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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
QUEENS CO. (L. I.) FAIR. 
The QueenB Co. Agricultural Society Bhould 
invest a part of its surplus funds iu a brace of 
sprinkling-carts, abolish tbo trotlimg-track and 
extend its carriage accommodations. The fair 
would then be a modol County Fair. As it 
is, it far surpasses in point of attendance and 
number of interesting exhibits, many Btate 
fairs. I had almost forgotten to animadvert on 
the execrable quality of the music ; next to the 
dust, that brass-band was the most annoying 
feature of the fair. 
There was a full representation iu all depart¬ 
ments, but the poultry was especially note¬ 
worthy aB regards quality and numbers, sur¬ 
passing iu all respects the show at the New York 
and the New Jersey Btate fairs. The geese and 
ducks were excellent. Space precludes a de¬ 
tailed account of the birds, but we caunot for¬ 
bear complimenting Messrs. Magrane & Fair- 
service, Newark, N- J.; Barr Bros, B&yshore; 
J. H. Perkins, Flushing, and N. W- Shutt, 
Brentwood, for their poultry. 
Tho cattle were numerous and excellent, as 
was to be expected, considering the number of 
wealthy gentlemen on the Island who ride this 
hobby with increasing enthusiasm. Mr. Crozier 
was conspicuous by the absence of his usual fine 
herd, but Beacon Farm was represented by a 
herd of Holsteine,—a new departure iu that 
quarter. Onocow, Katenka, averaged 30 pounds 
of milk per day for 359 days. Certainly a hand¬ 
some record. I noticed a number of fine grade 
cows—T. Treadwell, of Miueola. and Joseph L. 
Townsend, of Old Westb.ny, taking honors in 
this class. B. S. Swan, Oyster Bay, had his 
usual high-class JorseyB, and W. P. Douglass, 
Little Neck, competed on even termB with the 
same breed. W. Willetts, ltoslyu, seems to be 
the only breeder of Devons—more’s the pity, as 
these serviceable animals do not seem to be held 
in proper estimation. 
Wm. Kloenne, of Hicksville, had expended no 
end of trouble and soap on his Angora goats, 
and they repaid the trouble by appropriating a 
large share of the visitors' attention. Thos. Mott, 
Port Washington, and D. Brinkerhoff &, Son, 
ManhasBet, were strong in Bouthdowns, while 
S. L. Albertson, BoslyD, and W. A. Willis, Min- 
eola, monopolized the long-wools. W. H. Bow- 
ker & Co., and the Mapes' Formula & Guano 
Co. had the fertilizers all to themselves. The 
former had their samples tastefully arranged iu 
glass jars and bottles, and the latter had a cres¬ 
cent-shaped exhibit. One side showed their 
complete manures in bags, just as they leave 
the factory, and the opposite row of saoks con¬ 
tained the crude materials from which the 
manures are compounded, thus showing at a 
glance juBt how the ingredients are combined. 
R. H. Allen & Co., and A. B. Cohu, had agri¬ 
cultural implements iu great variety. Philips’s 
Spiral Corn-husker was in operation, worked 
by Minard Harder’s, “Fearless," horse¬ 
power. The Eureka Mower, Foust's Hay 
Loader, Noyes’ Hay Carrier, tho Champion aud 
Centennial Drills, Deere’s Gang Plow, and 
Corn Cultivator, as well eb other implements of 
established reputation, were represented. The 
Dairy Supply Co. had their Monitor Churn, 
Cooley’s Apparatus, aDd a new Milk Pail on ex¬ 
hibition, and, to make things interesting, en¬ 
tered into a churning contest. 
The floricultural display was vory generally 
confined to cut flowers, and horticulture ranged 
from apples to hot-house lemons and pine¬ 
apples. The grapes and apples were note¬ 
worthy. The mammoth pumpkins, turnips aud 
beets were out in foroe, flanked by an appetizing 
collection of bread aud cake, the pride of pre¬ 
mium housewives. A tether, shown by Mr. 
