702 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
OCT 22 
thrive in any ordinary garden soil is an erro¬ 
neous one. I have grown the High-bush Huck¬ 
leberry for 20 years, and have found no diffi¬ 
culty whatever. It, is as easy to transplant as 
the rose. All you have to do is to cut it back 
well and see that the roots don't get dry. Ber¬ 
ries half an inch in diameter are produced by 
selecting the best plants, and good culture 
might, secure an improved form of this one of 
the most popular and best of our wild fruits 
The persimmon, especially the larger kinds, 
should be placed very near, if not at the very 
head of the list. There are many excellent 
wild varieties. Persons who are at all famil¬ 
iar with it will become pleased with the taste. 
The recent Japanese varieties are far superior 
to the European plum in flavor, but they 
are not hardy north of Washington. 
[We are glad that Mr. Fuller has at length 
found this out.—Eus.l .Northern potnologists 
should cross or hybridize these with our na¬ 
tive sorts and seek to combine the hardiness of 
the latter with the delicate quality aud larger 
size of the Asiatic species. 
The wild plum is well on the way 
to become one of the most valuable native 
fruits. Several varieties now in cultivation 
give hope of something still better in the 
future. We now cultivate only the foreign 
cherry and its seedlings; hut we have several 
native sorts. Two of these have in lloreseeuse 
similar to the foreign cherries, making it 
possible to cross tlx* two. The dwarf is the 
most promising but too poor in flavor in its 
wild state to warrant cultivation. The paw¬ 
paw for large size, productiveness and luxuri¬ 
ant growth of tree is likely to become one of 
our most valuable fruits. The flavor of the 
wild species should Im* improved. There are 
several kinds affording chance for experiment: 
liut as they do not bear early it will require 
some time to reach definite results. 
Mr. Barry inquired whether the improved 
American raspberries did not coutain some 
foreign blood Mr. Fuller hud been unable to 
find nuy in them. President Berekmatis 
spoke highly of the Cuthbert. “Its advent in 
the South marked a new era in raspberry 
growing there” said he. Some member hliV 1 
ing alluded to the difficulty of transplanting 
certain wild fruits, Mr. Fuller promptly re¬ 
plied “I have yet to hear of a single plant 
that cannot be transplanted successfully un¬ 
less it is the Tuckahoe of the South. The 
whole trouble is hick nf skill in the operation." 
Mr. Barry spoke of lie- raspberry iinpove- 
rnent in this country. He was glad to know 
that we bad arrived at that state when the 
presence of any foreign blood could at once lie 
detected. Up to the introduction of the Cutb- 
bert it was always necessary to have a foreign 
variety. The Cuthbert was a great improve¬ 
ment, but for flavor be preferred Brinckle’s 
<Jrange to all others, But the man who intro¬ 
duced the Cuthbert Raspberry be regarded 
as a public benefactor, though in quality it is 
not equal to some of our foreign sorts. 
Dr. Hoskins doubted that nearly all our 
raspberries were true native seedlings. He 
thought seeds of foreign sorts might huve been 
planted by birds and that varieties like the 
Cuthbert may have originated in that way. 
But Mr. Fuller said it was impossible to de¬ 
ceive skilled botanists in that way; whatever 
the ordinary eye and taste might dictate, 
the botanist could always detect the slightest 
trace of foreign blood. 
[Wo should like to know of one “skilled bot¬ 
anist” that will support this statement,— Eds. ) 
At this point in the session Geo. W. Camp¬ 
bell announced that a great industrial exposi¬ 
tion would take place at Columbus,Ohio, tc’xt 
autumn to continue forty days, of which a 
week or more would be devoted to horticul¬ 
ture. He invited the society collectively and 
members individually to attend. The invita¬ 
tion was promptly accepted. The revision of 
the society catalogue, was then discussed at 
length. It wus generally agreed to he u most 
laborious undertaking. Mr. Green moved to 
discus-, new fruits only ami leave the old sorts 
as they are. Another member suggested the 
use of numbers instead of stars in future re¬ 
visions. Mr. Barry was hardly disposed to 
favor such a change. After considerable 
talk the matter of catalogue revision w as not 
fully decided upon, and 1 think it was dually 
left to the discretion of the committee. It 
is not probable that any thorough revision 
will be made at present. H. h. 
(j to be Continued.i 
A VISIT TO THE IOWA AGRICULTURAL 
COLLEGE. 
T. T. LYON. 
Grass injured by drought, but corn thrives; 
ensitoing dry Codder corn; l‘rofeasor 
liquid's importations of Hussion fruits; 
propagation and widespread testing oj 
them; their hardiness and adaptability to 
extremes of temperature; destruction of 
orchards; extensive benefits from l’rof. 
