292 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[OCTOBEB, 
trees hangover a pond, proved that such was not the case, 
as the plums overhanging the water were equally affected 
with the others. True, the larva? of those which fell into 
the water would be drowned, but the others had learned 
no lesson by their fate. The jarring process if followed 
up, willsave enough plums. Hard winters and dry sea- 
sons destroy immense numbers of the curculio. 
A. S. Fuller thought we might as well try to destroy 
mosquitoes as curculios— a few trees could be attended 
to, but the task would be too great with whole orchards. 
A plate of Tyson pears from J. McAfee, of New-Bed- 
ford, Mass., was presented, and the fruit pronounced very 
fine, though rather over ripe ; this is one of our best pears. 
Dr. Trimble showed fine specimens of Barllett pears 
for which dealers would pay $18fa)$20per bbl. He thought 
the trees were almost destitute of fruit early in the sea- 
son, but as nearly every specimen grew large and fair, 
Ihey turned out well, the high price making them a profit- 
able crop. Bartletts sell better than any other pear ; we 
can not change public opinion. 
John Hicks of Long Island, at a previous meeting, had 
advocated Willis* Sweet as the best apple for baking. W. 
S. Carpenter set forth in equally strong terms the superi- 
ority of the Westchester Pound Sweet as a baking apple, 
and it was agreed that each should present at this meet- 
ing a specimen of the baked fruit. Mr. Carpenter was 
unable to be present, but Mr. Hicks came, bringing a dish 
of nicely baked "VViHis' Sweet apples, the quality of which 
was tested by the meeting, and it was agreed that the fruit 
for baking purposes could not be too highly recommended. 
A. S. Fuller showed specimens of grapes, among which 
were Blood's White, very foxy and worthless ; Blood's 
Black, which was little better ; -a good wild grape, Canby's 
August, which was a step in advance of either ; and one of 
the earliest blue grapes, of passable quality, and which has 
been too much neglected ; next follows the Hartford Pro- 
lific several steps in advance of the last, in point of flavor, 
but still a little foxy, yet sweet and good, an early and 
abundant bearer, and the fruit sells well. Oporto and 
Taylor's Bullitt had very few perfect berries on the clus- 
ters. There appears to be some radical defect in the 
flowers ; they do not fertilize well ; are always deformed, 
mailing them worthless here. Delawares were exhibit- 
ed last, with these there is little except size to be desired. 
G. R. Gnrretson of Flushing, exhibited well ripened 
Hartford Prolific grapes, and some Northern Muscadine, 
the latter a pretty good fox grape. 
T. W. Field wished to bear testimony to the excellence 
of the Hartford Prolific, which, besides its other good 
qualities, bloomed so early that it escaped Ihe ravages of 
the rose bug, and ripened Jong before any danger of frost 
in the Fall : it does not drop unless the vines overbear. 
Fejee Tomatoes were shown by W. W. Davis. This, 
Prof. Thurber pronounced the tomato for cultivators. 
Several large market men in the vicinity of New-York, 
are discarding the old sorts and substituting the Fejee. 
Agricultural Exhibitions in October. 
■ » ■ 
STATE FAIRS. 
Illinois Decatur Sept. 2S— Oct. 2 
Indiana Indianapolis.. .Sept. 28— Oct. 3 
Pennsylvania Norristown ' ' 29 — ■ ■ 2 
Amer. Grape Show New- York Oct. 1 — 3 
Deseret St. Lake City Oct. 2— 3 
Kansas Leavenworth Oct. 6 — 9 
COUNTY FAIRS. 
MAINE. 
Franklin Farmington ....Sept. 30 — Oct. 1 
Cumberl'd and Poril'd. . Portland Oct. 14— 
Kennebec Readfieid Oct. 14—15 
MASSACHUSETTS.' 
Worcester— North .... Fitchburgh Sept. 29 Oct. 1 
Hampshire, Franklin, «k 
Hampden Northampton Oct. 1 — 
Worcester— South Slurbridge ■■ 1— 
Housatonic Great Barrington ... ** J — 
Plymouth Bridgewaler " ] — 
Hampshire Northampton •• 1 — 2 
Berkshire Pittsfield • ■ fi— 
Bristol Taunton •• 6— 
Barnstable ... Barnstable " 6— 7 
Hampden Springfield ■■ 6 — 8 
Hampshire Amherst " 8— 
Hampden— East Palmer ■■ 13— 
Martha's Vineyard - Oct. 20— 
NEW-YORK. 
Jefferson Watertown Sept. 29—30 
Cayuga Auburn ■■ 29— 1 
Yales Penn Yan •• 29— 1 
Genesee Batavia Sept. 30— Oct. 1 
Otsego.... Coopersiown ■• 30— •■ 1 
Columbia Hudson •• 29— ■■ 1 
Delaware Delhi " 29— ■• 1 
Aioany Albany ■■ 29— ■ ■ 2 
Queens Hempstead Oct. 1— 2 
Montgomery Fonda Oct. 7— 8 
PENNSYLVANIA. 
