4886 
645 
We are sending specimens of the 
R. N.-Y. to some of our old subscribers 
who are not subscribers now. We re¬ 
spectfully call their attention to our 
proposition to send the Rural from now 
until the end of next year for $2.00, 
or in Clubs of Five or over for $1.50. 
We invite them to send for our new 
16-page Premium List, which, it will 
be conceded, offers very liberal com¬ 
pensation to all who are wil ing to aid 
in extending the Rural’s circulation. 
3nhtsf l Sotirtks. 
AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
AT CLEVELAND. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
The old and new name; slim attendance; the 
“Horticultural State"; [trapes therein; a 
mischievous practice; discussion on variet¬ 
ies of [jrapes; grapes in the South , and 
elsewhere; fruit growing in Florida; “the 
whole field of horticulture"; forestry. 
Seven years ago the Mississippi Valley Hor¬ 
ticultural Society was organized by leading 
fruit growers, horticultural writers aud scien¬ 
tists from 20 States. At its New Orleans meet¬ 
ing during the Exposition,the members became 
imbued with the ambitious, broad and national 
spirit then prevailing, aud changed the society 
name to “The American Horticultural Soci¬ 
ety.” The first meeting uuder the new name 
opened at Cleveland, Ohio, September 7, and 
the sessions extended through four days. The 
attendance wns not large owing to the detention 
of members at fairs and openings of agricul¬ 
tural colleges, aud the refusal of railway man¬ 
agers to make any reduction in rates. About 
half the States were represented, however, 
and valuable papers were read from leading 
members in numerous other States. Ontario, 
Canada, had a representative and Kizo Tamari 
of Japan, was present. 
President. Parker Earle presided at all the 
meetings with his usual ability aud grace. 
Secretary Ragan presented the financial sta¬ 
tus of the society, which showed a balance of 
$173.12 on the right side. He then read a 
paper on “The past, present and future of 
grape culture in California,” by Geo. Hus- 
mann, of that State. He thinks California is 
pre-eminently the horticultural State of the 
Uniou, as Fruits of the temperate zoue flourish 
side by side with those of the tropics. From 
an experience of live years there be gives a 
brief outline of grape culture in that State 
since 1847, when the Mission Grape was the 
only variety known there. Now he says they 
have nearly 4011 sorts, and expect to produce 
20 , 000,000 gallons of wine this year, espial in 
quality to any on the globe. “Our raisins are 
competing with the finest. Loudon ‘layers;* 
our table grapes go to every city in the Union, 
and our grape brandy competes with the 
choicest French cognacs. We have the best 
climate under tlie sun to produce a perfect 
product; have learned all about location, 
soil, varieties: cun handle the product better, 
have fewer diseases, and wo can furnish the 
world with better and cheaper wines, raisins, 
table grapes and brandies than any other 
country, while our area for successful produc¬ 
tion is larger than that of France. Good 
grape laud is worth $50 to $100 per acre, aud 
cau be brought to bear for $100 per acre more. 
Then five tons of grapes per acre, at $20 per 
ton,*$20 per acre for cultivation annually. I 
believe in 10 years our production will be 
doubled.” He refers deprecatlligly to the 
practice of selling the best sorts under for¬ 
eign labels ami the poorest us California 
fruit, which has resulted advantageously to 
France and Germany to the injustice and ex¬ 
pense of California. The growers hall from 
all countries, oven to the Chinese, who, the 
writer says, have had a larger share in this 
grape progress than they are usually credited 
with. 
A discussion of the paper and varieties in 
general followed. Mr. Green, New York, saw 
how cheap Chinese labor enabled California 
growers to compete with producers of the East, 
notwithstanding high freights. Mr. Miller, 
Penn., thought Worden superior to Concord, 
from one year's trial. He asked Mr. Hubbard 
concerning a tendency to drop from the 
stem. Mr. Hubbard said all reports were to 
the contrary. He had visited the original 
vine on Mr. Worden's place, which had pro¬ 
duced 110 pounds of grapes annually for three 
years past. The present crop was the tiuest he 
ever saw. Worden is larger, handsomer than 
Concord, a week to ten days earlier: quality 
THE AURAL NEW-YORKER. 
of a first-class Concord; no rot. Mr. Hollis¬ 
ter, Mo., reported a very short grape crop in 
that State, fruit rotting badly. He condemned 
practice of selling unripe grapes to get high 
prices early. Mr, Albaugh, O., cited a case 
in Montgomery Co., where oats were sown 
between vineyard rows, and prevented rot. 
