editors’ table. 
381 
(Editors liable. 
" Mr. A. Sherman, our travelling agent, is now on a 
tour through Delaware, eastern shore of Maryland, and 
Virginia, whence he will traverse several of the tide¬ 
water counties of Virginia and North Carolina, and 
perhaps, return by way of Upper Janies River, and the 
Valley, calling upon our friends in Loudoun, Fairfax, 
Ac. The object of Mr Sherman, is, to extend the circu¬ 
lation of the Agriculturist, and make kftown our busi¬ 
ness. He will receive subscriptions for the Agricultu¬ 
rist, and furnish bound volumes of that and a few other 
agricultural bocks to subscribers; and take orders for 
goods manufactured or sold by us, at the New-York 
Agricultural Warehouse. Cash paid him on account 
of the Agriculturist, or A. B. Allen A Co., will be duly 
acknowledged. Facts communicated to Mr. Sherman, 
to enrich the pages of the Agriculturist, will be duly 
appreciated. He will also be able to communicate much 
useful information in public addresses, when desired. 
Brande’s Encyclopedia. —The attention of readers 
is called to Messrs. Harpers’ advertisement for this 
valuable work. We know of no single volume that 
contains more useful information for all classes of read¬ 
ers, than this book. Any person who has once learned 
its value, cannot well dispense with it, for he needs it 
for daily reference. 
Awards at the Late State Fair at Albany. —We 
regret to say that we made a mistake in our November 
number, page 353, in attributing this to the New- 
York State Agricultural Society. It is of the awards 
on swine and milch cows, at the state fair of Rhode 
Island, of which Mr. King complained. 
Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution. —Among 
the numerous pictures contained in this work, are sev¬ 
eral first-rate farm houses, just as they appeared in 
olden times. One of the most interesting is the Liv¬ 
ingston Mansion, about a mile below Poughkeepsie; 
which, although lacking the adornments given to 
some of Mr. Downing’s designs, is a true view of an 
old-fashioned country house, truly American in its 
character. This engraving may be seen at page 385 
of No. 8, of the work alluded to. 
In the November number of Harper’s Magazine, 
some other views are published in anticipation of the 
regular issue of the Field Book; and others, not yet 
engraved, are still more beautiful than those published. 
The views of several of the buildings, already por¬ 
trayed, are pictures of the character of the age—plain, 
solid, substantial, and well fitted for the wants of just 
such a people as inhabited them. Of this kind, is the 
Constitution House, page 387. How exactly an 
old-fashioned, one-story farm house, is represented at 
p^ge 403. Steuben’s head quarters, page 333 is 
a o her true picture of an old-fashioned farm house. 
Many others might be noticed equally striking and 
interesting, because they give more true views of 
American country houses, as they actually exist, than 
any other work published. 
Dwarf Cherry Trees. —The plan of raising dwarf 
fruit trees in gardens where the proprietor has but 
little room to spare, and yet is desirous of having a va¬ 
riety of fruits is getting into general use. Thus, the 
pear is dwarfed by being grafted on the quince 
roots, or on the mountain ash, swamp pear, Ac. The 
apple by being engrafted on the Paradise stock, and 
the cherry by being engrafted on the mahaleb stock. 
This mahaleb is a foreigner. We have thought that 
there was no particular necessity of sending abroad for 
a dwarf stock on which to engraft the cherry for dwarf¬ 
ing. We have a variety of dwarf cherries that grow 
well in this state, that would probably be as good, or 
better than the mahaleb. There is the little wild red 
cherry, (Prunus obovata ,) that grows abundantly on 
our hills and mountains in Oxford and other frontier 
counties. There is the common black choke cherry 
{Prunus borealis ,) that grows in all parts of the state ; 
and then there is the low trailing sand cherry, {Prunus 
depressa ,) abundant about the sand bars and margins 
of the streams in Aroostook county, and sometimes 
found in Kennebec. We have no doubt that any of 
these would make as good stocks for dwarfing the com¬ 
mon cherry as can be found in the world.— Ex¬ 
change. 
Downing’s Country Houses. —A book with this 
title is so intimately connected with the objects aimed 
to be supported by this journal, that its publication re¬ 
quires more than a passing notice. From the title, we 
were led to hope that a work, very much needed, was 
about to be given to the American public. We have 
been grievously disappointed. The book is not what 
its title purports. If Mr. Downing had called it a con¬ 
tinuation of Cottage Residences, or Rural Architecture, 
suited to the tastes and wealth of retired country gen¬ 
tlemen, it would have passed with our approbation. 
But now, it is not a work that can be adopted as a 
standard for imitation, as we understand the meaning 
of the expression, “ country houses.” 
Let us ask our friend Downing—for such we esteem 
him—if there is a single plan among all the many beau¬ 
tiful ones the book contains, that he can recommend as 
exactly the thing for an American farm house ? If 
there is, we beg that it may be pointed out, and we 
will copy the plan into our columns, with due credit to 
the work from which it was taken. Some of the fea¬ 
tures of Design xiii., which is denominated a “ symmetri¬ 
cal farm house,” would approach towards our idea of 
what a small farmhouse should be; but what shall we say 
of some others ? Hie author says, “ in our republic 
there are neither the castles of feudal barons, nor the 
palaces of princes.” What then is the object of Design 
xx. ? It surely has more the look of a baronial castle, 
than a plain country house, the ground plan of which 
is as unsuitable to the wants of an American farmer, as 
are many of the monstrosities already dignified with 
the name of farm house. Certainly, Design xxi. is as 
much like a palace as it is like an American country 
house, and the same may be said of xxvii., xxxi., xxxii., 
and several others. Then, again, the extravagant fur¬ 
niture represented and recommended, is entirely out 
of place, in a work that pretends to give designs for 
American country houses. 
We concede to the author, talent and perseverance, 
in his labors, but we want him to call his works by their 
right names. There is another slight objection to this 
volume, and that is, the fashionable folly of making use of 
a great number of words which nine tenths of the per¬ 
sons who live in “ country houses,” do not understand. 
For instance, “ Renaissance, Romanesque, Cinque Cen¬ 
to, chasseur, demi-toilette, en suite, conversazione, pro¬ 
saic, terra cotta, ovolo, cyma, covetto, torus, astragal, 
Gothic and Tudor Gothic, and Tudor flowers; to say 
nothing of boudoir, corridor, music canterburys, qua- 
torse, encoigneur, virtu, escritoire, etagere, jardinier,” Ac. 
which are sprinkled through the pages with no sparing 
hand. It may be said they are all technical or com¬ 
mon words, and ought to be understood; but all who 
may read this book, do not possess Webster’s quarto 
dictionary, nor understand the Latin, Italian, nor French 
languages; and some of them, most undoubtedly will 
say the frequent use of such words is a mark of ped¬ 
antry in the author. In conclusion, we recommend the 
book to the perusal of gentlemen who have money to 
spend in ornamental, rather than in economical and 
useful country houses. S. R. 