Badd's work. 
The Iowa Agricultural College is located 
near the village of Ames aud near the geo¬ 
graphical center of the State. The first con¬ 
siderable rain here occurred on September 2d, 
no rain sufficient to well saturate the soil hav¬ 
ing fallen during Ifi months previous. As 
stated by President Chamberlain in his ad¬ 
dress on Saturday at Nashua, the meadows 
upon the college farm hail so far failed that 
nothing had been secured from them, while-10 
acres sowed with Hungarian Grass and mil¬ 
let with the hope to supply the lack had also 
failed of a crop. Even the lawns about the 
buildings which had remained uncut since the 
opening of spring would scarcely have af¬ 
forded a swath for a lawn mower. 
The corn crop, however, was good, not here 
only, but throughout the Slate. President 
Chamberlain, therefore, resorted to this aud 
to several acres of corn sown for fodder pur¬ 
poses. as the only remaining means of provid¬ 
ing a winter supply of feed for the stock be 
longing to the institution. Three large silos 
were constructed witbiu the College barn; the 
corn was cut up aud cured, in the stout, 
at least so rearly so that the leaves were thor¬ 
oughly dry when they' were drawn to the 
spot, run through a cutter and into the silos, 
shifting from one to another, and giving al¬ 
ternately. a day’s cutting to earn Although 
knowing little, practically, respecting the 
management of silos. 1 may he allowed to 
doubt whether the “cunning” of dry corn will 
render it as palatable to stock as it would have 
proved if pul up green. 
It has been understood not to be the custom 
here to cut up and cure “corn fodder;” but it 
is being done to a very considerable extent 
this year, doubtless to supplement the short 
hay crop. 
The number of students at the institution is 
quite large: but I am unable to state the 
actual number. I learn that there are about 
130 to Si i young ladies among them. The prac¬ 
tice here is different from that at some other 
agricult ural institut ions, in that manual labor 
is not required of students; in the absence ot 
which, and in lack of any apparent equivalent, 
therefore, the necessity for a “college farm” 
is scarcely apparent, except, pos-ibly, a tew 
acres for experimental purposes. 
My interest was. however, more especially 
centered in the horticultural department, 
which is in special charge of Professor J. L. 
Budd, who, it will be recollected, spent sever¬ 
al months in Eastern Russia, several years 
since, in company with Charles Gibb, of Ab- 
bottsford, Canada, in studying the fruits of 
that little known region, for the dryness of 
the air there and the extremes of teat in sum¬ 
mer and of cold in winter had induced the 
bop£ that its fruits might he found adapted to 
the similar climate of <>ur Northern and North¬ 
western States, 
In addition to the importations made pre- 
vioiWly by the Agricultural Department at 
Washington, a large number of importations 
have been subsequently made by this institu¬ 
tion, through Professor Budd. not of apples 
only, but also of such other fruits as promised 
to be valuable here. Large importations have 
also been made of such hardy forms of useful 
as well as ornamental trees, shrubs and 
plants us showed an apparent adaptation to 
that severe climate,aud hence gave promise of 
success here, The quality of these introduc¬ 
tions of both plants and fruit trees constitutes 
a wealth of possibly useful and valuable ma¬ 
terial greatly in excess of public appreben 
1 ion; and w hatever may Ire the result of the 
fruit importations, there seems hardly room 
for doubt that from the mass of material here 
collected, an abundance will 1 m? found amply 
to repay the expense of importation and test¬ 
ing. 
These importations are not being merely 
tested on the college grounds; but they are 
also being propagated, ami a system bus been 
devised under which they are being rapidly 
and extensively tested, not only in Iowa, but 
also in other States, Territories and Provinces 
where tln-ir success is deemed probable; and 
by persons who enguge to cure for them and 
to report the measure of their success. Some 
800 or 800 such stations, widely distributed, 
are already engaged in this work, covering 
the territory from Vermont, and Quebec on 
the east to Manitoba on the north and the 
Rocky Mountains at the west. 
There are wide differences of opinion among 
even those who may he supposed to be well 
informed on (he subject, respecting the prob¬ 
able value of the fruits thus introduced: not 
respecting their quality merely: but especially 
as to the effect, to follow their migration to a 
latitude 10 to SO degrees farther south, in the 
modification of their season of ripening. 
An extensive apple orchard was planted at 
the college not long after its establishment, 
which included most of the more popular and 
more lmrdy Eastern varieties; but the trees, 
in common with those in orchards generally 
throughout Central and Northern Iowa and 
Minnesota have been mostly ruined by the ex¬ 
ceptional winters of the last few years, aud 
the whole are being uprooted aud the 
ground cleared. 