Dr. McKay, Miss., said it was a poor grape 
year there. Concord did best, aud was gen¬ 
erally regarded as the safest to plant, between 
the 30th and 35th degrees of latitude. Scup- 
pernong never failed, but was not good for 
market. Excessive rains for thirty days had 
caused much rot. Mr. Miller had found sul¬ 
phate of iron a preventive of rot. Mr. Lind¬ 
say, N. C., spoke of the increase of grape 
culture in his State. The eastern section is 
the home of the Scuppernong, one vine often 
covering three acres. Seventy-five varieties 
bunch grapes grown in the middle section, 
where the finest grapes in the country are 
raised. Ives and Champion pay best. We 
call Worden the best black grape. Mr. Van- 
defman, Kan., reports a good grape crop. He 
had visited many vineyards in Texas aud 
Arkansas, and found fair crops in spite of the 
drought. He alluded to the noble work of Mr. 
Munson, of Texas, who is sowing seeds of 
wildings, and crossing seedlings with the 
best cultivated sorts. Some wild bunches 
there are one foot long, and the grapes are 
fine. President Earle said: “We have no 
more useful man in the interest of horticul¬ 
ture than Mr. T. V. Munson.” Most of the 
members seemed to agree with him. . 
Mr. Geo. W. Campbell, Ohio, said: “In 
Central Ohio this is the best grape season since 
1849. Early and late sorts are ripening near 
together. The Talman colors early, but it is 
an abomination. I was one of the first to 
raise Worden in Ohio. It is larger than Con¬ 
cord, juicier, ripens earlier, but it has all the 
faults of that kind,tender skin, a poor shipper.” 
Mr. Carpenter, Ohio, thought high culture 
gave better grapes and prevented rot, Mr. Tor- 
mari, of Japan, who since the World’s Exposi¬ 
tion has been studying American horticulture 
at Lansing, Mich.,and other points, then made 
a few remarks. H is people are beginning to 
grow American grapes. “We bad no wine 
until our country was opened; the Chinese had 
raised wine grapes for many years. Now we 
shall have wine, too. There are only two va¬ 
rieties of native grapes in my country. We 
live so much ou vegetable food, eating grapes 
at table was never thought of.” Mr. Tarmari 
is an intelligent gentleman, but he still fiuds 
it difficult to express himself fluently iu Eng¬ 
lish, aud his pronunciation is very odd. 
President Earle then read a paper on Flor¬ 
ida Horticulture, by E. H. Hart of Federal 
Point. He spoke in glowing terms of the cli¬ 
mate, and said scientists had immigrated there 
in large numbers, but as yet science had done 
little for them. “ All we can boast of is pro¬ 
fuse vegetation. The fascinations of orange 
culture have caused the neglect of other 
fruits. There are wonderful possibilities in the 
way of landscape gaidening in our State, 
There is no reason why cut flowers cannot be 
grown in Florida for Northern markets at a 
good profit. The effects of last Winter’s frost 
have been obliterated by the copious rains of 
the Summer.” 
At the first evening session, President Earle 
read his annual address, ail excellent, compre¬ 
hensive, and practical paper, covering the 
whole field of horticulture. He said the home, 
the farm, the garden, aud the park were now 
embraced under this head. “There is an 
{esthetic and an economic side to it," and) he 
could not tell which had developed most in 
late years. Horticulture co-operates with edu¬ 
cation, religion, and moral culture. All honor 
to those who have made our country the most 
fruitful aud flowcrtul under the sun. Thirty 
years ago the strawberries of the Chicago 
market could have been carried in a wagon; 
now they require immense ruilway trains; 
800 to (500 tons of the fruit come in daily, and 
over a quarter of a million persons are en¬ 
gaged in the harvest. He contrasted the poor, 
little flower-bed half hidden in the farmer's 
yard, and the spikes of hollyhock at the front 
door in years gone by, with the embowered 
mansions and cottages of the present day. 
Alluding to eomplaiuts of over-produ-'tton of 
fruit, he regarded the evil ns resulting rather 
from imperfect distribution. “We are mar¬ 
keting too poorly, and there is no obstacle in 
the way which may not be overcome. We 
should know more of fruit culture in Russia 
and Asia.” He spoke with great earnest¬ 
ness on the forestry question. “Without 
forests no successful agriculture is possible, 
and no high civilization can be main¬ 
tained. Every year of timber waste makes 
the matter worse. Seasons cliauge; destruc¬ 
tive floods ave followed by consuming droughts. 
