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4 tt THE SOUTHERN WORLD, AUGUST 15,1882, account of this difficulty it is important in stocking a pond to have not less than ten or twelve individuals in order to assure at least one pair of adult fish. Some expert! claim that they can distinguish the sexes at a much earlier period than spawning. We would be greatly obliged if Dr. Hessel and Mr. 8etb Green will each give the readers of Tiia Would the history of fish in this re spect, especially the carp. K. Mslntni Floors. Will not some one who knows give a few suggestions about staining floors of dining rooms and store-rooms, and oblige a subscri ber of your useful Southern World. Ebenezeb. Answer.—We are not posted on this point and will be obliged if some of our readers will give the information asked for. The following is taken from Diek’t Encylopedia of Practical Knowledge and is worthy of trial: Wax fob Polishing Floors.—Twelve and a half pounds of common beeswax, rasped and stirred into a hot solution of six pounds of good pearl-ash, in rain-water. Keep the mixture well stirred while boiling, until it ceases to froth. Then take from the fire and stir in six pounds of dry yellow ochre. It may then be poured into tin cans or boxes, and will harden on cooling. When wanted for use, one pound of it diffused in five pints of boiling hot water, and the mixture well stirred and applied, while still hot, to the floor by means of a paint brush. It dries in a few hours, after which the floor is to be polished with a large floor brush and after wards wiped with a coarse woolen cloth. A coat of this paint will last six months. R. Here is a specimen of Orange county far ming taken from the Hillsboro paper. It is a brief statement of crops on ‘‘Popular Hill” farm, owned by Mr. James Norwood, one of the best and most successful farmers in North Carolina. The land on which these crops aro growing has been in cultivation for three generations, and is wlmt is styled “old field.” Winter oats not fully headed and will grow over one foot, now 6 feet 8 inches, and flO stalks from one grain. Red rust proof, 554 feet, and 128 stalks to the grain. Rye 6 feet. 8 inches. Smooth head wheat, 5 feet 10 inch es, 101 stalks to the grain. Bearded wheat 6 feet, 42 stalks to one grain. Grasses, mountain evergreen, 80 inches high. Orchard grass, 02 inches high. Ken tucky blue grass 45 inches high. Lucerne 50 inches high. Whito clover too big and heavy to stand up to be measured. I also send a lock of wool about 14 inches long from a yearling Cotswold buck, the fleece weighed 1254 pounds; two others weighed 11 54 and 1054 pounds. The Atlanta Constitution indulges in the following resume of the wheat prospect: “The crop is now bo nearly gathered that the statisticians have resumed business at the old stand. The first day of July was the first day of the new crop year. The men of figures put the supply on that day, visible and invisible, at 40.000,000 bushels. As spring wheat has become very promising, they claim that the year’serop will certainly be 480,000,000 bushels; it may exceed this amount 50,000,000 bushels; and it cannot be less. The estimated supply is therefore 520.000. 000 bushels. Fifty-three millions of people will consume 454 bushels each, or 238.000. 000 bushels. To this amount add 59,- 000,010 bushels on account of seed, etc., and we have the home consumption fixed at 300,- 000,000 bushels. The surplus is thus 220,000,- 000 bushels. From this deduct 50,000,000 bushels on account of a visible supply on July 1,1883, and there will be left 170,000,000 bushels to be exported to countries that do not make their own bread. This is a very handsome surplus. Our heaviest exports of wheat were 178,000,000 bushels in 1870-80, and 180,000,000 bushelB in 1880-81. Last year we sent across the water 120,000,000 bu shels. The United Kingdom requires 102,- 000,000 bushels, and the English crop, which is not promising, is now put at 72,000,000 bushels. The shortage will therefore be 120,- 000,000 bushels. As the Russian crop will not be an average one, the United States may be able to find a market for one-half of its surplus in English ports. Our surplus bids fair, however, to exceed 200,000,000 bushels, and if it does, cheap bread is in sight fora twelve month, and no small amount of re sultant prosperity and general contentment. The Colleton Press, of Walterboro, 8. C., an excellent and fair minded paper, publishes the article “ThePeaasa Renovator,” appear ing in the Southern World June 15tb, and