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AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
Satire Woods* — In the prize list of the late 
Nova Scotia Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition, we 
find several unusual and very sensible premiums offered. 
Among others is one for the best collection of native 
•woods, prepared to show the bark, as well as longitudinal 
and transverse sections, polished and plain. But very- 
few are familiar with the appearance of our native woods, 
other than the few kinds that have a commercial value. 
Such a collection at any fair would be far more instruc- 
tive than many things for which prizes are given. 
Clearing Heavily lumber ed. Land. 
—Some of our readers are anxious for information about 
new and good ways of clearing land, handling the timber, 
and cultivating of the cleared forest. 
3>itfHcralty wiaJa'JTiBe E>ralBis.— "Penn- 
Eylvanian" writes that he has trouble with his drains. 
The water finds its way from the surface into the drains 
directly during hard rains. They are tile drains, laid four 
feet deep, two rods apart, in stiff clay hard pan soil. He 
finds, besides, that drains laid two and a half feet deep 
auswer fully as well. Our correspondent has exactly the 
soil in which well laid tile drains, four feet deep, would 
pay best. His drains, we doubt not, were laid thus. The 
ditch was dug, the tiles laid, sods placed upon the tiles ; 
stones upon the sods followed, and finally it was filled up 
with the soil. Such a drain is, of course, little or no bet- 
ter than a two-foot one. The joints of the tiles should 
have been protected with scraps of tin, leather, or regular 
collars ; the clay, free from big hard lumps, should have 
been thrown upon the tiles to the depth of a foot or six- 
teen inches, and rammed down so hard that not a drop of 
water could flow down into the tiles. It must all flow up, 
as explained on page 418, (Sept.). N. B. Always run 
the drains straight down hill. 
Machines 4br Lifting; Stone©.— D. I. 
A. Bolles 1 machine is agood one, moving with two wheels. 
Packer's is a more recent patent, aud has some improve- 
ments. Either will lift stones weighing six tons or more, 
and place them in a wall. Any first class agricultural 
warehouse will put you iu the way to find them. The 
price is $300 and upward. 
Fattening" Food ibr Horses.— "W. 
C. R." asks, " What are the merits of corn meal, ground 
coarse, and then boiled or cooked into a sort of mush, 
mixed with cut feed, as a food for fattening horses!'" 
—"We know of nothing that will fatten a horse quicker 
than corn meal on cut hay, unless it be the same with 
the addition of a little oil-cake daily, which is most ex- 
cellent. Cooking the meal is, no doubt, an improvement, 
and it would probably be better yet to cook hay and all. 
Indiana State Fair.— This came off at 
Terre Haute, the first week in October, and was the most 
successful fair ever held in the State. The grounds se- 
lected for the exhibition were about forty acres, on the 
National road, a mile or more east of the city. It was a 
charming spot, shaded with black walnuts, sugar maples, 
and oaks of magnificent proportions. The arrangements 
were very good for the display of farm products, and the 
show was a credit to the State. The fruits and vegetables 
showed the effects of the drought, but there were enough 
fine specimens to make a good show. The fair run quite 
too much to horse-racing, and displeased many of the 
sober-minded citizens, who could not quite see the pro- 
priety of this part of the fair. Perhaps they will make 
their influence felt more at the annual meeting, when the 
arrangements are made for the next fair. The receipts 
were about $21,000, and the expenses §15.000, which 
makes a good show financially-. 
"Vault Supplied, witli Coal Asltes. — 
"If a shallow privy vault is well supplied with sifted coal 
ashes, and the contents removed once a month, will that 
be sufficient ?" Yes, if it be well worked over. If frozen, 
it should be laid in a heap till spring, and then mixed. 
Iowa State Fair.— This was held at Clin- 
ton, and for so young a State, the show was creditable, 
exceeding, we understand, all former State fairs. The 
receipts very nearly reached §8.000. A leading feature of 
the first day was the trial of cultivators. A field of corn 
had been planted a few weeks previous that the compet- 
itors might have a fair opportunity to show what work 
their machines could do. It shows the strong hold which 
the improved cultivators have taken upon the farming 
public, that there were twenty competitors with walking 
and riding machines for one horse or two. They all did 
their work well, completely stirring the ground and 
burying all weeds. Deere & Co., of Moline, HI., took 
the first prize for sulky cultivator. The question of dis- 
pensing wholly with the hand-hoe in the cultivation of 
field crops, is quo in which all parts of the country have a 
deep interest. The "West has solved the problem, and 
we have now several styles of cultivators that will com- 
pletely take care of a crop from the time it is planted un- 
til it may safely be laid by. The inevitable result of this 
improvement will be that field crops will be much more 
frequently and faithfully cultivated, and that corn and 
potatoes will be cheaper. The cattle were not out in 
large numbers, and the sheep attracted little notice. The 
hogs were good, especially the Chester Whites, which 
seem to take the lead at all the State fairs. The display 
of fruit and flowers was uncommonly good. Apples, 
pears, and grapes were well represented. The dairy pro- 
ducts were not what we had a right to expect. In the 
Fine Art Hall there was a fine display in Natural History, 
and Secretary Schaffer made broad his phylacteries with 
the fowls of the air, insects, mammals and reptiles. 