The forces of Nature are unbalanced. In 1853 
the State of Ohio had 54 per cent, of its sur¬ 
face covered with forest; iu 1884 only 11 per 
cent, remained. Do you wonder at the inun¬ 
dations, the harder Winters, hotter aud drier 
summers; or at the absence of the sparkling 
brooks that ran and sang all Summer? I quail 
before the inexorable penalties Nature has in 
store for all States aud peoples who will ruth¬ 
lessly destroy so glorious a heritage of forest 
as the American people once possessed. Our 
woodlands should be preserved by absolute 
force where the government has the right, 
and by all encouraging legislation where it has 
no control.” The paper was long and the above 
sentences are selected at random. It was 
loudly applauded, and 2,000 copies were or¬ 
dered printed in pamphlet form. it. h. 
THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIR. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
Entries and attendance good; Children's 
Dag; livestock; other exhibits; new officers; 
evidences of progress in manufacture and 
adaptation of machinery. 
The 34th annual State Fair of Hlinois was 
held at Chicago, September 6 to 10,1886. The 
entries exceeded those of former years in num¬ 
ber and in quantity of live stock. The at¬ 
tendance was very large, especially from the 
territory tributary to Chicago. Expenses 
were met. The premiums offered amoanted 
to more than $34,000; nearly half of which 
was for horses, but more for speed than any¬ 
thing else. Why is it that fairs must encour¬ 
age gambling while important objects of ag¬ 
riculture are in proportion discouraged ? 
The weather was propitious most of the time. 
There were the usual number of swindling 
peddlers and abominable restaurants. There 
were on exhibition 879 horses, 258 cattle, 510 
swine, and 489 sheep. 
Tuesday was Children's Day, when the chil¬ 
dren of Cook County schools were admitted 
free. About 20,000 attended. Had not the 
children of the entire State equal rights of free 
admission with those of Cook Comity? Wednes¬ 
day there was an industrial parade, led by 
prominent dignitaries in carriages. The ef¬ 
fect was very imposing. Thursday was Citi¬ 
zens’ Day, and horse-racing was the chief fea¬ 
ture. Over 40,000 persons were present. 
The principal exhibit of horses was of Pereh- 
erons. They were housed in a structure made 
of baled hay, representing a French castle of 
the fourteenth century. France gave 5,000 
francs to the Percherofis, and had with Canada 
and the United States special judges. Eng¬ 
land gave £900 to the Shire horses. The 
British Clydesdale Association gave medals 
for Clydes. The cattle display included all the 
principal breeds. The horses and cattle ex¬ 
hibited at the Columbus, Grand Minneapolis, 
Minn., fairs were brought here. The excel¬ 
lent display of animals brought together buy¬ 
ers from many parts of the United States, 
Canada and Europe. Sheep and swine were 
present in large numbers and revealed a high 
state of breeding. The poultry exhibits were 
meritorious. 
Agricultural produce gave an idea of the 
fertility of Western soil. Agricultural im¬ 
plements were fully represented. There were 
numerous instructive and interesting contests 
presented between the latest improved ma¬ 
chines aud their predecessors. Flowers and 
the tine arts were fairly represented. There 
were numerous meritorious exhibits in the 
“educational” department, in which the 
country schools were aot far behind the city 
iu certain lines of study aud work, 
Samuel Dysart, of Franklin Grove, Lee 
County, was elected President of the Illinois 
State Board of Agriculture. Vice-Presidents 
were elected from each of the 20 congressional 
districts in Uliuois. Charles F. Mills, of 
Springfield, was elected Secretary pro tern. 
He and Mr. Bunn, Treasurer, will probably 
be re-elected by the Board. There is a move¬ 
ment on foot to secure permanent grounds for 
the State Fair to be held at Chicago. There 
should be better facilities for reaching and 
leaving the grounds. The next great event 
concerning the cattle interest will be the 
American Fat Stock Show, at Chicago, Nov. 
8-19, 1886. 
The exhibits at the Illinois State Fair show 
the progress made iu various liues of agricul¬ 
ture. For example, implements:—There is a 
tendency to abandon the arbitrary sizes, and 
to make large or small machines for intensive 
or “ten-aero” farmers. Steel is being much 
used for the passive parts of machines, super¬ 
seding wood and iron. The weight is less and 
the articles are not so bulky and cumbersome. 
