VOL. XV. NO. 10 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



77 



TUB CROPS. 



We learn from an ohservant gentleman recent- 

 ly from the West, tliat the farmers of this 

 stale and the adjoinhig state of Pennsylvania, 

 westward, have been careful and prompt to use all 

 practicable means for supplying the deficiency oc- 

 casioned by the almost total failure of the last wheat 

 crop. The coin, which is a large crop, though 

 t!ie quantity put out was not, of course, greatly al- 

 (oi ted by the iailure of the winter grain, looks 

 generally very luxuriant, and all that is now ne- 

 cessary to ensure a heavy product is, a little warm 

 weather, and the absence of early frosts. Our in- 

 formant states it as the prevailing opinion, that if 

 the corn, which is somewhat less adianced than 

 usual at this season, in consequence of the cold 

 weather, should not be nipped or injured by early 

 frost, the crop wotdd be one of the largest and 

 most productive that have been gathered for many 

 years [last. The oat crop, already secured and 

 coming to market, is also stated by our informant 

 to have been unuMially large and productive, per- 

 haps more so than in any previous season for years 

 past; and the same may be said, according to 

 present appearances, of potatoes and other roots, 

 which cotne in very effectively in aid of the pres- 

 ent year's short supply of wheat. . 



But the bm'kwheat crop, in these regions, is es- 

 pecially extensive and luxuriant, and 'promises to 

 be above all productive. Our informant states 

 that never before did he see such rich ;ind numer- 

 ous fields of growing buckwheat, or such an ad- 

 mirable prospect, of a heavy crop of that excellent 

 grain. Jt is here that the farmer has placed his 

 princi|:al defence against the short supply of wheat, 

 as the failure of his wheat harvest was known be- 

 fore sowing time for buckwheat. And well has 

 he guarded against the worst effects of a short 

 supply of wheat, by providing an ample and abuncl- 

 ant supply of this grateful substitute. I hrough- 

 out the whole route of om- informant, and indeed 

 in all parts of the country from which we have 

 information, the crops of buckwheat this year are 

 far more extensive atul promise to be far more 

 productive than those of any previous year. On 

 the whole, though the agricnliural interest has ex- 

 perienced a heavy loss, in the fai'ure of the wheat 

 harvest, that loss wili l)e compensated, as far as 

 may be, by the luxuriant growth and abundant 

 yielil of corn, oats, buckwheat, and other sununer 

 products. The evil of a short crop of wheal and 

 ryi!, is one that greatly attccts any coinmunity ; 

 but in the regions thus affected, on the present oc- 

 casion, it is a source at once of gratification and 

 gratitude, that all other products of the fruitlnl 

 earth, which enter into the conLum| tion of man 

 or animal, promise Ibis year to be unusually rich 

 and abundant. — Ball. Pat. 



Drying Fruit. — As present appearances indi- 

 cfite a plentiful supply of the kinds of fruits most 

 commonly prepared for f.iture use by drying, we 

 copy from an Ohio I'aper the following descrip- 

 tion of a cupboard as it nuiy be called, which will 

 materially aid tlie operation. "Take two boards 

 eighteen or twenty inches wide, and four feet long ; 

 on the top nail a cover, extending a littie over the 

 front; then make ten or twelve drawers, of the 

 width of the inside of the frame, say three feet, 

 and two or three inches deep, the frame of the 

 drawers to be made of common stuff, and the bot- 

 tom of narrow pieces of thin stuff, fastened five- 



eighths of an inch from each other. Nail pieces 

 on the inside of the boani frame for the drawers 

 to slide on, and the macliine is done." 



Place the fruit to be dried on the slitsof thedraw- 

 ers, and the air will circulate freely through the 

 whole ; it can be placed outdoors, or in the house, 

 as occasion may require, or the drawers may be 

 taken out for the action of the sun U| on the fruit. 

 The vvhole is clieap, easily made, and very con- 

 venient. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICri.TUR.\l. SOCIETY, 



Saturday, Sept 3, 183U. 

 EXHIBITION or FRUITS. 



The exhibition of fruits was very atti active and 

 it was greatly indebted to the liberal contribution 

 of Messrs C & A. J. Downing of the Botanic Gar- 

 den and Nurseries, Newburgh, N. Y. 



By Hon. E. Vose, President of the Society — 

 Early Red Junating, Lady Haley's Nonsuch and 

 Shropshirevine Apples — Corse's Nota Bena, Green 

 Gage and Imperial or VV'hite Gage Plums. 



By Judge Jac-kson, Brookline, several beautiful 

 clusters of B^ack Handiurgh Grapes. 



By Joseph Balch, Esq., Roxbury — fiile speci- 

 mens of Black Princes, French Puiple and Blau- 

 qiiette Grapes. 



,Hy Mes-rs C. & A. J. Downing, Newburgh, N. 

 Y. — a seedling (from the Washington Plum) two 

 inches in length and two and a half inches in di- 

 ameter, of a pretty regular and oval form ; skin 

 greenish yellow, speckled with minute light yel- 

 low dots. Flesh yellovvish green, remarkably 

 firm, juicy, high flavored, aud separate from the 

 stone, which is long and much compressed. Ripe 

 from the tniddle to the last of August. The 

 committee have named this variety " Downing's 

 Seedling" Plum — also presented by the same. 

