SEPT 28 
645 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
(Continued from page 641.) ’ 
In this hall is the exhibit of potatoes; large, 
small, blue, red, of all shapes, shades aud 
sizes, each owner upholding the good quali¬ 
ties of his varieties. Here Mr. Underwood, of 
Cortland, lauds the 240 varieties he has al¬ 
ready introduced aud the 12 new seedlings of 
his own growing, and Mr. Pierson, of Castle- 
ton, is not silent on the merits of the 175 sorts 
ho has raised, all new varieties or recently in¬ 
troduced, He has also two new seedliugs, and 
says he has in his grounds 275 named varieties. 
O. J. Lewis, of Schodaek, shows 840 kinds, all 
grown by himself. Charles Ford, of Fishers, 
shows 85 varieties all well grown. He has 
also a new seedling,and one or two sports from 
some older varieties. Mr. Johnson, of Spen- 
cerport, had about 100 varieties, all of good 
size. James Vick displayed 67 varieties, all re¬ 
markably well grown and shapely potatoes. 
The firm has three new seedlings, one of which 
promises remarkably well indeed. It is a 
beauty, uniformly large and shapely and said 
to be the earliest and finest cooking potato 
known. It will be put upon the market next 
year. 
Hiram Sibley & Co., showed 85 varieties 
all of very recent introduction, together with 
some that are not yet offered to the public, and 
some of extra promise. As one looks over the 
tables, the thought is inevitable thatof origin¬ 
ating new varieties as of the making of books 
there is no end. 
In this hall, the New York Agricultural Ex¬ 
periment Station makes an exhibit which is 
very novel and at the same time very instruc¬ 
tive, The object of the display is to present 
to public attention extra-fair selected speci¬ 
mens of the varieties exhibited, but such as 
any farmer might hope to grow in his garden, 
and to show what only fair cultivation might 
be expected to produce from the seeds as fur¬ 
nished by seed-men. Sixty-seven varieties of 
tomatoes were shown on the same plate, both 
rough and smooth samples, the products of the 
same plant. 
Thirty-four varieties of onions were exhib¬ 
ited by the Station, which reports that many 
seeds sent out under different names produce 
the same kind of onion. In the oxhibit were 
13 different varieties of cucumbers; 17 of 
peppers; 11 of egg plants; 20 of carrots; 9 of 
parsnips; 81 of beets, and 13 miscellaneous 
garden planls, some of which probably not a 
dozen visitors ever sa w before. The most im¬ 
portant and instructive feature of the exhibit, 
and the one which should he studied most 
closely, and very closely, by every farmer, is 
that of potatoes. Tho show of these included 
90 distinct varieties, aud on a single plate is 
the entire product, large and small, sound or 
diseased, of a hill grown from a single eye of 
each variety, all having been cut, planted and 
iu all respects treated precisely alike, aud 
grown on the same plot of ground The con¬ 
ditions under which all wo e grown were as 
nearly identical iu all respects as it was pos¬ 
sible to make them. Thus at a single glance can 
be seen which varieties have been most pro¬ 
ductive, which have produced the most desir¬ 
able tubers and which have been most subject 
to rot on the Station Farm the past season. 
This exhibit, entirely original with the Sta¬ 
tion, attracted more attention than any other 
in the vegetable department, and was closely 
studied by score's of the best and most t hought- 
ful fanners. Here were many loudly herald- 
eel varieties solelat fabulous prices, which only 
produced oneor two little sickly samples, while 
by their side was a plate containing five eirsix 
good, sound, medium-sized potatoes—the one, 
of course, an entire failure and the other a 
splendid success; and I have uo doubt that, 
the benefit derived by the farmers of this 
State from the lessous here taught, will iu the 
aggregate more than repay financially the 
cost of the Experiment Station for 10 years. 
In a neat, compact case, so as to be viewed 
at a glance and easily compared, there were 
also exhibited 120 so-called “novelties," muuv 
of which are plainly soon to be identical. 
There were also 60 so-called varieties of peas, 
large aud small, blue, green and white, 
smooth and wrinkled; among thoso there is 
worse confusion iu names than among the 
beans. 