Susquehanna Montrose Sept. 30— Oct. 1 
Union Lewisburgh Oct. 7— 9 
Wyoming Wvoming Oct. 20—22 
Clearfield C learfield Oct. 20—23 
ILLINOIS. 
Kendall ..Bristol Oct. 
Putnam Hennepin Oct. 
Edgar -Paris Oct. 
Madison. Edwardsville Oct. 
Bureau Princeton Oct. 
Lake Liberlyville Oct. 
Schuyler Rush vi He Oct. 
DeKalb Syracuse Oct. 
Randolph Marshal I town Oct. 
Mc Henry Woodslock Oct-. 
Tazewell Tremont Oct. 
Vermillion Danville Oct. 
Stephenson Freeport Oct. 
Lee Dixon Oct. 
Perry Pinkeyville Oct. 
Jefferson Hit. Vernon Oct. 
Hamilton McLeansboro Oct. 
OHIO. 
Trumbull Oak* Grove Sept. 
Lake Painesville 
Delaware Delaware 
Harrison Cadiz 
Miami Troy 
Pickaway Circle ville ... . 
Summit Ackron 
Seneca Tiffin 
Van Wirt Van Wirt 
Jackson Jackson 
Paulding Antwerp 
Mahoning Youngslown ... 
Butler Hamilton 
Loraine Elvria 
Cuyahoga Cleveland 
Stark Canton 
Montgomery - Dayton 
MICHIGAN. 
Kent Grand Rapids. 
Hillsdale and Lenawee. Hudson 
Oakland Ponliac 
WISCONSIN. 
Fond du Lac Fond du Lac... 
Polk Osceola 
Monroe Sparta 
CANADA WEST. 
West Middlesex Strath roy 
Toronto Toronto 
Huron, (Clint. Branch,). Clinton 
So. Greenville Prescott 
Durham— West Newcastle 
Wentworth &. Hamilton. Hamilton 
6— 8 
6— 8 
6— 8 
6— 9 
G— 10 
r— 9 
:— 9 
7—10 
13—16 
14—16 
14—16 
14—16 
14—16 
29— Oct. 1 
30— • 2 
30— ■■ 2 
30— ■' 2 
30— •■ 2 
30— ■■ 2 
30— • 2 
30— •■ 2 
Oct. 1— 2 
• 1— 2 
" 1—2 
•■ 6—8 
" 6-9 
•* 6—9 
•• 6—9 
1—9 
•• 7—9 
Oct. 1— 3 
■■ 6—8 
" 7—9 
Oct. 1— 3 
•■ 7—8 
■ • 6—9 
Oct. I— 
-• 6—8 
" 7— 9 
•■ 8—9 
" 14-15 
SUNDRY COUNTIES. 
New-London Norwich. (Ct.)-.Sept. 29— Oct. 2 
Hillsborough Mil ford, (N.H.) Oct. 1— 2 
Union Woodburv, iCt.) Oct. 1— 8 
Newcastle Wilmington. (Del.) Oct. 6— 8 
Burlington Mt. Holly, (N. J.) Oct. 6— 7 
Atlantic Egg Harbor City. N.J. Oct. 8— 9 
Percv New Harmony, (Iud.). Oct. 6— 9 
La Grange La Grange, (lint.) ...Oct. 15—16 
Fayette WestUnion, (Iowa). .Oct. 6— 7 
Chickasaw New Hampten( Iowa). Oct. 8—9 
Cole Jefferson City.f Mo.). Oct. 5— 9 
York Frederickton,(N.B.)..Oct. T— 8 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Htnts and Suggestions which we give here in small 
type and condensed form, for want of space elsewhere. 
Seventeen Thousand ]\eignl>or- 
lioods are now visited by the Agriculturist. In each 
of these, one or more persons may secure valuable articles 
from our premium list, without cost. There is scarcely 
a town in the country where there are not twenty to a 
hundred or more families, that would find the Agricul- 
turist a valuable visitor. All that is required is, for some 
enterprising person to present the merits of the paper 
and gather up and forward the names. The reader will 
be interested in turning to page 313 and looking through 
the premium list and the descriptive notes. Nearly 3000 
persons secured one or more of these articles last year, 
and with almost universal satisfaction, as our correspond- 
ence abundantly shows. This year, ten to twenty thousand 
persons may each get premiums. 
A Soldier^ Widow Greatly Benefit- 
ed at Small Cost* — Seven ladies, in planning how 
they might do something to assist a soldier's wife, resolved 
themselves into a committee and canvassed the town for 
subscribers to the Agriculturist. In two days they raised 
a club for a premium Sewing Machine which they pre- 
sented to her, and she is now able to support herself and 
family. Many people subscribed to promote such an ob- 
ject, though they had not previously become awake to the 
value of the paper to themselves. 