inadvertently credits it to another journal. We feel confident that our cotemporary is willing to give credit where it is due. §orticaUuml fftynrtment. Hicks’ Everbearing Mulberry for Figs, Poultry and Carp. Nurserymen report that thedemand for the trees of this variety of mulberry, is rapidly increasing among those who appreciate its value. This variety commences to ripen in May, and continues to fruit until first of August. Pigs, poultry and carp fish, are very fond of the berries. Some have planted a consid erable area in them for pigs and report that they thrive remarkably well upon them. Poultry also thrive upon them, if fed sub stantial food while consuming them. If planted around carp ponds, the berries drop ping doily into the water furnish appropri ate food for the young fish. It is also des tined to occupy an important place among the fruits of the South. J. S. N. GEORGIA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Its Seventb Annna) Convention held at Macon, August l, and 2,1882. There is no association in this State com posed of more earnest, disinterested men than this Society—none which conducts its business with more dignity and self-sacrific ing devotion to the industry they repre sent and none which has, in so short a time, wielded a more beneficial influence upon the people of the State. It cannot boast of a lnrge membership, but of one devoted to the influence of the Society and to the pro motion of the health and happiness of the people of the commonwealth by encourag ing the cultivation of fruits and vegetables and flowers so conducive to the comfort, health, economy, refinement and profit of the families that have the good sense to avail themselves of the fruits of their labors. Their Conventions arc conspicuous tor the harmony and business-like conduct of the work before them; there are no long-winded speeches by men who know nothing about the subject on which they speak, but short talks directly to the point. Indeed, the Conventions are regular love-feasts at which the best feeling prevails and a vast deal of information isscattered to the winds. Young farmers who must necessarily be to somo extent fruitgrowers, should avail themselves of such a school by connecting themselves with this Society. In connection with the Conventions the Society holds an exhibition of fruits all cor rectly labeled. This in itself is a school in which the young fruit grower can learn more in the three days of the display than in months of reading. There he finds spread out all of the varieties of fruit then in sea son together with specimens of the varie ties which ripen later. An examination of such a display affords a rare opportunity for selecting varieties to bo planted. After the usual preliminary exercises, in cluding speeches of welcome, response, etc., in which the reader is not interested, the Society proceeded to the perfection of its re-organization, which changes the 8ociety from a joint stock pompany to one composed of annual memberships. To complete the re-organization the following officers were elected, viz.: President—P. J. Berckmans, Augusta, Ga.; Secretary and Treasurer—T. L. Kinsey, Savannah, Ga,; Vice-Presidents— First District, Dr. IV. B. Jones, Herndon, Go.; Second District, John Stark, Thomas- ville, Ga.; Third District, 8. H. Humph, Marahullville, Ga.; Fourth District, Dr. H. H. Cary, LaGrangc, Ga.; Fifth District, Dr. SuniT Hape, Hapeville, Ga.; Sixth District, Col. E. C. Grier, Griswoldvllle, Ga.; Seventh District, Maj. Geo. H. Waring, Cement, Ga.; Eighth District, Dr. J.P.H. Brown, Augusta, Ga.; Ninth District, Gen. Wm. M. Browne, Athens, Ga.; State at large, Hon. Thos. Hardeman, Macon, Ga. Prof. Willett of Mercer University, and Chairman of the Committee on Entomology as related to Horticulture, read an Interest ing and Instructive report in which he paid his respects to the tree girdler which is so destructive to the pear trees, the persimmon, the linden, the hickory, pecan, walnut, etc. He explained to the Convention the habits of the insects in which he concurred sub stantially with the account we gave of them in our notice of the Woodruff fruit farm published in Southern World last spring. He also reported upon the curculio, in re sponse to an inquiry as to the identity of the varieties which puncture the hlokory-nut, acorn, chestnut and plum, showing that while they all belonged to the same family they embraced three distinct varieties: one attacking fruit, another the acorn and hick ory-nut, and still another the