Rock of Glen’s Head, was one of the novelties 
of the Fair, and well worthy the attention it re¬ 
ceived. 
The arrangements of the exhibits, and the 
thorough way in which the officers of the So¬ 
ciety discharged their onerous duties, lent a 
completeness to the occasion that all will re¬ 
member with pleasure. n. 
THE MONTREAL HORTICULTURAL SHOW. 
The “Montreal Horticultural Society and 
Fruit Growers’ Association of the Province of 
Quebec ”—a pretty long title 1—held their annu¬ 
al exhibition at the Victoria Skating Rink in Mon¬ 
treal, Sept. 17, 18 and 19. Your correspondent 
had the pleasure of beiug present during each 
day of the show, and can testify to its entire 
success, both as an exposition of fruit, vegeta¬ 
bles, flowers and ornamental plants, and also 
financially, the attendance being very full, both 
day and evening. This society is an example of 
what can be done by energy and skill on the 
part of i(s managers, and especially of its Secre¬ 
tary, Henry S. Evans, Esq., whose untiriDg zeal 
has been effective in placing the Montreal Socie¬ 
ty in the front rank among Ameiican societies 
of its olasB. The membership is, I believe, over 
700, and all classess, from the cottage gardener 
to the wealthiest citizen, take aotive part aud 
deep personal interest iu the success of its meet¬ 
ings and exhibitions. 
Tho display of floral treasures, both pot-plants 
and cut flowers, was simply immense, the great 
building beiDg transformed into an enormouscon- 
servatory, in which every person’s best was col¬ 
lected together to constitute a sight rarely to be 
seen. The labor and skill thus represented can 
hardly be estimated. Montreal and its outlying 
vil lages contain a great number of wealthy people, 
who themselves, as amateurs, and whose skilled 
gardeners, together,are able topresdfit as great at¬ 
tractions in this line as any city on tho continent. 
There were, iu addition, many line contributions 
from Quebec aud other places witbin the pro¬ 
vince at a distance from Montreal, wbiob, alto¬ 
gether, produced such a tout, ensemble as is rarely 
equaled and still more rarely, if over, surpassed. 
The show of hot-house grapes was especially 
fair and extensive. Peaches, Nectarines, and 
other orchard-house products were shown, while 
plums and pears were in abundance and the 
show of apples profuse. 
This latter portion of the exhibition was the 
one most interesting to the writer, as displaying 
the degree of success that may’ be reached in 
orcharding, even in so cold a climate as that of 
Lower Canada. ThiB is obtained, and is being 
developed and advanced in a most gratifying de¬ 
gree, by the diffusion of varieties of which al¬ 
most nothing is known elsewhere. Excepting 
the Fameuse. itself a Canadian apple, hardly a 
variety exhibited at this great show of apples, is 
cultivated or known outside of tho province. I 
am convinced that this is a great loss to our 
fruit growers, especially to amateurs, for many 
of these Canadian apples excel, both in beauty 
and spicy piquancy of flavor aud aroma, any 
sorts in common cultivation in the States. It 
may be that they would not preserve all their ex¬ 
cellence when transferred to a warmer climate, 
but at least they would prove treasures iu thoEe 
colder seotions of tho Union, such as northern 
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Wiscon¬ 
sin and Minnesota, where good apples are scarce 
and all the standard varieties refuse to grow. 
The county exhibits of apples were especially in¬ 
teresting, as showing the relative hardiness of 
different varieties, displayed by their presence or 
absence from the tables of each county. The 
county of Huntingdon, lying at the extreme west¬ 
ern corner of the province, between New York 
and the St. Lawrence River, showed its milder 
climate by the exhibition of apples like the 
Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening ; while the 
show of the Abbottsford Fruit-growers’ Associa¬ 
tion from tho County of Trowville (which took 
tho sooond prize, Huntingdon getting the first), 
demonstrated what can be done by skill in the 
choice of the right varieties where even the 
Fameuse is not entirely hardy. 
