4,16 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
13 Months for a Year. 
Every New Subscriber for 1878 sent in during 
November will receive the next month’s paper 
free. (See page 413.) This applies to all sub¬ 
scribers, Whether coming singly at single rates, 
or i-n cfiubs at club rates, or in premium clubs. 
'1'Iie B'jiirs. —With few exceptions, the fairs 
throughout the country have been more than usually suc¬ 
cessful. For many years, farmers have not been in such 
good spirits as they now are, with present prosperity 
and favorable future prospects before them. They have 
consequently not only made a good show of stock and 
products, but they have generally crowded to the fairs, 
themselves and their families, and have put the different 
Agricultural Associations into easy financial condition. 
It is worthy of note that those fairs which have been de¬ 
voted mostly to purely agricultural matters, and have 
avoided the horse trots and miserably poor side-shows, 
have done the best. The New York State Fair stands 
every year a conspicuous example of what an Agricul¬ 
tural exhibition ought to he; and although the manage¬ 
ment is most liberal, the grounds beautifully and expen¬ 
sively furnished, and no outlay is spared to offer the 
public an interesting and instructive show, yet it has a 
handsome surplus to its credit. We do not wish to re¬ 
flect on other managements, or blame the executives of 
other societies, for what we feel to be injudicious, if not 
erroneous practice; “every one to his taste"’; but we 
would repeat what we have often said previously, that it 
is in the power of the managers of the fairs to exert a 
beneficial influence upon their patrons, and especially 
upon the young people, and in their interest, every thing 
that is questionable even, should be rigidly excluded. 
15it<-r , esl8B»s' Notes on B s ot;asli.—All 
cultivators will be interested in Prof. Atwater’s article on 
Potash in this paper. This substance is becoming more 
and more important as a fertilizer, and just as a kind Pro¬ 
vidence had prepared immense stores of Petroleum in the 
earth to be brought forth to yield light when the great 
whales failed to supply a sufficiency of lamp oil for the 
multiplying human race, wo now find that, when the ordi¬ 
nary supply of potash needed to produce food plants has 
begun to grow scarce, the same kind Providence has pro¬ 
vided for the emergency by wonderful beds of this valu¬ 
able fertilizer, that until recently lay hidden in the bow¬ 
els of the •earth. These deposits underlie some 600 
square miles in one locality, furnishing a supply for cen¬ 
turies, as Prof. Atwater tells us; and doubtless future 
discoveries will be made of other like deposits. 
TSic As-sasy and Nsvvy is the 
leading military journal in this country, and is recog¬ 
nized as part of the military establishment, receiving 
and publishing weekly the orders from every Army and 
Navy Head-quarters and Bureau. It is indispensable, 
therefore, to all interested in military affairs. Rifle prac¬ 
tice receives much attention, this journal having origi¬ 
nated and advocated the movement for improved rifle 
shooting, which has been so successful in this country. 
Its editor was, for the first three years, President of 
the National Rifle Association, which has recognized his 
services by electing him an honorary director for life. 
Nails in tlie Stomach. —“M. W. S.,” 
Fort Valley, Ga. The presence of sharp bodies in the 
stomach of an animal, frequently causes death. Nails, 
pieces of wire, pieces of glass, and such pointed or sharp- 
edged bodies penetrating the coats of the stomach, pro¬ 
duce irritation and inflammation, and finally death. It is 
a marked symptom that deaths from this cause are sud¬ 
den and without warning, and seem to be painless. 
Slice Mullers.— 1 “ J. A. M.,” Sarepta, Miss. 
Rice millers of many kinds are made by Squicrs & .Sons, 
of Buffalo, N. Y. Had you given your full name, as every 
correspondent should do (for private use only,) we should 
have replied by mail some time ago. 
A Ksmsas Hedge. — “ E. S. M.,” Wood- 
son Co.. Kas. It is not possible for us to advise you in¬ 
telligently from the information at hand. You should 
state what kind of a hedge, its age, and its previous treat¬ 
ment, or at least when and how it was last pruned. If 
an Osage Orange hedge, has it been lopped, and when? 
1'lie liifuimn Horticultural Slioiv. 
