224 



m €mkux's llontWg. 



tliey had experimented largel}^ witli most of the 

 new varieties, no kinds were popular but Wilson's 

 Alba y and Triomphe de Gand. We heard a vete- 

 ran pomologist, filling no less a position than Vice- 

 President of the NatiDnal Pomological Society, ?ay 

 to some friends, after thoruUghly examining Ham- 

 monton and comparing all the kinds he saw with 

 those in his own State, " there are hut two straw- 

 berries worthy of the name — Wilson's Albany and 

 Hovey's Seedling." 



We left before the committee had made their 

 award, but the awards of committees, awarded on 

 plates of fruits, do not give value to a strawberry. 

 It may be large and good flavored, but the true 

 merits of a strawberry can only be proved in the 

 ground. 



On the table Brooklyn Scarlet, Agriculturist, 

 Wilson's Albany and Triomphe de Gand made 

 about the best show. A new variety, the " Phila- 

 delphia," excited some attention, it was p etty 

 good flavored and early, but as grown in Hammon- 

 ton of only mediun size. If better than May 

 Queen, with which we should like to see it fairly 

 and fully tested, it may be a desirable variety. 

 Metcalf's Early was on exhibition, and was not 

 considered perfection by the growers. A firs -rate 

 early is yet a desideratum. The Hammonton 

 growers think New Jersey Scarlet one of the best, 

 but it is so pasty and flavorless that they want a 

 better. 



By tho energy and liberality of Mr. E, Matlack 

 and the Camden and Atlantic Bailroad Company, 

 hundreds of pomologists from all parts were gather- 

 ed together an ,i it was quite a gala day amongst 

 the brethern. 



In return for the courtesy extended to ourselves 

 we will make a few suggestions that may serve to 

 benefit the place. 



Ten years ago Hammonton was a desert. The 

 class which settled there was a poor one, attracted 

 there by the cheapness of the land. They had 

 little money. They found fruit would grow, and 

 as it produced the quickest return for money in- 

 vested the strawberry was largely planted. As they 

 got means, instead of varying their product they 

 stuck to the strawbe ry. The apple, pear, peach, 

 cherry, grape, blackberry and raspberry are just as 

 successfuUv rown as strawberries. If the latter 

 fail, either in crop, prices, or abihty to market, 

 others come in. A variety of fruits is also always 

 more profitable than one alone. 



Clover, lucerne, lupines and other deep rooted 

 forage plants g ow here remarkably well. Stock 

 could be raised admirably on the soiling system, 



and the manure heap be increased amazingly in 

 value, and this is a great item in such soils as 

 Hammonton. Now hay, butter, meat, bread and 

 every thing has to be brought from a distance. No 

 city ever gets wealthy that has to send every thing 

 away in order to bring every thing back. It is on 

 the contrary when th y use every thing themselves 

 and send away only the surplus that wealth begins. 

 The managers of the settlement should bear this in 

 mind. A ready the present system is weakening. 

 The strawberry crop was a little ahe d of the ca- 

 pacity of the population to gather it. By encour- 

 aging a class of consumers am:ngst them this would 

 not occur. 



Altogether we were much pleased with the ap- 

 pearance of things, and only, as we have said 

 found too much tendency, while suggesting improve- 

 ments, to stop our mouth with the everlasting straw- 

 berry. 



We should say that any man with industry, 

 energy, and particularly judgment and foresight, 

 may do as well ac Hammouton aisin any part of the 

 world. 



During the fair Governor Ward addressed the 

 assemblage, praising New Jerseymen for their in- 

 telligence, and Hammontonians esp:cially for their 

 energy and perseverance, and who, the Governor told 

 us, imbibed morality mth their strawberries,^' by 

 which we suppose, in this part of the wor d, they 

 drink strawberries w..ole. 



Returning to the cars for Philadeh hia we found 

 thousands of b xes loading on the cars, — strawber- 

 ries bursting from the boxes paved the sandy road, — 

 fashionable city ladies, who had been drawn out to 

 see the sights, fancied they were country market 

 gir s, and cried "strawberries" from their carriages. 

 The boys came through the cars peddling "straw- 

 berries" at every station along the road, — the sun 

 in his setting seemed one immense strawberry, and 

 we thought we saw strawberries instead of stars in 

 a national flag which was waving in the breeze. 

 We felt two en rmous berries weighing heavily on 

 our eyelids as the cars trottc;d along, and we might 

 never ha e awoke again to pen these lines, but for 

 the fortunate appearance of half a dozen dirty pigs 

 flounderi g in a bog which broke the spell and we 

 felt we were ourselves once more. 



The Representatives of the Farmers' Club of 

 New York were also at the Fair ; and the smiling 

 face of Ely, the President ; the thoughful one of 

 Meeker, of tlie Tribune ; the earnest one of Todd, 

 of the New York Times; and the flowing white 

 locks and beard of Solon Robinson, added addition- 

 al interest to the occasion. 



Ik 



