324 
editor’s table. 
(Suitor 0 Sable. 
Fair op the American Institute.— The Twen¬ 
tieth Annual Fair of the American Institute will be 
opened to the public at Castle Garden, N. Y., on Tues¬ 
day, the 5th of October, at 9 o’clock, A. M. 
Plowing and Spading Matches, and testing of Plows 
will take place at Hempstead, L. L, on Friday, the 8th.' 
Exhibition of Pure-Blood and other Cattle, Horses, 
Sheep, Swine, &c., will be held at the corner of 23d St. 
and 5th Avenue, rear of the Madison Cottage, on 
Wednesday and Thursday, the 13th and 14th. 
All entries of stock must be made in writing and de¬ 
livered to the Clerk at the time of entry at the Commit¬ 
tee-Room, on Monday the 11th of October, with full 
pedigrees of the animals, their breed, ages, owners’ 
names, &c., and with such observations as to their food, 
thrift, constitution, milking or fattening qualities, as 
they may deem proper. Application may also be made 
by mail or otherwise, to T. B. Wakeman, Correspond¬ 
ing Secretary of the Institute. 
All animals must be upon the ground by 9 o’clock, 
A. M., on Wednesday, the 13th, attended by their own¬ 
ers or keepers for the inspection of the Examining Com¬ 
mittee. 
Show of the Queen’s Co. Agricultural Society. 
—The exhibition of this Society will be held at Hemp¬ 
stead, L. I., on the 8th of the present month; and the 
Plowing Match of the American Institute will also, be 
held at the same time and place. 
Horticultural Show of the American Agri¬ 
cultural Association. —The third exhibition of the 
Am. Ag. Association took place at the Lyceum Build¬ 
ing on the 8th of September, and continued two days, 
it surpassed any previous show held by this Society, 
and was perhaps one of the finest displays of the kind 
ever got up in this city. We shall not attempt at pre¬ 
sent to give a full account of all the articles exhibited, 
but merely a brief sketch of such specimens of fruits, 
flowers, and vegetables, as seem to us to be more par¬ 
ticularly worthy of notice. The centre of the room 
was occupied bv a long table, containing principally 
the frail; and on the sides and end were disposed the 
flowers and vegetables. Among these we noticed a 
large and magnificent display of superb dahlias, by 
Messrs. Dunlap & Thompson, and Mr. Geo. C. Thor- 
burn; also, a box of very fine seedling dahlias, from 
Philadelphia ; a lot of very choice and beautiful roses 
from Mr. Moore; another fine collection from Messrs. 
Ball & Hauser, among which were some good seed¬ 
lings , and still another from Mr. Mantell. At the end 
of the room was a table containing some splendid bou¬ 
quets and baskets of flowers from Dunlap & Thomp¬ 
son, Isaac Buchanan, Mr. Mantell, Mrs. Jones, E. 
Holbrook, and others. We also observed from Mr. 
Holbrook, some superb green-house plants, a fine lot 
of roses in pots, and other rare and beautiful pot-plants, 
in different parts of the room. 
We will now take a glance at the fruits, which 
formed the most important part of the exhibition. To 
notice these in detail would take up more space than we 
can at present spare, and we must therefore content 
ourselves with a very general description. Of foreign 
grapes, there was a rich display of many choice varie¬ 
ties, grown under glass and in the open air, with and 
without artificial heat. Some of the bunches were sur¬ 
prisingly large, and looked so luscious that we could 
not help regretting that we were not permitted to taste 
them; in short, the grapes were unequalled by any¬ 
thing else in the room. There were a few native grapes, 
which looked very fair, although it was too early to 
have them in perfection. There was a very fine and 
large display of that most delicious fruit, the peach, 
among which we noticed some very good seedlings. 
Some of the specimens were exceedingly large, and 
among the collections were some of‘our choicest varie¬ 
ties. Then there were nectarines, plums, apples, 
pears, preserved gooseberries, musk and water-melons, 
&c., &c. Among the contributors of vegetables and. 
fruits, we noticed the names of Roswell L. Colt, Samuel 
T. Jones, R. L. Pell, R. K. Delafield, Isaac Buchanan, 
E. Holbrook, Mr. Rankin, and others. 
Of vegetables there was a very good display, consist¬ 
ing of fine specimens, of beets, carrots, parsnips, pump¬ 
kins, squashes, egg-plants, celery, okra, Jerusalem ar¬ 
tichokes, &c., &c. 
Ireland’s Welcome to the Stranger ; or an Ex¬ 
cursion through Ireland, in 1844-5, for the purpose of 
personally investigating the condition of the Poor. 
By A. Nicholson. New York: Baker and Scribner. 
1 vol. 12mo. pp. 456. This volume is a narrative of 
facts concerning the physical and moral condition of 
the poor of Ireland, which came under the personal ob¬ 
servation of the authoress, who visited many of the 
wildevSt portions of that country at great toil arid priva¬ 
tion, journeying on foot, and finding her rest and 
scanty, though welcome food, in the miserable huts of 
the poorest class of people. The style of the volume is 
simple and graphic, and well calculated to effect its 
object, the awakening of the public sympathies in be¬ 
half of the destitute and starving Irish. There are 
many incidents related of deep and thrilling interest; 
and many delightful specimens afforded of the irresisti¬ 
ble wit of that free and simple-hearted people. We 
commend the volume to the attention of every friend of 
humanity. The kind-hearted writer deserves to be 
ranked with the philanthropic Howard, and the benevo¬ 
lent Mrs. Fry, whose generous and self-denying labors 
in behalf of the poor she has so well emulated. The 
work is well executed. 
Keeping up Appearances ; or a Tale of the Rich 
and Poor. 18mo. pp. 194. 
Riches have Wings; or a Tale for the Rich and 
Poor. 1 vol. l8mo. pp. 192. Published as above. 
Both of these very handsome little volumes are from 
the pen of Arthur, whose works are so well known and 
esteemed by all who prefer the useful and practical in 
literature, to the sentimental trash which deluges the 
press at the present day. The first illustrates, in a very 
charming story, the folly of living beyond one’s income, 
and resorting to means of doubtful propriety for the 
sake of “keeping up appearances.” The second is a 
no less pleasing tale, in which the writer seeks to im¬ 
press upon the reader the vanity of dependence upon 
wealth, and its insufficiency to secure to its possessor 
lasting happiness. “ R iches make to themselves wings 
and fly away.” We heartily commend both these vo¬ 
lumes to the public. 
A Text-Book on Natural Philosophy; For the 
Use of Schools and Colleges, containing the most recent 
discoveries and facts, compiled from the best authori¬ 
ties. By J. W. Draper, Professor of Chemistry in the 
University of New York, with nearly 400 Illustrations. 
New York : Harper & Brothers, pp. 380, 12mo. Price 
75 cents. The study of Natural Philosophy, in the pre¬ 
sent age of improvement, is considered as an indis¬ 
pensable branch of education, even in our common 
schools—no matter what the capacity of the pupil may 
be, however ignorant, at the commencement, or what¬ 
ever may be his future occupation. To the farmer, the 
artisan, the lawyer, the physician, or the divine, the 
study of this pleasing branch of science presents a view 
of the laws and relations of those objects with which 
he is the most familiar, and are essential to be known 
for the performance of the ordinary occupations of life. 
The plan of the Avork before us‘is similar to that of 
the Text-Book on Chemistry, by the same author, giv¬ 
ing a general view of the great features of this science 
in an agreeable and comprehensive manner. Avhich, 
with the aid of a good teacher, may be understood 
by all. 