"We once heard murder treated as one of the fine arts, 
and there is no impropriety perhaps in putting scorpions, 
spiders, hen hawks, and rattlesnakes in the same cate- 
gory. The multitudes had to go home in the rain, but 
this failed to damp their ardor. They had a jolly good 
time and are ready for the nest one of the same sort. 
A Correction. — Some of our fine drawings 
are from the facile pencil of Mr. W. J. Hayes, and in in- 
dicating this fact, we have sometimes put "N. A." after 
his name. As Mr. H. is not a member of the National 
Academy, and does not wish to appear to assume titles 
that do not belong to him, we cheerfully admit that the 
mistake was our own. There is a growing feeling among 
artists that " N. A. 1 ' is a title of very little value. 
Frisiti ppcserTimg I5onse in New 
Yorfe.— At our Grape Show, Mr. \v\ S. Carpenter exhib- 
ited specimens from a new fruit house which has been 
erected under the Nyce patent. Peaches, early sorts, were 
only tolerably well preserved, but early pears were in 
very fine condition. Bartletts were as green as when 
picked from the tree, and "Washington, a pear that ma- 
tures in August, was in fine eating condition and of ex- 
cellent quality. We understand that those interested in 
this enterprise are well pleased with its success thus far. 
•American Pomological Society.— 
The Secretary, F. R. Elliot, of Cleveland, Ohio, has is- 
sued a circular to members, asking each "to aid the 
making up of the Society's biennial report by contribut- 
ing immediately any information you have relative to 
new seedlings, and the values of different fruits, diseases, 
soils, etc., in your section of the country. You are also 
invited to forward samples of any new seedling or un- 
named fruits by express, to the address of the Secretary, 
that he may make comparison , drawings and descriptions. 
Any fruits thus forwarded, the names of which are un- 
known to him, will be again transmitted to pomologists 
for the desired information. The American, United 
States, and Merchants Union Express Companies have 
generously offered to transport all sample packages of 
fruit for this purpose fkee. Due credit will be given to 
contributors." 
Are ISickory Nuts Seeds ?— D. D., Min- 
field, Ind., asks if there " is yet any decision as to whether 
or not Hickory nuts are mailable as seeds" Some one 
some time ago decided that they were Twt seeds. We 
have forgotten now who it was that gave the opinion, but 
it was some official vWio probably knows better than na- 
ture does. It is a great pity that our friends living on the 
prairies, where trees are needed, cannot get certain tree 
seeds by mail, because they happen to be called nuts, 
while potatoes are mailable in any quantities, yet they 
are neither seeds, roots nor cuttings. 
A Grape Growers' Meeting. — The 
Grape Show, noticed elsewhere, brought together quite a 
large number of pomologists, not only from the imme- 
diate vicinity, but from considerable distances. Several 
having expressed a desire to hold a discussion on grapes, 
a meeting was called for Friday, October 25th, in the 
spacious room on the second floor of the Agriculturist 
building. The Hon. Marshall P. Wilder was chosen 
chairman by acclamation, and Mr. James Hogg was elect- 
ed secretary. Col. Wilder, on taking the chair, expressed 
his gratification at meeting so many interested in grape cul- 
ture. He was recently from the grape countries of Europe, 
and felt confident that our own country would before 
many years be not only a great grape-growing. buV'a wine 
producing country. He believed that the value of a grape 
should be estimated by its wine producing capabilities. 
Doctor E. Van Keuren, of nammondsport, Steuben Co., 
gave an account of the Pleasant Valley region. "We have 
already given a sketch of this grape region, and omit Dr. 
V. K.'s description of the locality. There are three com- 
panies organized for the purpose of cultivating the grape 
aud making wine, and $500,000 are invested in this in- 
dustry. Four-fifths of the crops are Catawba. Vines arc 
always healthy, almest entirely free from rot, and very 
slightly affected with mildew. The past season was very 
dry, and fruit ripened well. Concord healthy, occasion- 
ally rotting. Delaware hardy, and holds its foliage. 
Diana sensitive to cold, rots in some places. Allen's Hy- 
brid first fruited this year, and ripened well. No expe- 
rience with Roger's Hybrids. Lydia promises well. Re- 
becca good. Israeli a later than Hartford Prolific. Alvey 
and Norton's Virginia are somewhat grown for wine, and 
give a must of 90°. Iona has been extensively planted, is 
a good grower, and ripens its fruit later than Delaware. 