Side-drafts are being avoided. Prominent 
features are fewer parts, simpler connecting 
mechanism, direct transmission of power, aud 
more positive action. Dodging patents and 
seeking novelty have resulted iu many varia¬ 
tions, some of which are not especially note¬ 
worthy or valuable. There have beeu some 
improvements in harvesting machines. Need- 
loss parts have been done away with, defec¬ 
tive actions remedied, and arrangements 
made for folding the parts together on the 
road. The reel is uuder better control. The 
driver has better direction of his machine, 
some wheels having been adopted in the place 
of levers. The sickle is now more easily 
actuated. Feed grinders are very popular 
subjects of invention. In them there are im¬ 
provements in applying power and greater 
compactness. Ridmg-plows are more easily 
turned, and improved mold-boards are pre¬ 
sented for sticky soiLs. For planters greater 
ease of manipulation and more reliable action 
are claimed. Hay machines are being made 
to increase the speed and ease of handling 
larger quantities of hay. Ensilage and 
chopped feed seem to be popular, as many 
machines are made for them. Windmills are 
being adapted for the lighter purposes of the 
daiity, household and work-shop. It is to be 
hoped they will be made so that they will be 
good for something in a breeze something less 
than a gale. t. a. lamoille. 
SOCIETY NOTES. 
Hon. Geo. B. Loring at the New England 
Fair criticized the use of the word thorough¬ 
bred in fair catalogues and herd books. 
Thoroughbred applies to a race of horses bred 
in England for speed. A thoroughbred pig 
would be an impossibility. Animals are pure 
bred, but not necessarily thoroughbred. 
At the New England Fair classes were made 
for grade Jerseys and grade Ayrshires. 
The design was to encourage dairy 
cattle. After some discussion all other grades 
were admitted into the class for grade Ayr¬ 
shires. The idea expressed was that every 
cow that gives milk is to a certain extent a 
dairy animal. 
The old fashioned “town team” is still ex¬ 
hibited at many fairs. As many of the oxen 
of the town as can be had are hitched togeth¬ 
er and walked arouud the track where all can 
see and compare them. In many parts of the 
West a yoke of cattle is a great curiosity. 
On many New England farms an ox e sir ns his 
living and pays a profit by his work while he 
is growing into beef. The fact that so much 
of the work ou New- England farms is still 
done by oxen explains why it is that the 
Hereford cattle are so well represented at the 
faire. These cattle are large and strong and 
always well mated. 
The Elmira Farmer’s Club discussed the use 
of rock salt Cor salting cattle. It was thought 
that a piece weighing 89 pounds placed on 
boards,ston«s or any other dry support would be 
a sufficient supply for 10 or 12 cattle through 
the entire season at pasture. It should not be 
placed on the ground. 
Bulb prizes are offered by the General 
Union of Holland through the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Scociety. The prizes are for 
spring flowering bulbs, and the exhibition will 
take place about March 23, 1887. The prizes 
consist of nine medals aud $221. 
Prof. W. A. Henry of Wisconsin told the 
members of the California State Horticultural 
Society that there would be a large consump¬ 
tion of California fruit iu Wisconsin if 
good fruit could be seut at a reasonable price. 
The poor stuff which is now often sent, does 
not commend itself. So long as farmers have 
to pay all they can get for a bushel of pota¬ 
toes or a pound of fruit, they will not be apt 
to buy much. California fruit growers have 
had this story told them pretty often of 
late. 
The Atlanta Pomological Society is doing 
an excellent work for Georgia and the South. 
Meetings are held weekly. Discussions and 
exhibitions of fruits are held. 
Dust was the one great objection at the 
Ohio State Fair. The exhibition was the most 
successful ever held in Ohio, It was worthy 
of the most remarkable state iu the West. 
Thousands attended. The live stock exhibi¬ 
tion was fine. The Ohio Farmer gives the 
number of animals exhibited as 73 draft 
horses, 380 cattle, 597 sheep and 361 swine. 
There were 75 Short-horns, 38 Herefords, 19 
Red Polls, 25 Aberdeen- Angus, 24 Holsteins, 
61 Devons, 42 Ayrshires, and 52 Jerseys, 184 
flue-wool sheep. 71 Black Top aud delaine 
Merinos, 114 Shropshires, 45 Oxford Downs, 
43 South Downs and 50 Long Wools and 138 
Poland-China hogs, 88 Chester Whites, 90 
Berkshire's and 51 Duroe-Jerseys. About every 
implement known to agriculture was on exhi¬ 
bition and some new implements made a sensa¬ 
tion. 
The sbow of horses at the New England 
fair was the finest ever seen in Maine. Draft 
horses, trotters and roadsters were all repre¬ 
sented. It is expected that this fine display 
will tend to stimulate horse raising in New 
Eugland os never before. 
From the cattle exhibits at the New Eng¬ 
land fail* it was evident that Hereford, Short- 
