314 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
more of New Rochelle Blackberries and new varieties of 
peaches than of dry articles on mulching and the curculio ) 
“Youhave my best wishes, sir, I amsure. Butdon’tyou 
publish the best paper in the Union, now 1 Most editors 
claim to do that thing, I believe. You don’t mean to be 
more modest than the rest of them, do you ?” 
Mr. J. “ Well, editors are not generally overcharged 
with modesty,that’s a fact. It certainly does not amount 
to a vice with them. I don’t remember, just at this minute, 
that I ever heard of one of the brotherhood having been 
hung on any such charge. I never set myself upas a 
supremely modest man, to be sure; and I own that I 
honestly believe the Agriculturist is now the very best 
agricultural paper in the country.” 
U. F. “Ha! ha! I thought so.” 
Mr. J. “ I said the best agricultural paper. Now, what 
I want is to make it the best paper in the land for every 
member of the family —for the mother as well as for the 
father—for the boys and girls, as well as for their parents. 
That’s what I want; and what is more, sir, I'll do it. I’ve 
done something towards it now, and I'm going to do the 
rest, without a moment’s unnecessary loss of time. See 
il I don’t.” 
U. F. “You talk as if you were in earnest. I like that. 
You can’t fail of success, with such a spirit. Go ahead, 
6ir; I wish you a million of subscribers—and a good morn¬ 
ing.” 
Mr. J. “Stop a moment, my dear sir, I want your help 
in this thing,” 
U. F. “ Impossible, sir, quite impossible.” 
.Mr. J. “ Permit me to say, that I think otherwise. Lis¬ 
ten to me a minute. I am afraid you don’t understand 
me. I want your aid in a department, where you are at 
home. I want you to write solely for the boys and girls— 
to keep up a monthly chat with them—to amuse and in¬ 
struct them, in your best style. Will you do it ?” 
U. F. “ Why, can’t you keep up the department your¬ 
self, Mr. Judd?”— 
Mr. J. “ I’ll tell you. I have so far hoped to keep the 
uoy's and girl’s columns all to myself, for I enjoy this de¬ 
partment more than all the rest of the paper. But the bus¬ 
iness of publishing the Agriculturist has become so extend¬ 
ed, that I do not always have time for a long monthly 
chat with my young readers. Very often the only time I 
get for this is when the dear little ones all over the coun¬ 
try are in bed, and sound asleep. Now, I want to engage 
you to harness up with me, and help draw these boys and 
girls into good habits and correct ways of thinking. What 
say you ?” 
U. F. “ I couldn’t think of such a thing, unless you will 
manage to lengthen my days so as to make them, say, 
about twenty-live or twenty-six hours long.” 
Mr. J. “ I know well enough you are a busy man, 
Uncle Frank ; and I know equally well, that it is the bus¬ 
iest man who has the most leisure for any little matters 
out of the ordinary routine of his business.” 
U. Fv“ You are right there. It is only your idle man 
who never does much of any thing, that has no leisure. 
But really I don’t see how I can possibly-” 
Mr. J. “ Chat half an hour with a hundred and ten thou¬ 
sand boys and girls.” 
U. F. “ One hundred and ten thousand! Youdon’tmean 
to say seriously, that your paper goes into the hands of 
one hundred and ten thousand young people !” 
Mr. J. “I do mean to say, seriously and truthfully, that 
I believe the aggregate number of young folks able to read, 
in the families where the Agriculturist is a monthly visi¬ 
tor, can notbe less than one hundred and ten thousand.” 
U. F. “ That alters the case, sir. One hundred and ten 
thousand—whew ! I’ll talk to them. I must find the time, 
by hook or by crook.” 
And so, my dear young friends, I am going to chat with 
you every month—that is, if you and I get along pretty 
well together. If you don’t like my bill of fare, I shall 
find it out. just as the cook finds out that her dishes are 
not relished ; and as soon as I see you yawning over w hat 
I have to say to you, I shall be off in less tune than it takes 
me now to talk about it. 