Gen. J. B. Negley, of Pittsburgh, Pa., representing Mr. 
Knox. Pittsburgh is a favorable locality for the grape. 
Have tried all varieties. Catawba does well, Concord and 
Hartford Prolific, the most robust. Creveling hardy and 
productive, but with a loose bunch. Delaware gives a good 
crop once in three years. It is fickle, and requires good 
culture. It ables to ripen its crop even when the vines 
have been defoliated by mildew. Iona ripens unevenly, 
and is no better than a good Catawba. Israella no better 
than Isabella. Adirondac, a complete failure. Maxa- 
tawney, Anna and Martha are the best white grapes. 
Edinburgh and Alvey, the best for wiue. Several of 
Rogers' Hybrids are very promising, differing in aroma 
and character of flesh. 
Mr. J. W. Bailey, of Pittsburgh, N. Y. His fruit set 
ten days later than usual, otherwise the season had been 
favorable. No mildew except on Allen's Hybrid. Adi- 
rondac colored August 55th, and bore large crops, ono 
vine had from 300 to 400 pounds. A frost about Septem- 
ber 20th prevented their attaining their full flavor. Hart- 
ford ripens perfectly, and the Delaware generally. Nono 
of Rogers 1 Hybrids are first quality, though some are 
valuable at the North. Concord, though healthy and 
vigorous, is too late, and entirely unsatisfactory. 
Doctor C. W. Grant stated that in his locality the season 
had been very unfavorable to fruit growing. The Iona 
and Israella had done better than any others. Compari- 
sons as to time of maturing should be made between 
vines of equal age. The Israella was the first to ripen, 
and the last to fall from the vines ; its must stood at 75°, 
and upwards, that of Iona, S9° to 93°. 
Remarks were also made by Messrs. Beach, Townsend, 
Cornell, Bnshnell, Dr. Trimble, and several others, but 
we are not able to give a more extended report. 
Early Potatoes.— S. M. The Early Good- 
rich and the Sebec are very popular varieties. 
Grapes from California.— Probably 
most of our readers are aware that the climate of Califor- 
nia allows of the open air culture of those varieties of 
European grape that with us can only be grown in glass 
structures. We were much interested in the results of 
an experiment of shipping a quantity of these grapes to 
New York. They were sent by Mr. Wm. McP. Hill, of 
Sonoma, Cal., on October 10th, arrived in New York on 
October 30th, aud were opened on November 2d. Two 
methods of packing were tried, each bunch was wrapped 
in paper, one lot packed in chaff, and a corresponding lot 
packed in sawdust. The Rose of Peru, a black and most 
lusciously sweet grape, was in both cases nearly spoiled. 
Muscat of Alexandria came better in sawdust than in chaff, 
but not particularly well in either. Flame colored Tokay 
bore carriage better than the others, and those packed in 
sawdust came in fine condition. The transportation of 
grapes from California presents difficulties, which will 
doubtless be overcome, and we hope to see the magnificent 
clusters from its vineyards abundant in our eastern cities. 
The SOaiiC Shore Grape-growers' 
Meeting. — Engagements elsewhere prevented our at- 
tending this meeting, and we are iudebted to George W. 
Campbell, Delaware, Ohio, for the following summary. 
The Annual Exhibition of the Lake Shore Grape-grow- 
ers' Association, at Elyria, Lorain Co., Ohio, on the 15th, 
16th, and 17tk of October, was well attended, the tables 
well filled with specimens of grapes and wines, and the 
show of grapes of unusual excellence in all the leading 
varieties in cultivation. There were 146 entries for the 
several premiums offered on grapes, and 1S7 plates of 
grapes on exhibition. For the premiums on wines, there 
were 23 entries, and 47 bottles exhibited. Catawba s 
were in great profusion, of very large size, finely col- 
ored, and of quality never surpassed in this region. Not- 
withstanding the rot in the early part of the season, the 
crop will be large in the aggregate, aud it is expected the 
wine of this season will be of the finest quality. Dela- 
wares were also largely exhibited, and of size of bunches 
and berries absolutely uucqualcd at any previous exhibi- 
tion in Ohio. The quality this season is also unusually 
good. Repeated tests of must from a quantity pressed at 
Cleveland, for wine, gave, by Oechslc*s scale, the unpar- 
alleled weight of 116°* The first premium for "the best 
10 buuehes of one variety, quality to rule," was unani- 
mously awarded to the Delaware ; the second to the Ca- 
tawba; the Iona and Diana also competing. A magnifi- 
ed single cane ef Delaware wa* exhibited, about 5 feet 