chestnut, etc. Prof. Willet’s reports are always interesting, practical and instructive. Dr. Sam’l Hape, of Hapeville Nurseries, near Atlanta, read a paper upon the effects of the afternoon sun upon fruit trees, full of practical good sdnse. Observation shows that our fruit trees are blasted on the south west side by the blistering effects of the afternoon sun. This occurs as soon as the trees reach such size that their bodies present sufficient surface to subject them to this baneful influence. Dr. Hape suggested two methods of preventing this influence: one by pruning the trees so as to cause them to protect their own bodies with their foliage. This is practicable with some spreading va rieties, but not with the erect growers, suchas the Shockley, Horse, Equinettileeand some other varieties of apples, with many of the varieties of pears and with nearly all of the varieties of the cherry. In such cases he suggests either wrapping the bodies of the trees or protecting them by wrapping with some soft material or by so arranging plank driven into the ground on the south and westside, that the afternoon sun is in tercepted from the bodies of the trees. Gen. Wm. M. Browne, Professor of Ag riculture in the State College, at Athens, read a paper on ornamental gardening in which he gave very minute directions for laying out lawns, etc. A large part of the time of the Conven tion was occupied in discussing the cata logue—a most important work as it is from the catalogue that the public derives its chief benefit from the deliberations of the Society, since by full and free discussion of each variety, the Society decides which are adapted to the different sections of the State and for different purposes and uses. Any beginner may take the catalogue of this Society and plant in any county of Georgia and in the corresponding sections of South Carolina and Alabama with perfect assu rance that he will secure nothing but good varieties, while a* a rule he will secure those varieties best adapted to his particular local ity. It, is gratifying to be able to state that Commissioner Henderson has offered to print a portion if not all of the proceedings of this Society, certainly embracing the cat alogue of fruits. In our humble.opinion he can not print any matter of greater value to the farmers of Georgia than this catalogue Any one who has planted fruit trees and waited from three to ten years to gather fruit only to be disappointed, either in the productiveness of the trees or the quality of the fruit can appreciate the value of a list of varieties that have been carefully tested by one or more growers with almost identi cally his surroundings. Judging from the multitude df inquiries we receive annually asking what varieties to plant in particular localities the demand for such a publication is far in excess of the supply. Again, if this catalogue is in the hands of a large number of the farmers of the State and they will make a proper use of it, the tree peddler will not be able to apply his gouge with such success as formerly. There will be about 17,000 of these catalogues dis tributed by the Department of Agriculture, thus reaching every fifth farmer in the State. PACKING AND SHIPPING FRUIT. This question—one of special interest and profit to shippers of fruit to distant markets was discussed at some length. Some had shipped peaches wrapped in tissue paper, packed in moss or excelsior, and without either wrapping or packing with most varied results, the condition in which the fruit ar rived at destination, being some times in favor of one and sometimes in favor of an other method. It seemed, however, to be well established that only good fruit well and securely packed so that there shall be no jostling and bruising while in transitu paid remunera tive prices. Messrs. Berckmans and Rumph, one at Augusta and the other at Marshal- villo, have had uniformly satisfactory results from shipments made by express where the fruit was carefully selected, sized and packed. The fact was developed that by careful preparation of their fruit for market Messrs. Berckmans and Rumph had secured such a reputation for their peaches that they commanded from 25 to 50 per cent, above the quotations for Georgia peaches. Tha subject of transportation was very fully and freely discussed without arriving at definite conclusions of practical Importance further than to request the Commissioner of Agri culture, Judge Henderson, to collect statis tics of the quantity of fruit shipped from the State this year, as a basis