I didn’t intend, in this first ehat with you, to say much 
more than just to tell you what I am going to do and how 
I came to do it. But there is a bird story in my head 
which has been struggling for some weeks to find an out¬ 
let, and I’ll tell it now, if you please, for fear it will not 
keep till another month. 
THE LITERARY ROBIN. 
Hid you ever see a robin, who was fond of literature, 
and selected the very best reading he could find ? “ No 
indeed, sir; did you ?” Well, listen to my story, and then 
judge for yourself. 
The world-renowned Washington Irving resides on the 
margin of the Hudson, in one of the cosiest nooks imag¬ 
inable. This place he calls “ Sunny Side.” It is only a 
short distance from my own country residence. One day, 
during the last Summer, I visited that charming spot, and 
was sauntering around the grounds, when I observed a 
fobin on one of the forest trees near the house, tugging 
away lustily at a sheetofpaper. The paperproved, upon 
closer examination, to be a manuscript. The bird seemed 
anxious to deposite the treasure in her nest, which was 
in process of building on one of the highest boughs of the 
tree. But the task, like many of those undertaken by 
architects without wings, especially by that large class of 
people who are known by the name of “ castle builders,” 
was much less easily achieved than determined upon. 
Robin encountered a host of difficulties. But he still per¬ 
severed in his work. Now the paper would catch in an 
angle of the tree ; then it would get fast among the twigs 
and leaves. But the bird toiled on. He didn’t get dis¬ 
couraged. He seems to have been a bird with “one idea,” 
for the time, at least. That manuscript must be got into 
his summer-house, come what might 
“ Well, Uncle Frank, did he succeed ?” 
Of course he djd. Perseverance always—almost al¬ 
ways—secures success. Now, having stated this fact, I 
leave you to form your own conclusion as to the intelli¬ 
gence and literary taste of the bird. Bon’t you honestly 
think, now, that he must have been a lover of literature 
in general, and Washington Irving’s writings in particu 
lar? How came he to spend so much strength, and time, 
and patience, over that sheet of paper, if he merely want¬ 
ed it for the purpose of nest-building ? Besides, that kind 
of timber is not adapted lo the construction of a robin’s 
nest; and moreover, the bird, after having deposited the 
manuscript in the place where he wished it, did not at¬ 
tempt to use it in building, but meiely attached it to the 
outside of the nest. Don’t you think this looks very 
much as if the bird knew he was a tenant of the sweetest 
prose-w riter on this side of the Atlantic, and that he had 
a suspicion that this manuscript was written by Irving’s 
own hand? You smile at all this, and.think that it would 
be well, perhaps, to clip the wings of Uncle Frank’s fancy 
a little. But I do assure you, though I will not waste 
time now in trying to establish that robin’s literary char¬ 
acter—I do assure you that there is far more intelligence 
in birds than most people are willing to give them credit 
for. I have been a resident in bird-land a great part of my 
life. I have watched the dear little creatures very close¬ 
ly ; and I have learned many things about their habits 
which would greatly amuse and astonish you. Some 
other time—not now, I guess—I must tell you a few of my 
choicest bird stories, that is, if you are in a humor for 
listening to them. 
By the way, a friend of mine, a great lover of the birds, 
says, that he has satisfied himself, from observation, that 
the male robin builds the nest, and that the female does’nt 
meddle at all in the business, except, perhaps, in the way 
of advice. What do the boys and girls say to this ? Is my 
friend Dr. C. right ? I am inclined to think he is mistaken. 
Have any of you ever watched the nest-building of the 
robin family, so closely arid carefully as to be able to tell 
me positively what is the fact in this case ? For myself, 
though I have a more intimate acquaintance with the 
robin family than any other of the feathered tribe, I have 
always taken it for granted that both the father and moth¬ 
er shared in building their house, and consequently I nev¬ 
er took the pains to examine the matter. 
-- 
American IPoaitoIugscal Society. 
