-bushel baskets, containing 50 to 100, according 

 to the size of fruit. They are packed in very dry 

 soft meadow hay — a layer of this hay two or three 

 inches deep is laid on the bottom, then a layer of 

 fruit, then another of hay, and so on to the top, — the 

 fruits are not allowed to touch, and in this way they 

 go any distance with entire safety. I saw at Liver- 

 pool little baskets of Glout Morceau and Chaumontel, 

 50 in each, sold for $3 to $4 each to the confection- 

 ers and market-women to retail. 



In Covent Garden Market, which is head-quarters 

 for all rare and fine garden commodities, I see fine 

 St. Germains, (the old one,) Marie Louise, Passe 

 Colmar, Winter JVWts, Beurre Ranee, Easter 

 Beurre, &c, sold at 12£ to 18| cents each. If we 

 ever succeed in raising pears beyond what may be 

 required for home consumption, they will find market 

 and good prices here. Not one person in a thousand, 

 I might say five thousand, ever tastes a fine pear. — 

 There is also a fair supply of new potatoes from 

 Holland, sold at about twenty-five cents per quart. 

 There is plenty of Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, 

 Rhubarb, Mushrooms, and all other vegetable luxu- 

 ries. The Flower Market is very rich. Boquets 

 are made up very tastefully by women who buy the 

 flowers from the Florists and make a business of 

 preparing and selling the bouquets. You can have 

 a nosegay for a penny — a single rose and a leaf. 

 For a shilling (25 cents) you can have a pretty 

 Bouquet of Roses, Primroses, Heliotropes, Asaleas, 

 k.c. Go higher, and you get Camillias, Heaths, 

 Epacris, h,c. — higher still, and you get Orange Flow- 

 ers, Cape Jassimines, Cyclamens and Euphorbias ; 

 and if you offer half a guinea ($2,50) you get a gem 

 of beauty, combining all these, arranged with exqui- 

 site taste. So much for fruits and flowers, and I 

 find that I must close on that head. 



I found on my arrival in London that the Smith- 

 field Club was holding its Annual Christmas Show 

 of Fat Cattle. I embraced the opportunity to see it. 

 The animals were all enormously fat, even to a down- 

 right deformity, — in many cases huge, unwieldly 

 masses of fat, not inappropriately termed by some, 

 "animated oil-cake and beet-root machines." The 

 fattening process in the case of these animals appears 

 to be carried to an extreme ; no market requires it, 

 and no profit can result from it, nor is any expected, 

 I believe. 



The purposes of the Club are to induce experiments 

 that will test the capacities of the various breeds for 

 fattening, and the effects of different sorts of food and 

 modes of feeding. It undoubtedly brings out results 

 that will be highly useful to the breeders and feeders 

 of animals. Those who are engaged in these exper- 

 iments are able to carry them out to any extent, and 

 the public at large have the benefit of them. No 

 testrictions as to feed are imposed ; but the articles 

 oJ food must be certified, as well as the age of the 



animals. The oxen and steers are divided into si-x 

 classes, according to age, weight, &c; cows and 

 heifers into three classes, according to age ; sheep 

 into ten classes, according to breed and age ; pigs 

 into four classes?., according to age. In the first class 

 of oxen and steers, three premiums, amounting to 

 £50 ($250) were awarded ; in the second the same : 

 in the third $225, and so on. From this you will 

 see how considerable, I ought to say how princely, 

 the premiums are ; and so they ought to be, for 

 most of the competitors are Princes, Dukes, Earls, 

 and other nobles. 



His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the Queen's 

 husband, is an active member of this Club, and is 

 showing masterly skill in the breeding and feeding 

 of various sorts of live stock. He carried off the 

 first prize of £30 ($150) in the first class of oxen 

 and steers, for a Hereford ox 4 years and six months 

 old, fed on oil cake, roots, bean meal, hay, and green 

 food. The animal was very attractive. When I 

 saw him, three of the best artists were taking his 

 portrait. He was a low, small animal, of a dull red 

 color, with a >vhite face and chest. He belongs to 

 what is called the white faced, or new Hereford 

 breed. There were specimens of Short Horns, Dev- 

 ons, Scotch, Welsh, &c, all the most perfect of their 

 kind. The show of sheep and pigs was varied and 

 highly interesting ; but I will not trouble you now 

 with further details. 



There was also a fine show of field roots. I saw 

 extraordinary globe beets of yellow and red — Skir- 

 ving's improved Swedes, some of them weighing 26J 

 pounds. Mr. Skjrving carries on the nursery and 

 seed business extensively at Liverpool, and continues 

 from year to year to improve this valuable root. Our 

 seedsmen will do well to supply themselves with his 

 pure and genuine seed. Messrs. Gibbs & Co., of 

 London, have the Globe Beet seed alluded to. There 

 was a large display of implements, such as Drill 

 Machines, Manure and Seed Drop Drills, Iron Plows 

 and Harrows, Hay, Straw, and Chaff Cutters, Root 

 Slicers, Oil-cake and Seed Crushers, Pipe and Tile 

 Making Machines, and, in fact, all sorts of imple- 

 ments. Gutta Percha, that new and wonderful pro- 

 duction, figured largely. An entire room was filled 

 with articles manufactured from it. I noticed cart, 

 carriage, and plow harnesses of all descriptions, water 

 pipes, pails, riding whips, bowls, canes as pretty as 

 rose-wood, and an endless variety of useful and fancy 

 articles. 



Glass milk pans are coming into general use among 

 the dairy people. A great variety was exhibited. 

 I saw patent sack holders on wheels, answering for 

 a holder and barrow at the same time. Our millers 

 and grain dealers ought to have it, and indeed farmers. 



I have seen a multitude of things that I should like 

 to tell you of ; but I have already drawn this out too 

 long. You will not be anxious to hear from me again 

 for some time. The newspapers will tell you how 

 the curious, impossible people of France have dis- 

 carded their Cavaignacs,Lamartincs, Marrasts, Ledru 

 Rollins, and all their patriots that formed and pre- 

 served their Republic, and have placed Louis Napo- 

 leon, who has said something, but done nothing for 

 them, almost by acclamation, in the Presidential 

 chair. Yours, P. B. 



The exhaustion of moisture by a plant is in the 

 ratio of the surface of its leaves and stalks presented 

 to the sun and air. 