upon which to found their negotiations for cheaper and otherwise more satisfactory transportation. He was also requested to collect as early as the first of May of next year estimates of the quality of fruit likely to be shipped dur ing the next season. Some difference of opinion and experience was expressed as regards shipments by refrigerator cars, though Judge Cunningham expresses him self highly pleased with his experiment made this season by shipping peaches by the Tiffany refrigerator to Chicago from Orchard Hill, near Griffin, Ga. THE DISPLAY OF FRUITS. In variety and quantity the display of fruit was remarkably fine, though the quan tity was less than on some former occasions. The display of peaches, pears, apples, grapes and melons was superb. Some of the seedling peaches crown and exhibited by Mr. 8. H. Rumph, Marsbal- ville, Ga., are deserving of special commen dation ; of these, the Elberta is very superior in flavor, size and color. It is a free seedling from Chinese cling. J. S. N. Manchester Strawberry. The Manchester, regarding which we have hitherto restrained any positive expresssion of opinion, is one of the most desirable strawberries we have ever raised, and we have tested not less than 250 different kinds. The only thing that can be said against it is that it is a pistillate, and must be grown near perfect-flowering sorts. Our plants are exceedingly vigorous and productive. We have just examined them and find that each plant, on an average, bears 16 peduncles of flowering stems, and that each flowering stem bears, on an average 10 berries—giving 100 berries to a plant. We beg to emphasize that we are speaking of average plants. On one plant we counted 22 peduncles und 220 berries in the various stages from ripe to just set. This berry is firm, very uniform in shape, which is roundish conical; it ripens in every part and averages about medium os long as it re mains in fruit. The quality when ripe is good, though, like the Wilson, it is sour when it first colors—a characterisic, it seems, of all excellent market berries. It ripens with the Sliarpless and after the Bidwell. On the grounds of the plain, hard-working farmer, Mr. Jesse Battey, with whom it or iginated, it thrives in a light, dry, sandy soil. With us it thrives in a moist soil in clining to clay.—Rural New Yorker. What of the Future on Regard* Grain. As the decline in wheat has attracted so much attention, and farmers are reported to be holding back for better prices, it may be well to examine a few statistics upon the matter. To us the decline seems only nat ural, though from its suddeness there may possibly be a temporary reaction. We have a yield of wheat of not less than 500,000,000 bushels, and the very superior quantity of it will increase its bread-making properties to much above the average. For a popula tion af 54,000,000 we need at the outside for bred 243,000,000 bushels, and for seed not over 57,000,000 bushels, or a total of all our home wsnts 300.000,000 bushels, leaving a surplus of 200,000,030 bushels, all of which is available for export, as the stock of old wheat and flour In the country is fully 40,- 000,000 bushels—and this is ample for re serves. Now, with 200,000,000 bushels surplus, what are we to do with it? The highest amount of wheat ever exported was 180,- 000,000 bushels (flour included) for the year ended June 30th 1881, and the average export value for the whole year was $1.11 a bushel; while for the year ending June 30th, 1870, the average value was $1.06 a bushel. Dur ing the year ended June 30th, 1881, we had almost the world for our customers. Nearly every European country needed large im ports, both France and England having smaller crops than they are promised this year. The requirements of Europe were greater than they will probably be for the next twelve months and then we had but little competition. Russia had short crops and consequently a very small surplus, while India had not begun to ship wheat to any considerable extent Thus, we have the prospect for a smaller demand than in 1880- 81, and more competition from other coun tries than in that year, while in the face of all this the surplus is 14,000,000 bushels greater than the amount we then exported. In view of these facts the part of wisdom would seem to be to ship our wheat out as freely as possible.—Boston Journal of Com merce. Mrs. C. A. Staples, of Scottsboro' Ala., has a two year old grade Jersey heifer from which she gets three gallons of strained milk and one pound of butter per day.