I will closo this brief notice of a most note¬ 
worthy exhibition by naming the varieties of 
apples exhibited which have proved tho hardiest, 
moat productive, and of tho highest quality. For 
summer apples there were the Rlinkbonny, the 
Peach of Montreal, and the Roseau. For au¬ 
tumn, the Alexander, the Cellini, the llawthorn- 
den, the King of the Pippins, the St. Lawrence, 
the Fameuse Sucre, tho Mountain Boet, tbo Au¬ 
tumn Strawberry, the Boxuassa and the Decarie. 
For winter, the Fameuse, Canada Baldwin, 
White Winter Oalville, Pommo Griae. 
It bhould be noted that though the names of 
some of those, as the Cellini, the King of the 
Pippins and the White Winter Caiville. are found 
iu our works on pomology, yet competent au¬ 
thorities, Mr. Downing amoug them, decide 
that tho Canada apples thus named arc not the 
same. Of others, aud these among the choicest, 
and only lately brought to uotiee through the 
efforts of this society—the Fameuse Buore, 
Mountain Beet and Decarie—it should also he 
said that they have not yet been propagated by 
nurserymen to any great extent. The Pomrae 
Ctriso and Alexander, named above, are the 
same as grown elsewhere. 
T. H. Hoskins, M. D. 
Orleans Co., Vt., Sept. 21. 
-♦ - 
NOTES AT THE N. Y. HORT. SOCIETY. 
Me. Thomas Hogg sent a Chestnut from 
Japan, some years ago, which is now being 
propagated by the Kisseua Nurseries of Flush¬ 
ing, L. I. One specimen is here exhibited, live 
feet high, beariug a dozen burs or cupules. 
The leaf is much smaller than our Chestnut and 
narrower. It is not more than six years old—is 
perfectly hardy. The seed is much larger than 
our Chestnut, though we know not as to the 
flavor. But the size of tho Chestnut, and its 
early coming iu fruit, must render it a valuable 
acquisition. 
The vegetable aud fruit display of this well- 
conducted exhibition is alone worth a visit. 
Eliwanger & Barry take a silver medal for 
Grapes beside tho exhibit of Mr. Ricketts— 
wbile Mr. Ricketts takes a gold medal for pears, 
beside the display of E. & B., which is some¬ 
what reversing the usual order. Peter Hender¬ 
son takes a silver medal for best collection of 
cut flowers. 
In a large glass case we find bundles of Cham¬ 
plain aud Dt-fittuco Wheat—tho size and beauty 
of which make one enviona of those who raised 
it. Whatever these varieties may ultimately 
prove to tho spring wheat cultivator at large, 
these specimens are at least remarkable. 
The floricultural display is arranged with ex¬ 
ceeding taste—the plants are choice, and the 
entire exhibition, to say in a word what we 
should like to devote a page to, is of rare merit. 
-- 
Rochester, N. Y„ sept. 26, 1S7S. 
At our recent western New York Fair, which 
by-the-by has been a great success, I was inter- 
terested more particularly iu Floral Hall than in 
other departments. Here the display of exotio 
plants was unusually fine. Messrs. Eliwanger & 
Barry, J. Charlton, and J. B. Keller, deserve 
great credit for their large and varied collec¬ 
tions. Tho display of fruits, tbongli good, was 
not superior to thai of other years. Among the 
novelties exhibited I noted the Early Dawn, a 
new early, black grape, being propagated by H. 
E. Hooker, but which is uot yet put on the mar¬ 
ket. The bunohea were medium in size, hand¬ 
some, berry small and of excellent quality. 
Tho Monroe, a new grape exhibited hy Ell- 
waDger & Barry; very compact bunch, hand¬ 
some appearance and fine quality. 
The Pookliugton, a green grape from Sandy 
Hill, N. V.; tho finest of its class exhibited, 
and if we may believe of it one-half that is 
claimed, it is certainly the greatest acquisition 
that horliculturo has had for years. In other 
departments the entries were full—there being 
some 3,500 entries, all told. 