 Red Gage, Purple Gage, (supposed to be the Reiiie 

 Claude Violet of the Pom'l Mag.,) Cruger's Seed- 

 ling Scarlet Gage, Violet Perdrigon, Kirke's, and 

 Flushing Gage (which appear to be the same as 

 our Imp 'rial Gage) plums. 



By Edward Cruft, Esq. Boston, a beautiful spe- 

 cimen of Bolmer's Washington plum. 



By Samuel Downer, Esq. — Williams' Favor- 

 ite, River, Yellow or Amber Siberian Crab, large 

 Siberian do., small Siherian do.. Apples, all very 

 fine, also an unnamed variety of Pears. 



By R. Manning, Esq Orleans, Drap d'Or 



(and a variety received as the) 'Precoce d'Tours' 

 Plums — also Hloodgood Pears, a good bearer, 

 and is considered by one of the first Pomologists 

 " to he the best of the season ;" it is said to be 

 new and a native of Long Island, N. Y. 



By Mr C. Cowing, Roxbury — Williams' fa- 

 vorite Ap] lesj 



By Capt. William Clap|), Dorchester — Clapp 

 Pears, grown on the original tree, this kind great- 

 ly rescMiibles the " old Catherine pear." 



By Mr Samuel Phipps, a plum the name of 

 which was not ascertained. 



By Mr Janus Leonard, Taunton — English 

 Red Cheek — the tree is healthy, vigorous, and a 

 great and constant bearer, but the fruit, except for 

 baking, is hardly secon<l rate. 



By Mr Samuel Pond — Pond's Seedling, White 

 Gage, ;;uane's Purple &. Corse's Nota Bena, Plums 

 also Skinless Pears. 



By E.M.Richards — "old Catharine " Pears, 

 very large specimens — thts old variety is proba- 

 bly of European origin, the name of which was 



lost — known in the market for many years astbe 

 " latten" or "Katren" pear. 



For the Committee. 



E. M. RICHARDS. 



Saturday, Sept. 3, 1836. 

 EXHIBITION OF FLOWERS. 



Messrs Johnson, Sweetser, Hovey, Mason, and 

 S. Walker, were the contributors of Dahlias ; we 

 shall not give a list of all the varieties which were 

 exhibiteil, but name such only as we think were 

 in the highest state of perfectien. 



Mr Johnson's specimens, of Cedo NuUi, were 

 the l)3st we have seen of this variety, this 

 season. • 



Mr Sweetser's Granta, was an extra fine flower. 



The specimens, by Messrs Hovey, of the King 

 of the Dahlias, Widuall's Venus, Douglass's Crite- 

 rion, llermione, Albion, and the beauty of Shef- 

 field, were splendid ; Metropolitan Calypsa, and 

 Widnall's Apollo, are great beauties ; we never 

 saw better specinmns or more superb flowers. 



Mr Mason's Village Maid, and Dennissi were 

 good specimens. 



Two Seedlings, raised by Mr John Richardson 

 of Dorchester, presented by Samuel Walker, pos- 

 sess many of the properties which constituted a 

 good flower; we would not however, until we have 

 seen further specimens, class them with the best, 

 yet we shall hazard little by saying that three- 

 fourths of the varieties of Dahlias imported year- 

 ly, with long and high sounding names, are not as 

 good. Desdemona, Lady Milton, and Satrojia 

 were fine. 



Mr S. Sweetser, and Messrs Hovey, exhibited 

 some choice specimens of the China Aster. 



Mr Mason's Bouquet was made up with good 

 taste, and was much admired. The prospect is, 

 if we get rain soon, and do not get frost during 

 the present month, that the bloom of the Dahlias 

 will exceed that of any former season. 

 For the Committee. 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



Sugar Bekt. — We learn that V. Le Ray De 

 Chaumont, Esq., who has recently returned to this 

 country from France, has imported several casks 

 of the Sugar Beet, to this country, with a view to 

 its ciiiture here and provable manufacture of the 

 article of Sugar. Mr Le Ray, we understand had 

 several acres of land prepared to plant a portion 

 of this seed previous to its arrival — the remainder 

 was for gratuitous distribution. We should re- 

 joice to hear a person of enterprise engaging in the 

 manufacture of sugar from the beet, in this coun- 

 try. — We have too long paid triltiiteto the Indies, 

 for an article which we have the means of inaiiu- 

 facluring at home, and saving the immense sums 

 of gold and silver which are now annually paid 

 out, within our own country, to be distributed to 

 our own farmers. 



We observe that in Bucks county. Pa., W, .Au 

 denreid, Esq., a distinguished agriculturist, has 

 planted an acre with the sugar beet seed, and its 

 growth ir prosperous and luxuriant. — Walertown 

 American. 



It is proposed to use the sour West India mo- 

 lasses to fat catlk, instead of making men drunk 

 with it by converting it to rum. 



The Pennsylvania papers say there is no reason 

 to apprehend a scarcity of anthracite coal. 