Another orchard has. however, been plant¬ 
ed aud is already in I tearing, containing varie¬ 
ties of greater supposed hardiness, among 
which are ruauv of the Russian apples, some 
of which are now in fruit, although proximity 
to the college is found to l>e so unfavorable to 
fniitculture that specimens almost infallibly 
disappear before reaching maturity. The 
trees in this new orchard were generally in 
vigorous health, ns, in spite of heat and 
drought, were the various plots of nursery 
stock being propagated for the purpose of dis¬ 
tribution. 
Indeed, these plots of trees, by the perfection 
of their foliage during this trying summer, 
seem strongly to evince the correctness of the 
conclusion of Professor Budd that the ]K?r- 
fection of its foliage and its capacity to resist 
the beat and drought of summer are essentially 
the measure of hardiness; since it is only by 
means of healthy and persistent foliage that a 
plant can reach the perfect maturity of tissue 
needful to enable it to withstand the extremes 
of weather. 
In conclusion, I maybe allowed to remark 
that to the enthusiasm of Prof. Budd islargelv 
due the working out of an important and dif¬ 
ficult problem—important not to Iowa alone, 
but nearly or quite as much so to the entire 
North. Such problems are not brought to 
solution through the cool calculations of will- 
it-pav, commercial horticulture. They fall 
rather to the lot of such as take up the task 
for the love of it—those who. like Agassiz, have 
no time for mere money-making, but freely 
devote themselves to the work of making the 
world wiser or better. Whatever the out¬ 
come of this matter, whether the hopes of the 
enthusiastic or the doubts of the incredulous 
shall he realized, unless I am greatly mistaken, 
the work undertaken by Professor Budd must 
eventuate in valuable results to horticulture, 
as well as in credit to himself. 
SUFFOL1C COUNTY, L. I., FAIR, 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
The 35th annual fair of the Suffolk County 
Agricultural Society was held at Riverhead, 
L. I., on the 4th, 5th and (3th of October. This 
is one of the few county fairs which approach 
very near my ideal. The exhibits are chiefly 
the products of the county and are not limit¬ 
ed to cattle, horses, and the like, but include 
specimens of almost everything which can be 
grown on Long Island. The chief object of 
the fail" seems to be the advertisement and 
sale of home products and the stimulating 
and developing of home industries. Very 
little encouragement is given exhibitors whose 
only object is to get the hard-earned money of 
visitors. Even the racing is comparatively 
free from objectionable features, and there is 
very little betting. Suffolk County is known 
the world over as the homo of some of the b< st 
horses ever produced; but the better class of 
horses are usually entered for exhibition only’ 
aud not for racing. In fact, the races are 
never characterized by remarkable speed. 
As a matter of course, a large space was de¬ 
voted to cauliflowers, and the fame of the 
county for growing this vegetable was fully 
sustained. 
The usual show of mangel-wurtzel and blood 
turnip beets, big putnpkius, cabbage, turnips, 
cucumbers, corn, etc., filled the vegetable 
building to ov rflowing. A feature of this 
exhibit was collections of vegetables from sin¬ 
gle farms. Il there is any advantage in a 
great diversity of products then Suffolk 
county surely excels. The fruit department 
was fairly good. The exhibition of apples aud 
pears was exceptionally large. The showing 
of grapes and peaches—owing perhaps some¬ 
what to the lateness of the season—was not up 
to the average. 
In the inaiti building a fine floral center¬ 
piece was arranged chiefly of wild Mowers. 
On one side Messrs, Ackerly & Miller made 
a fine display of organs and pianos and cap¬ 
tured the first prize. The gallery around the 
main building was given over to things do¬ 
mestic and it was crowded by ladies who 
seemed fascinated by the crazy-quilts and ar¬ 
ticles of fancy-work. Altogether the fair was 
a very jyeat success. It evidently shared 
the prosperity of the excellent farming sec¬ 
tion of which it is the expouent. o. 
■ «■ ♦ • 
WINNEBAGO (ILL.) COUNTY FAIR. 
The thirty-third annual Exposition of the 
Winnebago County Agricultural Society vas 
held at Rockford HI., from the 5th to the 9th 
of Sept., and was a decided success. There was 
a good display in every department, excep¬ 
tionally so in the exposition building, educa¬ 
tional hall, and the poultry building. The 
poultry exhibit was better than ever before 
in quality and numbers: tin* judging was done 
this year by an expert. Tile leading breeds 
of cattle, were well represented. The Hol¬ 
stein and Aberdeen-Angus are the most popu¬ 
lar breeds at present. Among these there 
were some very choice specimens. The so¬ 
ciety still allow side-shows, and fakirs of all 
kinds on the grounds, but no spirituous 
liquors were allowed to la* sold or given away. 