Stock wrb fairly represented; some very fine 
animals being present. Among farm imple¬ 
ments worthy of notice I would mention the new 
harness for plowing orchards, which does away 
with traces and whiflletrees; aud by the use of 
which the most careless person is competent Lo 
plow in young orchards without daugor of bark¬ 
ing the trees. Of other time aud labor-saviug 
machines, time will not permit an account. 
n. T. J. 
The Somerset County Fair at Somerville, 
N- J. will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and 
Thursday, Oct. 1st, 2d aud 3d. This old-estab¬ 
lished institution is yearly growing more and 
more popular, and this year’ the inducements 
are greater than ever. Excursion tickets will bo 
sold by the railroads at reduced rates. W. S- 
Potter, Secretary. 
foultrg |arli. 
PROFIT COMBINED WITH AMUSEMENT 
In a poultry establishment the ornamental 
can be adopted with the useful, and profit can 
accompany tho pleasure aud recreation of at¬ 
tending to fowls, but silly people imagine, be¬ 
cause some gentle-peoplo have fine poultry 
bouses with compartments for various kinds all 
under one roof and have yards attached to pre¬ 
vent the fowls roaming in their ill-fenced gar¬ 
dens or their exposed pleasure-grounds, &c., 
that they can shut up fowls and continue to 
keep them in confinement so as to make them 
pay for feeding and attendance. By having un¬ 
limited range, fowls can easily bo made profit¬ 
able ; for they will pick up at least half a living, 
and they do not then require one-tenth as much 
attention as those kept iu a yard which aLways 
has a bad odor, however often it is cleaned. 
It is extraordinary to find there are men so 
weak us to attempt to keep great numbers of 
fowlB together with limited range when, time 
after timo, the folly of all attempts of the kind 
haB been demonstrated. But although no sen¬ 
sible business man will again coniine hundreds 
of fowls in any inadequate space, yet great num¬ 
bers can be kept on one farm and profit bo com¬ 
bined with amusement by making tasty orna¬ 
mental little roosts, and placiug them at such 
distances apart as to prevent any intermixing. 
These rooatH might be made aud painted so as 
to have the appearance of miniature cottages, 
and so placed about an estate as to be exceed¬ 
ingly picturesque. 
I have in mind at the present moment an 
island, the property of one proprietor, wliose 
residence stands on an elevated position com¬ 
manding a view of the whole, with the exception 
of portions bidden hy trees. What a very pretty 
effect Borne of these poultry houses would have if 
interspersed among laborers’ cottages and other 
buildings used as shelter for farm stock, and 
these also could be made to have such an ap¬ 
pearance as would be iu unison with the erec¬ 
tions all over the island. Imagino a farm 
neither round nor square but tolerably compact, 
with a hundred or more roosts, sheds for cattle 
and for sheep to resort to iu stormy weather, 
and here aud there intermingled with these, a 
cottage prettily adorned with vines, and a hand¬ 
somely laid-ont garden. Then suppose the 
whole painted alike and, as near as usefulness 
combined with the ornamental and uniformity 
will permit, all showing doors and windows and 
all having ivy or vines of some kind running 
about or trained around them, so as to give the 
best effect. If an island, all the outside poultry 
houses might be for water-fowls aud, swooping 
down from the mansion, might be a well kept 
beautiful carriage road which could take a oirouit 
of the farm so arranged that it would be a de¬ 
lightful pleasure drive, and at the same time 
it could he used to go round to the different 
buildings whioh would be on the right and left 
all the way along. 
Profit could all the while be combined with 
the ornamental and the useful, and good fine 
square fields could be arranged so that they 
would not interfere with the buildings or any of 
these structures or impede cultivation. If 
wealthy people, when they retiro from cities to 
the country, would first of all lay out their 
farms so as to have them one beautiful scene of 
variety with perfect utility, how ornamental 
would not the arrangement be to the country! 
An Old Hand. 
®|c iUncnarb. 
GRAPE LEAVES,—No. 1. 
W. C. BELLAMY. 
Omitting, in this communication, any refer¬ 
ence to the undeveloped resources of tho South, 
in mines, minerals, water power, and other na¬ 
tural advantages, I give here a few practical 
hints on Grape Culture. 
