166 
THE ADONIS FLOWER.—RAMBOUILLET flJERINOS AND THEIR PRICES. 
In order to be able to do this, it is essential that 
every good citizen lends his aid. 
The next most important things to be desired 
are the establishment of agricultural schools, and 
an agricultural survey by towns of the state. We 
hope there will be a general meeting on these 
subjects at Rochester, and strong and vigorous 
measures adopted for simultaneous action, from 
east to west, and north to south, for the purpose 
of accomplishing both these objects. A well-en¬ 
dowed State example-farm, with professors to teach 
the science of agriculture, stock-breeding, &c., we 
deem essentially necessary—more so than the en¬ 
dowment of colleges. The farmers of New York 
are an intelligent class of men, and understand 
very well the necessity and advantages of a pro¬ 
gressive agriculture. They are entirely capable 
of controlling the elections, and we are confident 
if some of our eloquent men would place this sub¬ 
ject in its proper light before them, not another 
session of the legislature will have passed, without 
some action on all the points we have briefly rec¬ 
ommended. 
THE ADONIS FLOWER. 
(Fig. 39.) 
The Adonis flower ( Adonis autumnialis), or 
pheasant’s eye, resembles the anemone. It grows 
to the height of from 9 to 13 inches, and shows 
a rich colored blossom during the months of June, 
July, and August. It receives its fable name in con¬ 
sequence of being said to have sprung from the 
blood of Adonis, when he was wounded by the 
boar. The name of pheasant’s eye is derived from 
a resemblance between its dark red petals dis¬ 
posed around a black centre, and the eye of that 
beautiful bird. 
RAMBOUILLET MERINOS AND THEIR PRICES 
Since our article appeared on Fine-Wool Sheep, 
we have had so many letters addressed us abou^ 
prices, quality, means of transportation, &c., that 
with our numerous other avocations, we have 
scarcely time to reply. To save ourselves and cor¬ 
respondents trouble, we publish the following 
private letter just received from Mr. Collins which 
covers the whole ground. We trust that he will 
pardon the liberty we have taken, for we can see 
no easier or better way of managing the matter. 
Hartford , Conn ., August 21 st, 1843. 
Dear Sir : I observe that you have given in the 
July number of the Agriculturist, a notice of my 
flock of imported Merinos, accompanied by a cut 
of the imported buck Grandee. Your written 
description of the ram, does him better justice 
than the engraving, which I am sorry to be com¬ 
pelled to say is by no means an accurate portrait, 
and gives no just or adequate idea of his merits 
and peculiar appearance, unless indeed it may be, 
in the single particular of his throatiness and mas¬ 
sive robe-like folds of skin around the neck just 
forward of the shoulders, together with perhaps a 
general appearance of stoutness and hardiness of 
constitution, which belongs to him in a remarkable 
degree. The original sketch or drawing of Gran¬ 
dee, (though taken by an inexperienced artist,) 
was tolerably faithful, but the likeness was most¬ 
ly lost by your engraver in transferring it to wood. 
If it is ever in my power to obtain (as I hope it 
will be ere long) a good portrait of Grandee, I 
will see that you are furnished with a copy. I only 
wait to meet with a competent artist, and then 
your numerous readers shall have the opportunity 
of seeing an animal, believed by experienced judges 
to be the best Merino ram ever brought into the 
United States. That he is of the best breed for 
profitable wool-growing, may now be taken as a 
conceded point, settled by almost unanimous pub¬ 
lic opinion, based on actual and long experience 
in this country; while so great is his individual 
excellence, that an extensive wool-grower of great 
experience, who was interested in many of the 
very best Merinos originally imported into this 
country from Spain by Col. Humphrey and others, 
said to me, on seeing and carefully examining 
Grandee, directly after his arrival from Europe, 
that he was “ the best ram, without any excep¬ 
tion, that he ever set eyes on,” and in his judg¬ 
ment, “ of more intrinsic value and of greater im¬ 
portance to the real interests of the country, than 
any other individual animal, of whatever descrip¬ 
tion, then in the United States.” 
My object in making an importation of fresh 