This Association held its Seventh Session in this city, 
commencing Sept. 14th, and closing on the evening oflhe 
16th. The meeting was a highly interesting and useful 
one, and was attended by a very large number of practi¬ 
cal and amateur fruit-growers from almost every part of 
the country. We noticed several from beyond the Mis¬ 
sissippi River, where the culture of fruit is being rapidly 
extended. The whole session, beginning at 9 A. M-, and 
continuing with two short intermissions until after 10 P. 
M , of each day, was occupied m discussions and reports 
upon the various fruits. Cultivators from every part of 
the country presented the results of their experience and 
observation upon the different kinds of fruits in their sev¬ 
eral varieties, as they were successively called over. The 
only objection we can bring to the order of proceeding is, 
that too much time, relatively, was devoted to the discus¬ 
sion of pears, leaving too brief a space for other important 
fruits of a wider cultivation and interest. 
The preceding part of this number being already stereo¬ 
typed, we have only room for a condensed report of the 
proceedings; but the list of fruits named below', gives a 
clear understanding of the results arrived at, better, per¬ 
haps, than a more detailed report would do, for it should 
be stated that each fruit was called over, and full details 
of observation and experience were given by all who were 
acquainted with it. No partiality or statements of inter¬ 
ested parties were allowed to shield any fruit from the 
severest criticism when deserved. We were present 
during the entire meetings, and, every thing considered, 
we deem the list of fruits given below as a very valuable 
one. 
At the opening of the session, the usual address was de¬ 
livered by the Prest, lion. Marshall P Wilder, a review 
of which we must reserve for the future. The following 
is the list of officers elected for the term of two years : 
President —The Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, of Massa¬ 
chusetts. 
Vice-Presidents— S. L. Goodale, Maine ; II I. French, 
New-Hampshire; Samuel Walker, Massachu, etts: Fred. 
Holbrook, Vermont; Stephen H. Smith, Rhode Island; 
A. S. Monson, Connecticut : Charles Downing, New- 
York; William Reid, New-Jersey ; Hartman Kuhn, jr , 
Pennsylvania; E. Tatnall, Delaware ; Charles B Cal¬ 
vert, Maryland; Yardley Taylor. Virginia; Walter L. 
Steele, North Carolina ; A G. Summer, South Carolina ; 
Richard Peters, Georgia; Jos. L. Moultrie. Alabama; 
Dr. M. W. Phillips, Mississippi; Jas. S. Downer, Ten¬ 
nessee; Lawrence Young,Kentucky ; A. II. Ernst. Ohio ; 
J. C Holmes,Michigan ; J. A. D. Nelson, Indiana; J. W. 
Felt, Louisiana ; Thomas Affleck, Texas : B.C Overman, 
Illinois; N J. Column. Missouri; George Worthin, Ark¬ 
ansas ; Robert Avery, Iowa ; J. C. Bray ton, Wisconsin ; 
Simpson Thompson, California; Joshua Pierce, District 
of Columbia; Edward Hunter, Utah; Amasa Stewart, 
Minnesota ; C. B. Lines, Kansas; William Davenport, 
Oregon; Hugh Allen, Canada East; James Dougal, 
Canada West. 
Secretary— Thomas W. Field, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Treasurer —Thomas P. James, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Executive Committee— The President and Vice-Presi¬ 
dents ex-officin ; W. 1) Brinckle, M. D., Philadelphia, 
Pa.; T. W. Field, Brooklyn, N. Y.; M. B. Bateham, 
Columbus, Ohio ; L. E. Berckmans, Plainfield, N. J.; 
F. K. Phoenix, Bloomington, Ill. 
For convenience of reference, we arrange the lists of 
fruits together. Those marked for general cultivation 
are such as, from all accounts, appear to do well throughout 
the country, so far as tried. See remarks below. 
N B.— \st. The seven apples enclosed m[ ] were reported 
by Mr. llateliam and Dr. Warder as not doing well IVesf. 