— The N. Y. Hort’l Society’s Exhibition took place at 
Gilmore s Garden, Sept. 26th-28th, and was a complete 
success in all Departments. In fruits, the show of grapes, 
apples, and pears, was excellent, and in vegetables, the 
collections were such as are not often seen at horticul¬ 
tural exhibitions. The display of what are known as 
hot-house or stove plants, exceeded anything before ev¬ 
er seen at any of the previous shows; so perfect was the 
development and wonderful the markings of many of 
the “ leaf plants,” that it was difficult to convince the 
uninitiated that they were natural productions. The dis¬ 
play of Cut Flowers and designs was also large, but in 
these there was no advance over former exhibitions. A 
Miniature Flower Garden, the beds cut out in the ^rass, 
and planted to show the ribbon line style of flower plac¬ 
ing attracted much attention; it was exceedingly well 
done, and reflected great credit on the skill and enter¬ 
prise" of the exhibitor. One difficulty connected with 
the Society’s exhibitions must be remedied—so far, no 
distinction of class is made, so that amateurs are forced 
to compete, if they compete at all, with professional 
florists and nurserymen. It is probable that the Society, 
at its next exhibition, will have the articles offered in 
separate classes—one for amateurs exclusively, and the 
other for professional florists and nurserymen. 
Basket Stems continued 
on page 441. 
A Remarkable Collection of Trees 
is described in a handsome book that we have just re¬ 
ceived, which is entitled Arboretum Segrezianum. If 
contains a catalogue of the trees and shrubs that are in 
cultivation at Segrez, which is a country place about 14 
miles west of Paris, the property of M. Lavallde, the 
author of this volume. We suppose that this arboretum, 
although at most only twenty years old, is one of the 
largest and bids fair to be one of the best in France. On 
the whole, it is probably the best named large collection 
of trees and shrubs in that country. When we saw it, 
less than ten years ago, it was thought to comprise about 
3,000 species, of hardy trees and shrubs, acquired from 
very various sources, mainly by purchase, and bearing 
the names under which they were received, and the per¬ 
plexed proprietor was endeavoring to arrange their.names 
in something like consistency and correctness. In the 
preface of his work, he gives an almost pathetic account 
of his difficulties and troubles ; of the same tree or shrub 
doing duty with the nurserymen for a half dozen others, 
while on the other hand different species would be re¬ 
ceived under the same name ; how many species common 
in the catalogues are really not in cultivation at all, while 
others, said to be very rare, were met with in profusion ; 
how “guelques horticulteurs'' had the habit of changing 
the names of Iona-cultivated species and baptizing them 
anew for the sake of a fresh sale, while others would not 
hesitate to supply orders for species they really had not 
with those which they happened to have. The result 
was that He had to form a complete library of tree-lore, 
and, forgetting as much as possible the received names, 
determine them all afresh for himself, under such scien¬ 
tific aid as he could command. Hence the present cata¬ 
logue, in which all the species and marked varieties now 
possessed (over 4,000 in number) are systematically ar¬ 
ranged, the origin or native country indicated, the syno-, 
nyiny given rather fully, and the principal published 
illustrations cited. All of which should be very useful to 
those who have similar establishments to form, or to 
take care of. There are a good number of species of 
which we should like to see the representatives and know 
the authority for the naming. For instance, among 
American wild plums, besides the Prunus Americana, 
maritima, and Chiccisa , the enumeration comprises 
Prunus nigra , pygmcea, hyemalis, and acuminata. That 
some names, especially of persons other than French, 
should be misprinted, is not surprising, but the book is 
very handsomely got up. 
We were pleased to find in the preface a brief historical 
sketch of the early tree-planters and collections in France, 
from the time of Ren6 de Bellay, bishop of Mans, in the 
middle of the 16th century, and of the elder Robin, who 
founded the first botanical garden at, Paris at the close of 
that century, down to Duhamel and to Andre-Michaux, 
who lived in our own time. A. G. 
[Many readers will be glad to recognize in the well- 
known signature to the above, the fact that Prof. Gray 
has returned from his long summer excursion. In com¬ 
pany with Sir Joseph Hooker, Prof. Leidy, and other 
naturalists, and—in part at least—with Prof. Hayden’s 
Survey, he made very thorough explorations in New 
Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and California. In a private 
note written the day after his retnrn (Sept. 22d), Prof. G. 
says: “Never was an expedition from first to last so 
fortunate. * * * From California to Cambridge with but 
two stationary beds was trying, but we stood it well. 
Have been everywhere, and everywhere fortunate, have 
learned much, worked hard, and enjoyed it all. Are at 
home, well and strong—what could we ask more?”— 
Our only excuse for printing a mere private note is to 
call the attention of our younger readers to the fact that 
Prof. Gray, who stands in the front rank of the world’s 
most eminent scientists, in recounting to a friend the 
benefits of his long journey, gives prominence to the 
fact (though the Italics are ours) that he has “learned 
much ”—such men never stop learning. Only the shal¬ 
low cups get soon filled.— Ed.] 