In the some way were shown 81 varieties of 
wheat; 19 of oats and 10 of barley. The Sta¬ 
tion proposes hereafter to exhibit all the var¬ 
ieties of grain, etc., so arranged as to show 
the soedtnon's names, and also which are iden¬ 
tical with each other. 
The method of testing seeds iu use at the 
Station is also shown. The seeds to be test'd 
are placed between folds of Canton fiaunel so 
arranged that the seeds are in a constant aud 
uniform degree of moisture aud temperature 
and are always eusily accessible for examina¬ 
tion without being At all disturbed. Sixty 
samples of seeds may be tested at the same 
time iu this apparatus, which is only 8 by 12 
inches and three inches deep, and without the 
possibility of their becoming mixed. Dr. 
Sturtevant, the Director, is here becoming 
acquainted with the farmers, and all seem to 
like him. Surely I think he is the right man in 
the right place, and that the Board of Control 
should be congratulated in having secured so 
good a man for the position. 
Edwin Allen, Bethlehem Center, made a fine 
and creditable show of garden vegetables con¬ 
sisting of 190 varieties. Hiram Sibley & Co, 
had an excel lent show of seeds, etc., specialties 
of their house. They exhibited 800 varieties 
of seeds handsomely displayed, which attracted 
much attention. They have 11 varieties of 
new oats, 14 of new barley and six of new 
wheats, among which was the celebrated 
Diehl-Mediterranean, soon to be sent abroad 
throughout the land among the Rural’s Free 
Seed Distribution. This company is deserving 
of praise for the interest manifested in the 
success of the fair. It has set an example 
which it is earnestly hoped will be imitated by 
others. 
Among the dairy implements, I noticed the 
Cooley Creamer and Davis Churn, the Woos¬ 
ter Creamer aud Surprise Churn, the Fergu¬ 
son Bureau Creamer, and the Lincoln Patent 
Channel Can Creamer. The exhibit of wag¬ 
ons, buggies, phaetons, carriages, and road 
carts, was especially admired by every one. 
H. A. Moyer <fc Co., and Short & Smith, of 
Syracuse, the Cortland Wagon Co., of Cort¬ 
land, the Waterloo Co,, the Rome Co., etc,, 
made creditable displays which formed im¬ 
portant and attractive features of this exhi¬ 
bition. 
The Live Stock Show. 
This department was remarkable in 
several ways. It was large, choice, varied 
and instructive in a high degree. Taking the 
exhibition iu the order of the premium list 
and catalogue of entries, our attention is first 
challenged by 
Tjie Short-horns. This noblest and most 
majestic of the many breeds of neat cattle 
still holds the post of honor—no longer so 
fashionable as formerly when this State boast¬ 
ed the possession of the most valuable animals 
in the world, but still holding its ground 
against all comers as the best breed, as the 
most perfect in form, aud as combining size, 
quickness of maturity as beef, proportionate 
smallness of bone and offal, and producing 
grades of greater general utility than any 
other breed. 
The Short-horn breeders taught others the 
value of pedigrees; they first established a 
herd book, and from the very first have used 
their herd book as no other breeders have un¬ 
til very lately. 
Palmer & Stewart, of Hamlin, won the 
herd prize with Mariner’s Oxford, (a bull which 
won second in his class,) and four excellent 
cows, one of which also won second, and a 
first-prize heifer. They were, however, a very 
even lot. Other principal exhibitors were 
Beuj. Fellowes, of Clifton; 8. Spencer & Son, 
of Kjautoue, and B. M. Ritter, of Waterloo. 
The Devons come next—always beautiful 
and attractive—smooth and sleek, with full 
crops and broad loins, thick thighs, low in the 
twist, deep in brisket and flank, loug-bodied, 
but well ribbed back; mellow and elastic to 
the touch, and carrying themselves and their 
elegant, stylish heads with the air of thorough¬ 
breds, and as if the purity of this blood shone 
on their glossy, red coats, aud long, white 
horns. They were more numerous than the 
Short-horns, and it seems as if they were 
coining into fashion again. There certainly 
are no better cattle for a rough country. 
