276 Transactions of tee American Institute. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — I know that Philadelphia butter is cele- 

 brated. There is a sort of a ring of farmers who command high 

 prices for their butter, and others strive for years, taking the 

 greatest pains, to get into this ring, and when they attain this 

 object, it is said they make their fortune. Their butter goes only 

 into particular families, whom they supply year after year. The 

 utmost cleanliness, even to fastidiousness, is practiced, and when 

 the butter is taken to the city home, it is handled with the same 

 care they would handle a keg of gold. In Baltimore there is the 

 same condition. There, this first class butter brings a dollar a 

 pound. Now, Pennsylvania is a very large State, and it abounds 

 in springs, but the butter of that State never is heard of in the 

 markets of the world, like the butter of many counties in the State 

 of New York, and of the Ohio Western Resei-ve. I have eaten 

 that Philadelphia butter, however difficult it may be to get a taste 

 of it, and confess it is very good, though there is a taste of its 

 being washed in water. But it is destitute of that crisp, sprightly 

 flavor which comes from the fine blue grass pastures of higher lati- 

 tudes. Philadelphia butter, it seems to me, is more esteemed 

 because bad butter there is so common. 



APPLES. 



The Chairman showed beautiful specimens of Eoxbury russets 

 and Rhode Island greenings, growing on his farm in Connecticut. 

 It was a cheerful sight, while so much of the fruit in the east this 

 year is the prey of various insects. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble spoke of the great show of fi-uit at the 

 meeting of the American Pomological Society recently held at St. 

 Louis. There were 2,400 plates of fruit, an immense variety of 

 grapes and peaches that astonished, by their size and brilliant color. 

 He also visited the vineyards at Herman, and saw hundreds of acres 

 of grapes. There the Delaware grows to perfection. He con- 

 sidered that the question of a supply of wine for this countiy is 

 settled, for the vine, beyond all doubt, will thrive on the banks of 

 the Mississippi and Missouri. In particular was he surprised with 

 the exhibition of fruit from Egypt or Southern Illinois. Well 

 known varieties of apples, peaches and pears he scarcely recog- 

 nized, because they grew to such enormous size. On his return, 

 he stopped at Pittsburg, and estimated the crop of Mr. Knox's 

 grapes at one hundred and sixty tons. The secret of success lies 

 in skill and in good cultivation. Two four-horse teams go into 

 Pittsburg every working da}' of the year and haul out manure. 



