176 
THB 
Jtily; 
AUTRUTnAW INSTITUTE FASMEES’ OIDB. 
The Club’s spacious, well-lighted, and 
cheerful new meeting room at Clinton Hall 
was inaugurated on the 18th of June, with a 
highly interesting and enjoyable exhibition 
of Sti’awberries, Roses and other flowers and 
plants. The unusual lateness of the season 
prevented growers from the Hudson River 
region and Connecticut participating as 
largely as they would have done had the 
season been earlier. As it was, northern 
berries were only beginning to ripen, and 
the chief exhibits came fi-om New Jersey. 
J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, N. J., was 
awarded the first premium for the best col¬ 
lection of twenty-five varieties, and many 
other first premiums for single quarts. 
E. & J. Williams, Montclair, N. J., exhib¬ 
ited a remarkably choice collection of single’ 
quarts and received several first premiums. 
The center of attraction, however, were 
the new varieties, many of which were of 
rare excellence and great promise. E. W. 
Durant, Irvington, N. J., competed with his 
new Cluster King, King of the North, and 
others. Wm. Parry, Parry, N. J., had in 
addition to his Parry, Lida and Bomba. 
J. T. Lovett showed Parker Earl, a new va¬ 
riety of great promise. P. M. Augur & Son 
made a splendid display'with their Jewell, of 
which both berries and pl.ants in bearing 
were shown. This variety competes also 
for “Tiie Americax Gardex Prize." As 
the conditions required the judges to exam¬ 
ine the plants and fruit on the ground, the 
prize for the best new seedling has not yet 
been awarded. P. Henderson & Co. showed 
a plate of “Henderson,” but owing to the 
very unfavorable season, the sample did 
hardly justice to this new variety. 
The first prize for the best flavored varietj' 
was awarded to Prince of Berries. 
The exhibition of Roses was one of rare 
excellence and beauty, seldom equalled ill 
New York. All the best new and old varie¬ 
ties were represented; especially noteworthy 
were Gen. Jacqueminot, Mad. Victor Ver- 
dier, Baronesse Rothschild, Paul Neron, 
Captain Christy, Comtesse of Oxford, Sena¬ 
tor Vaisse, Prince Camille de Rohan, La 
France, Sunset, La Rosiere, Anna de Dies- 
bach. Moss Rose cristata, and centifolia, etc. 
.Schultheis Bros., College Point, N. Y.,' 
were awarded the first prizes for collections 
and many single varieties. 'I’his firm de- 
seiwes special recognition for renewing their 
entire exhibit on the morning of the second 
day, making in fact a better di.splay than on 
the first day. 
J. G. Rechainps & Son, New York, carried 
off most of the second prizes foi- collections. 
Albert Benz, Douglaston, L. L, made a re¬ 
markably fine exhibit of single vai-ieties for 
which first prizes were given. 'J'he Gen. 
Jacqueminots and various Moss Roses cli(> 
ited the admiration of all. 
Beautiful Orchids are not a rare occurrence 
at New York flower exhibitions, but the ex¬ 
hibit of Mr. Wm. C. Clement, gardenei’ to 
Mrs, Chas. Morgan, on this occasion did cer¬ 
tainly excel any similar collection shown 
here. It would have been worth a consider¬ 
able journey to see these Orchids alone. 
lie »«wal ot tl.e pl»ts 
whloU w». model ol 
Vigoi anu collection were: 
striking specimens of Uie co ^ 
cm,. .»•- 
rides Virens, CypripecVmn mveum, C. Law 
renceammi, C. SelUgcrum majus. 
Another fine collection of Oichids foi 
which a second prize was awarded was 
shown by W. C. Wilson, Astoria, N. Y. 
Richard Brett, gardener to Jiiines it. 
Pitcher, Shorthill, N. J., exhibited a goi- 
gcous collection of Peonies, some sixty 
named varieties, comprising every imagin¬ 
able shade of color and variety of form pos¬ 
sible in this class of plants. Mr. Pitchei in 
making a specialty of tliese somewhat neg¬ 
lected flowers, is doing a good work, show¬ 
ing their grand capabilities. 
Hallock & Thorpe filled nearly an entire 
table with a miscellaneous collection ot Glad¬ 
iolus, Lilies, Irises, Peonies, Chrysaiithe- 
niuins, etc. 
The most striking exhibit in regard to dec¬ 
orative ellect was John Finn’s collection of 
Palms, comprising some two dozen speci¬ 
mens, most of which were of rare excellence. 
Mons. JulesLachaume, Directorof the Gar¬ 
den of Acclimation of Havana, Cuba, showed 
a highlj^ interesting collection of new tex¬ 
tile fibers of Palms, Yuccas, and other tropi¬ 
cal plants, some of which, he is confident, 
null become powerful rivals to wool and cot¬ 
ton even, as their supply is almost unlimited. 
The semi-monthly meeting of the club was 
held on the same day of the exhibition. 