Tough and hardy are they, easy keepers, good 
milkers aud butter vielders, the best working 
oxen in the world, quick steppers, willing aud 
docile, aud when fat and ready for market 
the}' bring the highest prices. The great gold 
medal, the herd prize, was won by Joseph 
Hilton, of New Scotland, with the first prize 
bull Prince of Wales 20th and live cows, 
chiefly of his Edith family. Excellent animals 
were shown by C. W. Martin, of South Wor¬ 
cester, A. F. Bronson, of Vernon, A. W. 
Rumsey, of Westfield, B, F. Peck, of East 
Bethany, and others. 
Hkkekokds were exhibited by Erastus 
Corning, of Albany, and John L. Northrop, of 
Westfield, aud made a grand show. Mr. 
Coming’s herd won the herd medal,led by his 
famous bull Comus. It is strange that the Here- 
fords do not find more favor with farmers 
who breed for beef. If there is an} r breed of 
cattle which will make prime beef at less cost, 
we do not know what it is. They are long 
aud deop-bodied, compact, solid, even, with 
the meat on the best points—inside the thighs 
and on the ribs—hardy, good and quick feed¬ 
ers and quiet. What more can a beef-feeder 
want l 
Of Ayrshire* there were over seventy en¬ 
tries—not all filled, however—aud the breed 
made a very good show. The principal ex¬ 
hibitors wore: Deo. H. Bell, of Rome, N. Y.; J. 
F. Converse, A. S. Shinier, of Redingtou, Pa.; 
and Burton G. Foster, of Community. The 
cows were especially.good—admirable milk¬ 
making machines. The ability' to make a 
great amount of milk from a given amount of 
food is possessed in a pre-eminent degree by 
this admirable breed. When we come to val¬ 
uing cows and breeds in proportion to the 
amount of milk or butter they will make out 
of a ton of hay, then the Ayrshires will come 
promptly to the front. 
The Dutch Cattle were present in strong 
force—called “Holstoins,” of course. It is a 
pity some one does not import a few Hohteins 
just to let our people see what they are—grand 
beef cattle of two or three local breeds, but 
similar, red and white, and perhaps of other 
colors, carrying a deal of flesh, and shipped 
from Hamburgh largely to England. They 
are only distantly related to these Dutch cat¬ 
tle and are not much like them, though good 
milkers. The herd prize went to Smiths Sc 
Powell, of Syracuse, for their superb cows 
(an exhibition rarely if ever eqxialed), led by 
Netherland Prince, The first prize old bull is 
“De Jonster Steir,” an imported animal of 
2,240 pounds weight, owned by F. C. Stevens, 
of Attica, a good handler and very perfect in 
form. Other principal exhibitors were H. E, 
Boardman, of Rochester, the twin calves of 
one of whose cows excited no little interest; 
Fisk Jewett, of West Farmington; Howard 
G. White, of Syracuse; L. D. Ely, of Roches¬ 
ter: C. L. G. Blessing of Slingerland’s; and 
Dallas B. Whipple, of Cuba. Mr. Whipple’s 
cattle were in fine shape—too fine, perhaps, 
for the horns were polished like jet. 
The Jerseys appeared in strong force, 
numbering 144 entries—about one-quarter of 
all the cattle entries. Herds were shown by 
Erastus Corning, of Albany; L. D. Ely, of 
Rochester: T. R. Proctor, of Utica; H. Bor¬ 
den, of Medina: Shepard & Peer, of Mt. Mor¬ 
ris; and S. M. Shoemaker, of Maryland. 
Other exhibitors were numerous. The stock 
shown was, on the whole, fine. Mr. Shoema¬ 
ker won the herd medal and showed some of 
his most famous cows. Old Cletnentaire win¬ 
ning first, and Oxford Kate second in the old- 
cow class, leaving the beautiful-headed Khe¬ 
dive’s Primrose out in the cold where her 
hind-quarters, udder and milk veins would 
naturally place her in spite of her having been 
bought for $5,150. 