One very commendable feature ot the fair 
management is what is called Educational 
Day. On this day all school children are ad¬ 
mitted free, (about 3,000 this year) and a pro¬ 
gramme is carried out more expressly for 
their benefit. w. n. u. 
iZ ;;r i'lov.itn. Dart; 
POULTRY FOR THE HOLIDAY 
MARKET. 
Vast quantity used\ where they come from ; 
favorite breeds; best aye for holiday trade; 
when to begin fattening; how to feed; when 
and how to kilt; / nicking; marketing; rel¬ 
ative profits of handling live and dead 
poultry. 
The New York markets at Thanksgiving or 
Christmas present a lively appearance. Hun¬ 
dreds of tons of poultry of all kinds are offered 
The show of cattle was very fine, excelling 
that of previous years. A. M. Salmon, of 
Peconlc. showed a fine herd of North Devon 
cattle which attracted much attention. The 
best Jerseys were shown by David Carll, of 
Dix Hills. Elbert Carll, of Babylon, showed 
a pair of steers said to weigh a ton each. 
There was a fine display of sheep aud they 
seemed to entertain both the amateur visitor 
nud the regular breeders. It is evident that 
sheep raising is on the increase on ixmg Island. 
The poultry department was unusually com¬ 
plete. Tt included almost every sort of do¬ 
mestic fowls from the stately goose to the 
diminutive Bantam. Some very tine White 
Plymouth Rocks were exhibited by the Brent¬ 
wood nurseries. 
In numbers the Plymouth Rocks and Wvan- 
dottea led, and some excellent birds of both 
breeds were shown. 
In the implement department, the finest dis¬ 
play was made by Mr. 8. Terry Hudson. His 
harrow, similar in some respects to the Thom¬ 
as. and his potato digger are implements of 
especial excellence. He also exhibited a rid¬ 
ing cultivator aud a road machine. As usual, 
II. B. Grilling made a line showing of farm 
im plements- The Dick corn-stalk cutter, 
splitter and crusher did some very remarka¬ 
ble work in preparing stalks for cattle. It 
cuts and splits them us fine us may Im* desired. 
The vegetable display was, as usual large 
and of special merit, completely filling out* 
lurgo building. A new white seedling potato 
of large size was exhibited by 8. B. Fanning, 
Jamesport, L. I. Some very fine specimens 
of sweet |xitat<>es were shown by Milne Bros, 
of Islip, 8. 8. Hawkins and George W Young. 
Some remarkable specimens of the Chicago 
Market Potato were shown by John Beyer of 
Mattituck. One weighed 80 ounces, while the 
whole collection averaged about 27 ounces. 
for sale. It seems as though there was a bird 
provided for every family in the city. The 
vast markets are filled to overflowing aud 
hundreds of stands are ranged along the 
streets where small turkeys are offered for 
sale. Much of this mountain of meat comes 
from New York and New Jersey, hut ship¬ 
ments are received from all the States east of 
the Missouri River. Ohio and Michigan 
send many car loads and even Iowa and Mis¬ 
souri find a profitable market here. The local 
dealers in the smaller towns do most of the 
business. These have wagons running about 
among the farmers buying poultry and eggs 
for cash. The poultry are killed and dressed 
and shipped u large lots While the farmer 
secures less for his poultry than he might if 
he made his own shipments, he is saved the 
trouble of handling them and gets cash for 
what he does sell. Farmers in the immediate 
vicinity of New York are not as a rule much 
interested in the holiday poultry trade. It 
seems to lie generally admitted that there is 
more money for them in eggs and broilers than 
in heavy dressed fowls. The Leghorn is the 
favorite breed for such farmers. These lay 
many shapely eggs and the young chicks 
make excellent broilers. As in the produc¬ 
tion of fat eattle and heavy horses, the West 
excells In tin* product ion of meat poultry. He 
who would handle his poultry right must 
keep throroughly posted as to the state of the 
market. The commission men issue daily bul¬ 
letins giving the state of the markets and the 
probabilities of prices. The following letters 
from our correspondents give all needed infor¬ 
mation to those who are new to the business. 
FROM HENRY UALKH. 
For the New York general market, Ply¬ 
mouth Hoek fowls appear to be the favorites. 
Wyandottes, for the same reasons, should be 
equally, if not more, desirable, but they have 