The subject for discussion being “The Straw¬ 
berry,” a large number of prominent fruit¬ 
growers participated. Among those present 
were Rev. E. P. Roe, .Judge Wm. Parry, A. 
S. Fuller, W. C. Barry, Chas. A. Green, P. 
T. Quinn, J. S. Woodward, Col. M. C. Weld, 
P. M. Augui-, J. T. Lovett, E. W. Durand, 
Dr. J. B. Ward, E. Williams, .Sam. Parsons, 
J. B. Rogers, C. W. Jdell, E. D. Putney. 
OEEATEE CONSUMPTION OF FEUITS NEEDED. 
Read by E. Williams before the American In- 
stilule Farmei's' Club. 
If I could wield the pen as easilj' !ind grace¬ 
fully as some of rny contemporaries of by¬ 
gone years, and had written a book on Straw¬ 
berry culture, or on success with small fruits, 
or on fruit culture for ))roflt, or on its fail¬ 
ures and lo.sses, 1 should probably long since 
have received my di|)loma and graduated 
into the editorial chair of the “Bungtown 
Fruit Grower,” or taken charge of the A<'ri- 
cultinnl Department of some prominent 
weekly papei', in whieli case I should no 
doubt find, as many others have done “who 
have gone before me,” that the pro/Us of 
fruitgrowing were very alluring on paper 
and that the pen, peiiell, and iirinter’s Ink 
were the chief hnpleinerits used to produce 
these profits. 
I'or a change I would suggest tliat soim. 
of these cx-fi'ult-growei's would write a book 
..Ininll, a,,,,,, 
t overcome their modesty sulllelently to 
perform such a task. Hut to reeonl the'hdl- 
m-cs of others would be an easy matter, and 
10 wrecks and blasted hopes that have lined 
the shores of the horticultural world during 
the last twenty-five years, afford abundant 
siv material to make a work of interest, a fitting 
companion to “Fruit Growing for Profit.” 
Occasional iy we find a person who has be¬ 
come “well fixed” in life, recount some lit¬ 
tle incident of failure in his past career with 
a laugh, but references of this kind are con¬ 
fined” to this class, they can afford it. But 
people who fail in business of any kind, do 
not as a rule like to think of their mistakes, 
much les.s talk about them, and yet these 
failures and the causes thereof could teach 
more important lessons than all the successes 
on record, but they seldom are made public. 
It is the successes that are wanted for record, 
not the failures, and these successes on pa^ 
per are often false lights on the shore, lur¬ 
ing the unsuspecting and innocent traveler 
onto the rocks and shoals that lie hidden be- 
ncath tlie surface. 
But success in Strawberry or other fruit 
growing, as already stated, is not confined 
to growing the crop, but includes the selling 
of them, and here is where the failures and 
the most important ones occur. What prof- 
iteth it a man if he gain the whole crop and 
lose the whole market? In most recoi-ded 
successes of large crops it is the prospective 
returns and profits that are the alluring feat¬ 
ure held out to view. The profits of fruit 
culture are what we are all contending for, 
aud which I am sorry to say, are “often 
sought but seldom found.” 
Last sea.sou first-class berries in fine con¬ 
dition, and plenty of them, sold in this city 
for 10 and 12 ceuts per quart, with poorer 
grades for one-half the money. Now de¬ 
ducting freights and commissions, what is 
there left to pa}^ the grower for his time, . 
labor, fertilizers, baskets, crates, picking, 
etc., etc.? The most powerful magnifying 
glass would fail to detect the grower’s profits. 
Now it will be said this is .all owing to a 
glut in the market, over-production, etc. 
Well, in a measure this may be true. But 
for all that we need a new departure. In¬ 
stead of encouraging greater production, let 
us encourage greater consumption. Let our 
ell'orts be directed to the educating of the 
people to consume more fruit, to make it a 
daily, generous diet. Let us teach the masses, 
the working classes, that a generous diet of 
ripe fruit is better for their health and the 
health oC their families, more cooling and 
refreshing to the system than beer and other 
stimulants of like nature. Fruits are more 
nutritious than most vegetables, more than 
half as valuable as potatoes; pound for 
pound, they arc fully as valuable in connec¬ 
tion wltli meats and carbonaceous food for 
health and comfort. 
Let us ti-y to teach the people tliat they 
can afi'ord to buy and consume fruits in 
much larger ipiantitlcs, even at hlglver than 
average |)rlces. 'I'lils will l)enutlt themselves 
as well as the fruit growers, aud contribute 
lai’g(!ly to make fruit growing and fruit 
eating a'succc.ssful and profitable l)uslness. 
I entreat all true fruit growers anil fruit 
lovers not to hold out the alluring tempta¬ 
tion of [irollt't'o be derived by the prospect¬ 
ive, grower fi-om certain lunv varieties, that 
tliey may be able to sell tlie plants; but In- 
stcaul to encourage greater home eonsumi)- 
tlon, which witli many avIU bo found the 
most profitable part of the business. 