The Guernseys were in tolerable force, 
bxit rather disappointing. Mr. Ledyard, of 
Cazenovia, did not show, though he was 
shrewd enough to make his eu tides and get 
that amount of free advertising. The com¬ 
plete list of entries published by the society is 
a great boon to the exhibitors and the public, 
and we presume it is impossible to prevent 
some breeders from making entries, who 
have uo idea of exhibiting. 
Howard G. White, of Syracuse, showed good 
ones, as did also A, S. Shimer, of Redingtou, 
Pennsylvania. 
Swiss Cattle have been exciting consider¬ 
able interest of late both in this country 
and England, and we were very glad to see 
the beautiful exhibit made by Mr. G. W. Har¬ 
ris of Wethersfield, Conn. There were some 
eight or ten head chiefly of recent importa¬ 
tion, and excellent specimens they w’ere of 
the breed. They were of a steel-gray color, 
somewhat shaded with lighter aud darker 
gray, and had the mealy muzzle or “fillet" 
with which we are familiar in the Jerseys. 
They are clearly a milk-giving race, and, be¬ 
sides, are easily fattened, having excellent 
beef points. These cattle were, most of them, 
decorated with the broad, showy neck-band 
and large, musical bell,with which the travel¬ 
er in the Alps becomes familiar. Next the 
tent in which the Swiss cattle were, was an¬ 
other still more noteworthy exhibit, namely: 
The Polled Angus, shown by F. B. Red- 
field, of Batavia, N. Y. Those Polled cattle 
are making a great mark on the Plains, full- 
blood and half-blood bulls being freely used 
upon the Texan and other common co ws. They 
are grand beef animals, hornless, of course, 
jet black, of large size and very thrifty and 
coming early to maturity as beef. They are 
fine in bone, very mellow to the touch, and 
just fill a feeder's eye. No one brags of them 
as milk-givers, but a fine, “ growthy ” calf 
fat as a seal, which was with its dam, showed 
plainly that there was no lack of nutriment 
in the milk. 
The prize for the best milch cow in the fair 
was wou by Smiths and Powell with a cow 
imported from North Holland. 
The Show of Horses was excellent from 
an agricultural standpoiut. The society has 
persistently encouraged agricultural horses, 
and the breeding of those adapted to heavy 
draft, and now with 1 IS entries in these classes 
they seem to have their reward. The animals 
were divided iuto Clydesdales and their crosses 
aud Pereherons and their crosses, and full- 
bloods and cross-breds were judged in the 
same classes. It is not strange, therefore, that 
a half-blood Clyde, Max Henry, owned by 
Christian Sitterly, of Palutine, N. Y., won the 
first prize over pure Clydes, aud the sweep- 
stakes, besides, as the best draft stallion of any 
age or class. A well made cross-bred or grade 
combines the merits of the two breeds which 
are united in him, but he cannot propagate 
^hem with certainty. Smiths and Powell, of 
Syracuse, C. P. Whitney, of Orleans, and Or- 
rin W. Todd, of Greece, were the principal ex¬ 
hibitors of full-blooded Clydes. There was a 
magnificent show of Pereherou-Normaus. J. 
W. Aiken, of 8cipio, sttrpasssed all others in 
the number of animals shown. Both the 
Pereherons and the grades made a very favor¬ 
able impression as useful farm and draft horses. 
Under “Thoroughbreds and their Crosses" were 
shown all the great variety of carriage and 
trotting stock which are always prominent at 
fairs. The high stallion prize was won by a 
superb thoroughbred-looking horse, Mam- 
brino King, by Mambrino-Patchen, dam by 
Alexander’s Edwin Forest, grandam by Du- 
roc, great-grandam by Messenger, owned by 
C. J. Hamlin, of Willink. 
There were some very pretty ponies shown, 
and four jacks and a she ass with a fine foal 
at foot made things lively and musical in their 
quarter of the grounds. 
