WITHOUT very great anticipations for a fine show at our annual exhibition, we went forth to duty. We were constantly reminded that this had been a precarious season, - the "oldest inhabitant" never saw any thing like it. Fruit had prematurely ripened; early fall fruit was all gone, or fast decaying, and even many early winter sorts showed signs of immature ripening. Grapes were nearly gone - pears ditto. Plums a very light crop, so that the basis for building a very large expectation was poor. But in this we were happily disappointed. Fruits came in early and in large quantities, so that before the time for opening the exhibition, the room was all taken, and nearly 2,000 plates of fruit were on the tables. I cannot name the exhibitors, but the competition was very lively. A marked feature here was the Society exhibition, viz.: Waukesha County and the Milton Farmer's Club, both ambitious for the fifty dollar premium. The exhibition by county or local societies is provocative of much good, and results in bringing out the influence and interest of a much larger class as exhibitors than it otherwise would.

Another marked 'feature of this show was the exhibition of new fruits. 0. P. Peffer showed a chance seedling crab, which had many points of excellence, and 1 think will make its mark and be heard from hereafter with interest. The Pewaukee, also shown and originated with Mr. Peffer, and recently described in The Horticulturist, surpassed the expectations of its friends, being about one-third larger this year than ever before, and in every other respect equal to the past. The Janesville grape (also figured in your Journal) was much better than we have ever seen it before. The vine is growing in favor every year, proving well adapted to our changeable climate - hardy - and the fruit much the best as here exhibited, we have ever seen. The Worden grape was also riper than last year, showing its character to better advantage, and cannot be thought the same as the Concord, as was the case last year.

There was also on exhibition an ever-bearing raspberry, an accidental seedling, from Jefferson county, where it fruited for a number of years. The bushes on exhibition were well filled with fruit, similar in appearance to the Doolittle, claimed to be as prolific as any raspberry, not surpassed in quality or size, perfectly hardy, rapid and vigorous grower. "The last crop begins to ripen last of August or first of September, and continues to blossom and ripen fruit up to freezing weather".

The exhibition of both fruit and flowers was almost entirely by professional growers; the amateurs seem to have forgotten that they had a chance.

But the fruits were by no means the important feature of this show, though the grapes from Alexander Mitchell, from good sized bunches to very large, weighing over seven pounds to the bunch, did take their full share of all eyes; still the Florists filled an important niche in this hall.