2nd. nose fruits in the different lists marked with an as¬ 
terisk—*, are in w additions made to these several lists at 
the present meeting, by general vote. 
APPLES. 
FOR GENERAL CULTIVATION. 
Amer. Summer Pearmain, 
Autumn Bough,* 
Baldwin, 
Benoni, 
Broadwell Apple,* 
Bullock’s Pippin, 
Carolina June,* 
Coggswell.* 
Danvers Winter Sweet, 
Early Harvest, 
Early Strawberry, 
Fall Pippin, 
Fameuse, 
Gravenstein, 
Hawley, 
High Top Sweeting, 
[Hubbardston Nonesuch,] 
Jonathan,* 
[Lady Apple.] 
Ladies Sweet, 
Large Yellow Bough, 
Melon, 
Minister, 
Monmouth Pippin,* 
Porter, 
Primate, 
Rambo, 
Red Astrac.han, 
[Rhode Island Greening,] 
[Roxbury Russet,J 
Smith’s Cider,* 
Summer Rose, 
[Swaar.j 
Vandervere, 
VVagener.* 
William’s Favorite (except 
for light soils). 
Wine Apple, or Hays, 
Winesap. 
APPLES PROMISING WELL. 
Buckhingham,* Smoke House, 
Fornwalder, White Winter Pearmain,* 
Genesee Chief, Winter Sweet Paradise, 
Jeffries, Wi.nlhrop Greening, or 
King of Tompkins County. Lincoln Pippin, 
Mother, Willis Sweeting,* 
Primate, 
FOR PARTICULAR LOCALITIES. 
Canada Red, Northern Spy, 
AfsopusSpitzenherg, Yellow Bellflower, 
Newtown Pippin, Ribstone Pippin. 
for oardens .Garden Royal. 
PEARS. 
FOR GENERAL 
ON PEAR STOCK. 
Ananas d’Ete, 
Andrews, 
Bartlett (Williams’ Bon 
Chrelian), 
Belle Lucrative, or Fon- 
dante d’Automne, 
Beurre d’Anjou, 
Beurre d’Aremberg, 
Beurre Bose, 
Beurre Clairgean,* 
Beurre Diel, 
Beurrd Giffard * 
Beurrb Hardy (Slerck- 
mans).* 
Beurre St. Nicholas, 
Beurre Superfin,* 
Bloodgood, 
Brandywine,* 
Buffum, 
Cabot,* 
Dearborn’s Seedling, 
Doyenne Boiissock, 
Doyennd d’Alencon,* 
Doyenne d’Ete, 
Flemish Beauty, 
Fulton, 
Golden Beurre of Bilboa, 
Howell, 
Kingsessing,* 
Lawrence, 
Louise Bonne de Jersey. 
Madeleine, 
Manning’s Elizabeth, 
Onondaga.* 
Osbaml’s Summer, 
Paradise d’Automne, 
CULTIVATION. 
Tyson. 
Urban iste. 
Uvedale’sSt. Germain (for 
baking), 
Virgalieu, (or White 
Doyenne),* 
Vicar of Winkfield, 
Winter Nelis, 
St. Michael Archange. 
ON QUINCE STOCKS. 
Belle Epine Dumas,* 
Belle Lucrative, 
Beurrb d’Alencon,* 
Beurre d’Amalis,, 
Beurre d’Anjou, 
Beurrb Diel, 
Beurre Hardy, (Sterck 
mans),* 
Beurre Langelier, 
Beurre Superfin,* 
Buffum,* 
Catillac, 
Duchesse d’Angouleme, 
Easter Beurrb, 
Figue d’-Wenpon, 
Glout Morceau, 
Louise Bonne de Jersey, 
Napoleon, 
Nouveau Poiteau, 
Rostiezer, 
Soldat Laboureur (?) 
St. Michael Arcnange, 
Urbanist e, 
Uvedale’s St. Germain, cr 
Belle Angevine (forbsk.- 
ing), 