How the Agriculturist was obtain- 
ed at 58 cents a year !— One hundred men sub- 
scribed a dollar each, and the club received a Premium 
Wheeler «fe Wilson's Sewing Machine. It was then put up 
at auction, to be bid for only by members of the club, and 
was sold for $43.50, Of this, $1.50 was paid for freight 
expenses, and the remaining $42 divided among the club, 
which reduced the cost of the paper to them for a year 
to only 59 cents each. Similar enterprises have been un- 
dertaken elsewhere with like results. An Agricultural 
Society in Iowa subscribed for the copies as a Society, 
and gave them away as premiums, and then sold the ma- 
chine for the benefit of the general fund.— A good opera- 
tion in both cases, and suggestive to others. 
Subscription Receipts not Given. — 
It is utterly impracticable to return receipts for all sub- 
scriptions. Every paper is stopped when the time is up, 
so that its continued reception is an acknowledge- 
ment of payment. If any one in forwarding a subscrip- 
tion, specially desires a receipt, he will please enclose a 
post-paid envelope directed to himself, and the receipt 
will be forwarded at the lime of opening his letter. We 
try to keep our paper at a low price, by economy in time 
and every other item. A few cents' worth of time and 
postage would more than consume all of the small profit 
there is on any single subscription for a whole year. 
Xo Correspondents. — The " -writing 
mood " often seems to depend upon the weather, or the 
state of the country, or something else, judging from the 
fact that at times we receive box full after box fuil of 
letters, on all sorts of topics, and then there is a dearth of 
them. In the former case we must necessarily delay 
early responses to some of them. Often we cannot 
answer the queries made, but do not take the time to 
write to that effect, unless there is some important rea- 
son for so doing. We are glad to receive any number of 
practical hints, suggestions, items of experience or ob- 
servation, queries, etc., but hope none will esteem ua 
neglectful if they do not have instant attention. 
Important.— Always write every name plainly ; 
give the Post Office, County and State of every name; 
and tell briefly, but plainly and fully, just what is desired. 
Volumes oftue Agriculturist, as far 
back as the 16th (1857), can always be supplied. Un- 
bound at $1 each ; or if neatly bound, at $1 50. If to go 
by mail, $1 24 in numbers, or $2 when bound. 
The HT. Y. State jFair is in progress, as 
we go to press. The telegraph reports it to be a decided 
success, pecuniarily at least. One of our Editors is pres- 
ent, to gather any noteworthy items for the next paper. 
Come and See tUe Grapes.— This paper 
will reach most of our readers before the first day of the 
month, when the great display of Grapes is to open at the 
office of the American Agriculturist. It will doubtless be 
the best show of this fine fruit ever seen in this country. 
Our Office is so arranged that we can remove desks, 
screens, elc, if necessary, and thus give up the w hole 
floor, 80 feet long and 25 feet wide, to the exhibition 
tables and visitors. The best part of the day for seeing, 
will be early in the forenoon, any time after 8 o'clock, A. 
M., as there will naturally be a much greater crowd in 
the afternoon. About 25,000 persons were present dur- 
ing the three days of the Strawberry Exhibition, w ithout 
great inconvenience. The grape show will be open to 
the public, free of charge, from 2 P. M. on Thursday to 
4 P. M. on Saturday— Oct. 1st, 2d and 3d. 
The Cncnrbitaceons Show.- All Tvho 
have specimens of Pumpkins, Squashes, Gourds, remark- 
able for size, appearance or novelty, wilt be interested in 
the show of the cucuibitaceons family, {which includes 
Gourds, Pumpkins, Squashes, elc.) to open Nov. 4th, 
as announced in another column. We desire early no- 
tice of what is to be exhibited, in order that good pro- 
vision may be made for their proper display. The ex- 
hibition last year happened at a very rainy season, hut 
should this occur again, the specimens will bear keeping 
until fair weather, so that all who desire to do so can call 
and see them. Let us have, as far as possible, the correct 
name and origin of specimens, and any unusual item in 
the cultivation, for the inlerest and instruction of visitors. 
Xlie Strawberry Plants, offered as 
Special Premiums last Summer, are all sent "out. The 
excessive drouth that checked the growth of good roots, 
delayed the forwarding of them until Sept. 14, to 21. 
Frost and tlie Cotton Experiment.— 
From a friend who has recently passed through Illinois, 
and from a large number of correspondents, we learn 
that the ravages of the frost have caused many sections 
to present a most melancholy spectacle. The cotton is 
pretty generatly killed outright. A great many acres 
were planted last Spring at a heavy expense for the seed. 
The hopes of those who have thought to make Illinois a 
cotton growing Slate, we are sorry to say, are disap 
pointed, and some are large sufferers by the experiment. 
