18 
A SKETCH OF WEST CHESTER, PA.-THE MONTHLY ALPINE STRAWBERRY. 
whole we have most cheering evidences that the 
cause has taken deep root, and the good fruit will 
soon begin to show itself. 
Mr. J. B. Nott, the secretary of the State Society, 
addressed the meeting in Genesee and this county, 
and let me say to you and all others, that the Course 
he has pursued has had the most happy effect upon 
the farmers. His addresses are eminently practical, 
and carry conviction to every mind.- He deals in, 
and disseminates facts, and these are just what we 
farmers want. The services of such a man pro¬ 
perly employed by the society, are invaluable, and 
will lead to the most important results. 
Darien, Oct.'20th, 1846. T. C. Peters. 
A SKETCH OFWEST CHESTER. 
It gives me sincere pleasure to learn from the 
November number of the Agriculturist, that your 
very agreeable friend, “ Reviewer,” has advanced 
so far south as to pay a visit to West Chester, Pa., 
at least I presume he has seen the water rain to 
which he alludes. I am in the habit of going there 
at least once every year, and speak from actual ob¬ 
servation—and if “ Reviewer” has also had the 
good fortune to enjoy the hospitality of its inhabit¬ 
ants—very sure am I, he will cheerfully bear wit¬ 
ness to the truth of the following slight sketch. 
He will agree with me when I say there is more 
love for improvement, science, and public spirit, in 
that little borough, than anyone w T ould even dream 
of. To be understood, I need only name the water¬ 
works, that send an abundant supply of pure spring 
water to every dwelling, and furnish the luxury of 
private baths to every family that choose to avail 
itself of the privilege; their excellent railroad, on 
which passengers are conveyed twice every day to 
and from Philadelphia, by steam ; and the public 
and private schools and academies, of which no 
community of equal numbers can boast more, or 
better. They have a large and handsome building 
for a Cabinet, furnished with a beautiful philosophi¬ 
cal apparatus; a museum of native and foreign 
specimens of nature and art, well arranged and pre¬ 
served, that w r ould do honor to a much larger place. 
A large, and admirably arranged herbarium, that 
ow^es its existence to the untiring zeal and exertions 
of Dr. William Darlington, who is well and advan¬ 
tageously known as the author of several valuable 
botanical works, and numerous lectures and ad¬ 
dresses on various occasions. They have many 
fine public buildings, some of which are in the 
purest styles of ancient architecture; w ? ide streets, 
laid out at right angles, and gentlemen’s residences 
surrounded by tasteful gardens, and embowered 
with flow r ering vines, speaking in language not to 
be misunderstood, that they are the abodes of re¬ 
finement, as well as of wealth. They have an 
Agricultural Society—for the pride of that county 
lies in their farms and their farming—and, more 
recently, a Horticultural Society has been estab¬ 
lished, that promises to make Chester county as 
advantageously known for its fruits, vegetables, 
and fknvers, as it has long been for the more sub¬ 
stantial gifts of Ceres. At their first annual exhibi¬ 
tion, held last September, the display of fruits wras 
remarkably fine, and some of the best being trans¬ 
ferred, in the following week, to the annual exhibi¬ 
tion of the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, re¬ 
ceived prizes there also. The culinary vegetables 
made a very creditable show, and spoke w r ell for the 
cultivators; and gave pleasant anticipations to the 
intended consumers ; and the well-filled stages of 
green-house plants contained a c large proportion of 
rare and valuable species. As to the flowers, who¬ 
ever has the honor of being acquainted with the 
ladies of Chester county, will not be surprised to 
hear that they wrnre beautiful, tastefully arranged, 
and in great profusion. 
To this catalogue, it is hardly necessary to add, 
that as a community, the inhabitants fully appreci¬ 
ate the advantages they enjoy in their institutions, 
and sustain them cheerfully and liberally; and the 
people of Chester county who have contributed thus 
to raise their county town to the eminence it occu¬ 
pies, from whence it may look proudly down on 
cities of thrice its size and wealth—set an example 
w r ell worthy of imitation, in their liberality, their 
literary and scientific tastes, and their enlightened 
encouragement of every branch of useful and orna¬ 
mental art and industry. 
W est Chester is not one of our old towms; fifty 
years ago, it could hardly boast a name among the 
neighboring villages. To mention any one as the 
leading spirit, where so many have combined to 
raise its moral and intellectual character, and pro¬ 
duce the effect wrn so heartily admire and commend, 
might seem invidious; yet it seems to me that all 
point either openly or tacitly, to one as the main¬ 
spring of every enterprise; but as all his neighbors 
are considered by him as equals and friends, rather 
walking with, than following in, the bright path of 
improvement,—I will forbear to point him out 
more closely. E. S. 
Eutawah. 
THE MONTHLY ALPINE STRAWBERRY. 
The monthly alpine, or bush alpine, as it is some¬ 
times called, is perhaps the finest flavored of all the 
numerous varieties of strawberries which -are at 
present cultivated in this country. Without excep¬ 
tion, it is by far the most prolific, being a constant 
bearer from the latter part of May until November, 
in the open air, or the whole year when under 
glass. It is propagated from the root, and being 
without runners, forms a neat inner or outer bor¬ 
der for the garden, occupying but little space, and 
growing very compactly and evenly. 
The fruit in wet seasons is as large as the com¬ 
mon strawberry, and in soils at all retentive of 
moisture, success in the cultivation of it is certain. 
It is very exclusive in its habits, showing no dispo¬ 
sition to amalmagate w r ith other varieties, although 
the females are in a decided majority. I think it 
was first introduced into this country by the late 
M. Parmentier, from France, since which time it 
has run out of most of the nurseries. I sent you 
some plants last spring, and I hope they fulfilled 
your expectations, thus making you an endorser of 
all I say in relation to them. I have also a remark¬ 
ably fine seedling, the berries measuring last sea¬ 
son five inches in circumference, and being peculi¬ 
arly rich in flavor. You shall taste them and pro¬ 
nounce judgment, next strawberry time, if I have a 
fair crop. Wm. B. Oddie. 
Effeuveldt, Rockland co., Nov. 21 st, 1846, 
