THE GENESEE FARMER. 



315 



HORTICULTURE AT THE STATE FAIR. 



The show of Fruits and Flowers at the New 

 York State Fair at Utica was not eqnal to that at 

 Rochester last year, but there was nevertheless a 

 magnificent display. Th§re is no place on the 

 continent where as fine a show of fruits can bo 

 made as in this city. For wheat and fruit tbo 

 "Genesee Country" is confessedly unsurpassed. 

 At tlie State Fair this year, Rochester carried 

 off nearly all the premiums on fruit, flowers 

 and grain. The best wheat, oats and bar- 

 ley were from Rochester. So of vegetables, tho 

 best celery, turnips, beets, parsneps, tomatoes, egg- 

 plants, Lima beans, radishes and parsley were all 

 from Rochester. The best apples, pears, grapes, 

 plums and nectarines were all from Rochester, and 

 80 n ere many of the finest and best flowers. 



The Superintendent of the Horticultural Depart- 

 ment at the Utica Fair was amazed at tlie number 

 of entries. He was entirely unprepared for such 

 an avalanche of fruits and flowers. The collec- 

 tions of one or two of our Rochester nurserymen 

 alone filled all the plates and bottles he thought 

 would be needed for the entire exhibition. On 

 WedoLsday morning, when we arrived on the 

 grounds, every thing in "Floral Hall" was in con- 

 fusion. Plates and bottles were in demand, and it 

 was impossible to get an adequate supply. Many 

 of t!ie flowers had been cut since Monday, and 

 were in a wilting condition. Still, with all these 

 drawbacks, there was a noble display. 



As we enter the tent the first thing we see is a 

 collection of Dahlias from Fiiost & Co., of Roch- 

 ester, embracing fifty-five varieties. Next we have 

 a grand floral display from Ellw angek & Bakrt, 

 of Rochester, and a fine collection of Verbenas, 

 Asters, Dahlias, &c., from F. W. Botoe, of Utica. 

 Next we have a grand show of Phlo.xes, Dahlias, 

 &c., from W. B. Smith, of Syracuse. James 

 VioK, of Riichester, so well and favorably-known 

 to all lovers of annual flowers, showed fine collec- 

 tioDS of Ten- week Stocks, Double Zinnias, Double 



Portulacca, and some new varieties ©f Marygold, 

 remarkable for the beauty of their foliage. 



But what shall be said of the Fkuits! Time 

 would fail to enumerate a tithe of the things well 

 worthy of notice. The magnificent collections of 

 apples and pears from Ellwangee & Barry, and 

 from H. E. Hooker & Co., of Rochester, would 

 well repay a week's careful study and examination. 

 Here is Charles Downing, who probably knows 

 more about fruits than any man in America. 



" Come with us, Mr. Downing, and tell us all 

 about these fruits." 



With a pleasant smile he answers: "Twenty 

 years ago I thought I knew something about fruits, 

 but I have come to the conclusion that I know 

 little or nothing about them now. But I will go 

 with you. What do you want to see ? " 



" I want to see every thing worth looking at, 

 but have not more than an hour to spare this 

 morning." 



"Well, here are some nice pears, shown by W. 

 G. Watson, of Rochester, N. Y. — well-grown, free 

 from specks, and very handsome." 



" Not very large." 



" Medium-sized fruit is best." 



"That is a new idea to me. I thought yOn 

 could not have fruit too large. I supposed we 

 thinned out in order to get them larger and of 

 better quality ; and I thought, too, that pears from 

 dwarf trees were better flavored because they 

 were larger. But we have no time to discuss such 

 questions." 



"Here are some fine nectarine trees from 

 Ellwanger & Barry, grown in pots in the open 

 air, and some good specimens of fruit." 



"Their plums, as usual, are remarkably fine. 

 Whatever may be said of the trouble of their 

 curculio remedy — gathering up all the stung fruit, 

 and jarring the curculios from the trees and killing 

 them — there is no mistaking the fact that they 

 raise the finest and best plums in Western New 

 York." 



"Here is a noble collection of grapes, native and 

 foreign, also from Ellwanger & Barry." 



"Did you see what the London Gardeners' 

 Chronicle last week said of American grajies? 

 Some one asks the Editor his ofjinion of them, and 

 he replies: 'Don't plant American grapes — they 

 are detestnlle. Imagine gum-arabic, half dissolved 

 in water, that has been used to wash a fox, and 

 you will have a tolerably correct idea of their 

 quality ! ' He miist have got hold of a Connecticut 

 Fox grape." 