Sheep were represented by all the favorite 
breeds which were in strong force. Among 
them all none attracted so much notice as the 
imported South Down ram and three ewes, 
bred by Lord Walshingham and recently im¬ 
ported by Daniel B. Haight, of Iowa Plains. 
Swine included C’heshires, Yorkshires and 
Chester-Whites, Poland-Chinas, and Reds, an 
der the large breeds, and the Small Yorkshires, 
Essex and Berkshire's, und-r the small breeds. 
There was an excellent show of The large white 
Cheshires. and of the Small Yorkshires. The 
Berkshires were very fair, but seemed hardly 
to receive the attention they merited. 
CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN POM 
OLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
(Rural Special Report.! 
The nineteenth session of the American 
Pomological Society began at Horticultural 
Hall, Philadelphia, September 12. For the 
fourth time in the history of the Society it 
now assembles here by invitation of the Penn¬ 
sylvania Horticultural Society, and the ex¬ 
hibition of fruits by both societies is held 
jointly in the same hall. The opening day 
was rendered somewhat inauspicious by the 
stormy weather, the attendance being small. 
A driving rain from the northeast, continued 
ail day and through the evening. 
At the first business meeting at 10 a. m. a 
letter was read from President Wilder, which 
stated that owing to a recent disability he 
would be unable to attend the present meeting. 
On the nomination of W. C. Barry, of Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y., Mr. Wra. C. Strong, of Massachu¬ 
setts, was made Chairman, Prof. Beal, the 
Secretary of the Society being present in that 
capacity. President Schaffer of the Penn 
sylvania Society, then addressed a few words 
of welcome to the pomological members, 
after which the following committees wereap 
pointed viz: Credentials; J. T. Lovett, N 
J.; E. Moody. N. Y.: Treasury Auditing Com. 
mittee; Win. Parry, N. J.: Place of Meeting; 
W. C. Barry. N. Y.; C. W. Garfield, Mich.; 
W. H. Spooner, Mass: Nominations; J. S. 
Newman, Alabama; T. B. Wakeman, Connec¬ 
ticut; E. Tatnall, Delaware; John Saul, Wash- 
in gton, D. C.; S. Hope, Georgia; Parker 
Earle, Illinois: E. Y. Teas, Indiana; G. Bold- 
ersten, Maryland; R.Manning, Massachusetts; 
C, W. Garfield, Michigan; J. C. Evans, Mis¬ 
souri; O. Gibbs, Minnesota; C. E. Grosvenor, 
N. B.; E. Williams. N. J.; E. Moody, N. Y.; 
G. W. Campbell, Ohio; A. Hooper. Pennsyl¬ 
vania; J.E.Lester. Rhode Island; T. V.Morri¬ 
son, Texas; E. Kent, Virginia. S- Hope was 
m ade Chairmau The Wilder Medal Commit¬ 
tee was composed of Mr. Berckmans. Mr. 
Earle. S. B. Parsons, P. T. Quinn and John 
Saul. An invitation to visit the Academy of 
Natural Sciences was received. 
On assembling in the afternoon about 75 
members had gathered. The principal busi¬ 
ness of the session was the reading of Presi¬ 
dent Wilder's address, which was attentively 
listened to and heartily applauded. He alluded 
to Philadelphia as the city w here w ns founded 
on this contiueut the first permanent horticul¬ 
tural society, which is still in existence. He 
refers at length to the losses of official and 
prominent associates by death since the last 
meeting of the society, calling it “the starred 
roll of worthy men." The names are, Thomas 
P. James. James Vick, William Schley, 
Arthur Bryant, Edward D. Pearce, Henrd 
E. Hooker, Charles Arnold, Joseph E. Jobn- 
sou, B. F. Transou, Dr. John A. Warder and 
Henry B. Ellwanger. A brief sketch of each 
is given in the address. Referring to the rules 
governing the nomenclature of fruits, Mr. 
Wilder again urges the careful avoidance of 
all ostentatious, indecorous, inappropriate and 
superfluous titles, and the use of plain, simple 
aud suggestive uames. He says the cases are 
very few where a single word is not better 
than two or more. He also urges upon the 
