286 
ITALIAN FRUIT-LADDER.-—ARTILLERY VERSUS AGRICULTURE. 
ported by Mr. Townsend, of Albany, three years 
ago. It was somewhat injured by the winter. 
Straw and heads short, berry large and white. It 
does not appear to be suitable for this latitude. 
No. 22.—One drill of thirty varieties mixed-with 
the Improved White Flint. They were grown to¬ 
gether for three years. They now stand well and 
are more than half of S. P. W. Flint. 
No. 23.—One drill of twenty-five new varieties 
mixed with the S. P. W. Flint. This drill stood 
somewhat scattering. I wish to see which variety 
will predominate and whether they will produce a 
new variety. 
No. 24.— Orange, from Virginia. 
No. 25.— Blue Stem, from Virginia. 
No. 26.— White Bald, from Virginia. 
No. 27.— Virginia Red-Chaff. These four varie¬ 
ties are two years from Virginia; and were some¬ 
what injured by the winter. 
No. 28.— Zimmerman’s Bald Wheat, from Mary¬ 
land two years. Straw and head short, and not 
valuable here. 
No. 29.— Scotch Club, Bald, from Ohio, much 
resembling No. 28 ; both varieties heading five days 
before the common varieties. On a strong soil 
they might do well. R. Harmon, Jr, 
Wheatland, N. Y., July 1847. 
ITALIAN FRUIT-LADDER. 
A cheap and sim¬ 
ple ladder may be 
made after the man 
ner of the annexed 
cut, which is much 
used in Italy in gath¬ 
ering fruit. The 
pointed top-end is 
pushed up amongst 
the branches of the 
trees much more con¬ 
veniently than 
Fig. 70. commonladder. The 
two legs containing the steps are firmly put together 
and do not require to be spread any farther apart. 
The other leg is united at the top by means of 
swivel or hinge, which admits of its being moved 
out at the bottom as may be necessary for the situ¬ 
ation in which it is to be used. 
ARTILLERY VERSUS AGRICULTURE. 
In a short excursion made for the first time to 
West Point a few days since, I was highly grati¬ 
fied with the taste, liberality, and good judgment 
displayed in all the arrangements provided for the 
education and comfort of the future soldiers of the 
country. The site is one of the most beautiful, 
commanding, and healthful in the Union. A plain 
of table-land jutting into the Hudson, affords an 
uninterrupted view of some 15 miles on the most 
magnificent river in the world, covered with its 
floating steam and sail craft. Bold elevations hem 
it in upon the west, on the nearest of which, is old 
Fort Putnam, and still higher and more remote the 
remains oi two other ancient redoubts, that flanked 
the first, while the Revolution demanded its occupa¬ 
tion and defence. On all sides the mountains go 
towering up heavenward till the eye is tired of 
gazing on their misty tops, while around on every 
side, the fertile vallies and modest matronly vil¬ 
lages seem to rejoice in the protection of the lordlv 
hills. 
The Point itself, embracing some 100 acres out 
of nearly 3,000 which the government owns, is 
tastefully laid out in groves and open fields, with 
walks and avenues threading them at proper inter¬ 
vals in all directions. Seven or eight large, solid 
structures built at great expense, and filled with 
every thing necessary give aid to the youthful 
mind, or comfort to his personal wants while in the 
pursuit of knowledge ; and around them are com¬ 
modious and pleasant abodes for those who minis¬ 
ter to their acquirements or necessities. Some 
thirty professors and their aids stand ready to pour 
military instruction into minds just opening upon 
manhood ;and $400 per annum is allowed by govern¬ 
ment for each of the 250 students there for the pur' 
pose of providing liberally for every want. A large 
band of choice musicians is in attendance to lend 
enchantment to the scene, and awaken a proper 
enthusiasm on all occasions. Scientific apparatus, 
libraries, cannon, powder, balls, swords, epaulets 
and feathers are all carefully provided for the future 
heroes. Not a shoe tie is wanting, not a button or 
thread out of place. All is as punctiliously arrang¬ 
ed as a bridal party or a court presentment. And 
all this is well. It is befitting this age and nation ; 
and if we must have military establishments, and if 
still we talk of war and especially if we make it, 
it is entirely proper and consistent that we thor¬ 
oughly educate a class of officers, capable of lead¬ 
ing and rendering more efficient, the coarser materi¬ 
als of an army that is destined to deal destruction 
on what we term our foes. 
The propriety of a similar provision for our naval 
establishments is equally obvious and equally re¬ 
garded, by our rulers. They have secured for the 
nations use whether for offensive or defensive war, 
a formidable list of seventy-fours, frigates, steam¬ 
ers, &c., magnificently appointed with every im¬ 
provement of death and devastation, from the ter¬ 
rific Peace-Maker and dreaded Paixhan, which will 
send their destructive shots several miles distance, 
down to the light revolving pistol, almost as destruc¬ 
tive when near at hand. While we are at peace, 
about $8,000,000 annually suffice to sustain these 
arms of our national honor and defence ; but it is 
computed by some wise heads, that $50,000,000 per 
annum will hardly come up to the sum necessary to 
sustain them w r hile teaching the audacious Mexi¬ 
cans that they cannot dispute our will with impu¬ 
nity. Thus much for artillery. 
But how fares it in the meantime with agricul¬ 
ture ? Agriculture occupies three-fourths of the 
entire population of the United States, and consti¬ 
tutes an equal proportion of its wealth. Agricul¬ 
ture furnishes bread and meat, vegetables, fruits, 
horses, cattle, &c., not only for our own nation but 
for a vast population abroad. Indeed, it is proba¬ 
ble that our gratuitous agriculture saved as much 
human life in foreign lands last season as our artillery 
destroyed, and at an expenditure of one per cent on 
the cost of the latter; while the total sales abroad of 
the surplus of the former would about offset the 
expense of one yearns expenditure of our present 
military establishments. Agriculture too is in its 
infancy, and needs aid and encouragement, while 
