322 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



bly took a part of this department, and articles of 

 douicstic manufacture wore shown in the mechanics' 

 fair, or in the ladies' fair, held simultaneously. There 

 was no formal address, and wo did not attend the 

 society's dinner, as our time was rather limited for 

 visiting the various exhibitions in one day ; and 

 though a dinner might have been more interesting 

 to us at the time, we thought that seeing was more 

 in our line of duty as an editor. We understood that 

 at the dinner table there were pithj' speeches, and 

 some sparklings of wit. 



ANNUAL EXHIBITION 



OF WORCESTER HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



We visited this show, last week, and were highly 

 gratified at the excellent display in some depart- 

 ments, particularly in peaches, as it gave evidence 

 that we can cultivate this luscious fruit to advantage 

 in N('w England, and furnish our markets with it in 

 far better condition than those brought from the 

 south and west. 



The show of apples was good, and for a year of 

 general scarcity, much better than we expected to 

 see in any part of the country. 



The exhibition of pears was rather limited ; but 

 there were many fine specimens, and among them 

 the St. Michael appeared in perfection. It seems to 

 bo free from blast in that section, this season. The 

 president, friend Earle, of the Spy, informed us that 

 their show of pears was about as good as usual ; ex- 

 cepting, heretofore, fruit-growers from this region 

 had added much to it by their contributions. He 

 also stated that some cultivators in Worcester had 

 good assortments of excellent pears ; but from being 

 too busy, or some other cause, they had not brought 

 forward their fruit. 



The show of peaches, both in extent and appear- 

 ance, in size and beauty, was equal to any that we 

 ever saw. Among them were several new seedlings, 

 very large and beautiful, and which the committee 

 pronounced of superior quality. 



There was a very good variety of plums, and gen- 

 erally of very good appearance. 



Eut few grapes were shown, excepting native kinds, 

 mostly of inferior quality. 



The qumce made a conspicuous and handsome ap- 

 pearance. 



The show of flowers was very -respectable, but not 

 so varied and extensive as are the shows in large 

 cities, around which are extensive greenhouses. 



There was a very good exhibition of vegetables in 

 some departments. The squash seemed to take the 

 lead. There was a large number of superior size. 



Although this society is in its infancy, it is suc- 

 ceeding remarkably .veil, and would compare favor- 

 ably, in its exhibition, with those of mature age. It 

 is exerting a very palutary influence in one of the 

 ftrst fruit regions in the country, by diffusing useful 

 informati m, and stimulating c\iltivators to judicious 

 action ; and those who avail themselves of these 

 advantages will reap a rich reward for their 

 pains. 



FAIR 



OF THE WORCESTEU COUNTY MECHANIC ASSOCIATION. 



The second annual fair of this association opened 

 last week. We were agreeably surprised to find 

 the exhibition of a society, that had just started 

 into existence, so extensive, various, and presenting 

 articles of so much utility and taste. A large build- 

 ing, of many stories, was well filled with valuable 

 productions of genius and skill. When we look at 

 shows of this character, we think not only of the 

 enterprise of one location, but we look upon it as a 

 specimen of what is going on in our country, and 

 upon its wide-spread influence, which, with the 

 wonderful facilities for communication, is exercising 

 a controlling power over the whole world for the 

 general good of the human race. 



It was highly gratifying to see all parts of this 

 fair crowded with visitors, both from its salutary 

 effect in diffusing information in the useful and fine 

 arts, and for the liberal encouragement given to aa 

 institution in its early stages. 



We saw in operation, in this fair, a glass pump, 

 by Messrs. E. Tucker & Son, of Worcester. It showed 

 clearly the principle of hydraulics in this particular. 

 In a place not exposed to frost, and with careful 

 management, this would doubtless be one of the 

 best and most durable of piimps ; and freezing is 

 easily obviated during a cold night, by raising the 

 handle and springing the under valve, so that the 

 water recedes from the pump immediately. 



Connected with this fair, on the outside of the 

 building, were two hydraulic rams in operation, by 

 ^Messrs. J. T, Curtis & Co. The water power was is 

 leaden pipes, about one and one half inches in diam- 

 eter, and the fall about four or five feet. Constant 

 streams, of about one third or one half inch in diameter, 

 were sent up about thirty feet high. This novel view of 

 water running up hill attracted great attention, par- 

 ticularly as it is a matter of great practical utility. 



AMERICAN ENTERPRISE. 



Take the article of calicoes. We now monopolise 

 the whole trade — a trade which, but a year since, 

 the English had the whole control of. Very few 

 cotton goods of this style are now imported at all, 

 and we are fast getting the knack of making the 

 finer dress muslins. Of mouslaine de laines, we proba- 

 bly manufacture, at a good profit too, far more than 

 we import. Of cloths there is not one bale of Eng- 

 lish entered at the custom-house, where there were 

 one hundred five years ago. It is true the Eni^tish 

 have found great competitors in the French and Ger- 

 mans, who, together with our own mills, have nearly 

 driven every piece of English cloth out of the 

 market. 



The English are also losing their great hosiery 

 trade with us, the Germans beating them most de- 

 cidedly in this article. In fact, our English com- 

 petitors are fast losing a market which they have 

 had the almost exclusive monopoly of for years ; and 

 a steady perseverance on our part, not depending 

 too much on government aid, bxit more on our nat- 

 ural energies, perseverance, aud mechanical .skill, 

 will in time not only give us our " ho:ne market," 

 but the markets of the world. — A'. V. Jour, of Com- 

 merce, 