The New York State Fair. 
A more than usually successful fair of the New York 
State Agricultural Society, held at Rochester, Sept. 17-21, 
has proved the wisdom of depending upon legitimate 
attractions for success, and has shown that farmers will 
patronize a purely agricultural exhibition, without the 
too common horse-races and objectionable side-shows. 
Plain farmers are capable of enjoying the beautiful and 
the useful; and at Rochester these were provided for 
them in finely laid out grounds, and an unusually good 
display of machinery and live stock. We are obliged to 
stop here, because for once the dairy and farm products 
were deficient, not to say poor in the extreme. For the 
greatest dairy State in the Union to fail to show one 
good sample of butter, unless it might have been a small 
roll exhibited by a farmer's wife, was something re¬ 
markable, if not blameworthy. There were, however, a 
few things to be seen well worthy cf note. The agri¬ 
cultural . machinery was excellent in every way, and it 
was pleasant to observe the lively interest exhibited by 
the crowds of visitors in its examination. The growing 
necessity for farm machinery of all kinds, will soon 
oblige every farmer to become an expert in its selection 
and its use, and every opportunity to study it should be 
seized and utilized. The live stock was good, but not 
so numerous as usual. Counting from the Catalogue, 
we find 170 entries of horses, and, curiously enough, pre¬ 
cisely the same number of cattle of the aifferent breeds. 
Among the latter, the Ayrsliires were the most numerous, 
numbering between 40 and 50. The best of these were 
exhibited by a Canadian breeder, Mr. J. W. Jardine, of 
Hamilton. The Jerseys were conspicuous chiefly for the 
presence of herds, whose owners are new to fame as 
prize-winners, and the absence of the old set of victors 
in the ring. The Messrs. Burden, of Troy, bore off the 
most of the prizes in the Jersey class. Of Dutch cattle, 
(why will they call these Holsteins ?) the “ Unadilla Val¬ 
ley Stock Breeders Association” exhibited the best. 
More than 40 Shorthorns were shown; the “ Prin¬ 
cesses” of C. F. Wadsworth, Geneseo, N. Y., took the 
lead; “Treble Gloster,” owned by Fellows and Butts, 
of Clifton, took first premium for bulls over three years- 
old. A score or more of Devons, and a few common 
cows, working cattle, and fat oxen, made up the show. 
A Shorthorn cow took the first prize as a milker. A 
monstrous grade Shorthorn ox received the first prize 
for fat cattle. Amongst the sheep a lot of cross-bred or 
grade Cotswold-Merinos were very noteworthy, as show¬ 
ing how profitable a sheep, both for wool and mutton 
this hardy cross can be made. The South-Downs of J. D. 
Wing, and the fine-wool Merinos of Mr. Chamberlain 
and Carl Heyne were, as usual, beyond competition. A 
good assortment of pigs were shown; those breeders, 
however, who made the most show, failed to take the- 
first prizes. Of poultry but a small show was made. 
The Harvests of the World, and the 
Markets for our Products. 
A review of the condition of the now completed and 
ascertained harvests of the civilized world is interesting, 
as it furnishes a key to the question—what will be the 
probable condition of our markets, until the next year's 
crop begins to influence them ? From the most trust¬ 
worthy sources of information the Wheat surplus of the 
following countries, which compete with the United. 
States for a market, is estimated as follows: 
Egypt.10,000,000 bushels. 
Canada. 8.000,000 
Spain. 2,000,000 
Germany. 2,000,000 
Austria and Hungary. 8.000,000 
Total... 30,000,000 
This insignificant quantity is all that can be thrown 
upon the markets of the world from these countries. 
Italy has no surplus to export, and Russian trade is 
crippled by the war, in which that country is now en¬ 
gaged, so that there will be small supplies from there, to 
meet the serious deficiencies which we have to note. 
These deficiencies exist in France and Great Britain. 
The necessities of France will call for an import of 
24,000,000 bushels, which will nearly swallow up the 
whole surplus above mentioned, as expected from all 
probable sources. The harvest of Great Britain has been 
very deficient, not yielding more than 43 per cent of 
the quantity of wheat usually consumed. Consider¬ 
ably more than half the needed supply of Great Britain 