It is a lamentable fact that, although a large 
proportion of the South is as well adapted to 
the growth of the Grape as the sunny slopes of 
the vine-clad hills of Franco aud Spain, there 
are but few localities south of the Ohio River, 
except in California, whero grape culture haB 
been conducted to any extent aud with any de¬ 
gree of success or profit. Hundreds of vine¬ 
yards have been planted in the South, and, 
after several years, plowed up, the land planted 
iu cotton, and the “ipse dixit” of the ruined 
owners added to confirm tho generally received, 
but grossly erroneous vordiot, that Grapes can 
not be successfully raised iu the South. But 
because some—yea, even most who have tried 
it—have failed, it doeB not fellow necessarily 
that all will fail. Wo must take iuto account 
those who have succeeded as well as those who 
have not —aud “ quod homo fecit, homo facial," 
—‘ • What a man has done, a man may do ’’—and 
if a man can have fifty vines bearing good fruit, 
why may he not have fifty thousand? The 
failure has not been from defects in climate or 
soil, nor perhaps, iu most cases, for want of 
proper oaro, but from errors iu selecting the 
varieties, and also, to a great extent, from tho 
lack of a proper study of the wants and habits 
of the vine. 
The varieties of tho Grape are almost in¬ 
numerable, aud, wbile one might do well in a 
certain locality, another would as certainly fail. 
Experience alone can teach what particular 
Grape will suit a given locality. Long worth’s 
success with tho Oatawaba, in his singularly 
fortunate locality on the Ohio, created, some 
years ago, a perfect furor in tho South, and 
many—believing if Longworth could succeed 
with the Catawaba they could—planted large 
vineyards, and waited anxiously and patiently 
several years to gather, instead of a rich vintage 
of generous wine, only their utter pecuniary ruin. 
I instance one man who planted thirty thousand 
Catawba vines, who, after waiting several 
years for his profits, was sold out of house aud 
home and vineyard by the sheriff, while Ins vine¬ 
dresser, who had received but small wages, is 
now possessed of a portion of the same land— 
has it planted in a variety suited to the locality, 
aud is realizing handsome profits from the sale 
of grapes and wine. 
It is a matter of wonder that our people 
should be so blind to the munificent gifts of a 
benevolent Creator, and waste their time and 
substance iu pursuit of what they can never at¬ 
tain. I refer to the fact that tho South abounds 
in native Grapes, some of which can not be ex¬ 
celled either for tablo use or for wine. Perhaps 
our very best is the Scuppernong, first dis¬ 
covered, growing wild, on Scuppernong River, 
North Carolina—whence its name—aud it is not 
known to exist muoh north of that locality. 
Both the fruit and its peculiar flavor are truly 
sui generis —but it is so universally distributed 
over the entire South, I will not (unless your 
Northern readers desire it) describe it, except to 
remark that aside from its color—a brownish 
yellow—aud its fine wiue-making properties, it 
possesses a peculiar aud most delightful fia 
grauce—dolioate and yet so diffusible that a pint 
of tho fruit will emit a delicious perfume 
throughout the whole of a large apartment, and 
a basket in which they have been gathered will 
retain their odor for weeks aftorwards, like 
Moore’s “ Vase iu which roses have ouoe been 
distilled.” 
The seedling of the Seuppevnoug is invariably 
a perfectly black grape, and a coarser edition of 
its parent in every thing except in that peculiar, 
lasting odor and wine-making properties—and is 
known by the several names of ” Bullace, 
“ Mutioadine,” etc.—tho origin of whioh I can 
not give. In this last respect, it makeB a wine 
iu every respoot equal to the parent grape, and 
by many considered far superior. Its wine is a 
deep purple, while that of the Scuppernong is a 
rich clear amber. This seedling has been so 
disseminated that, except iu the pine barrens, 
one can hardly ride a mile in any direction 
without seeing them in every jungle, on every 
LiUMde, gracefully festooning the forest trees, 
