We lately made a brief but long-projected visit to Fox Meadow Farm, the country seat of Charles Butler, Esq., whose hospitality it is always a pleasure to enjoy. The place itself is full of Revolutionary associations, having been "debatable ground." The meadow was overrun with foxes, and hence was called Fox Meadow, a name which Mr. Butler very properly retained when he purchased the estate, upward of 300 acres in extent, and embracing a remarkably fine inland view. No other place that we know of presents more striking evidences of the great value of underdraining. What is now the garden with its fruitful trees, and flowers, and graperies, was, at the time of Mr. Butler's purchase, only a few years since, an unsightly morass, covered with a tangled undergrowth, impassable to man or beast. Cattle sank to their girth on entering it. The change seems the work of magic; but the credit of it is due to John Ellis. Another spot, almost as bad, embracing some twenty acres, has about fifty thousand drain tile in it, and is now covered with as fine a piece of corn as we ever saw.

This is also a thorough piece of work, and the only instrument Mr. Ellis used was the common carpenter's level, though he ought to have had something more.

There are about one hundred acres of fine woodland on the place, with a splendid undergrowth of Kalmias, Rhododendrons, etc. On the table land, just at the entrance to the woods, there is a fine piece of water, with a beautiful cascade leaping down over the rocks and through the woods into Bronx River. This piece of water is susceptible of being made a grand feature of the place, and probably will be. In the middle of this pond somebody has built a square stone island. We do not know whether our good friend, Mr. Butler, had any thing to do with this, but he will excuse us for uttering the hope that an earthquake, or other potent cause, will some dark night tumble it to pieces.

Fox Meadow is of a rolling or hilly character, and possesses within itself a number of commanding views. Its natural features are very fine, and are capable of being worked up effectively. This is now being gradually done, and at no very distant day Fox Meadow will be a charming place. The graperies, however, constitute one of the great features of the place at present. They cover about a thousand feet of glass. They are used principally for forcing, there being only one small cold house. We have seen these houses several times before, but never, in their season, without a grand crop of grapes in them; and this year they seem better than ever. Mr, Ellis, we take pleasure in saying, ranks among the most skillful grape growers in this country; he who surpasses him does something to be proud of. Unlike a great many others, he has not done learning. Some experiments conducted during the past winter, embracing new features in grape growing, have been eminently successful; but we leave them for Mr. Ellis to tell himself. We may mention one fact, however, having a bearing on the influence of light and air.

In one house, where the vines were crowded very close together, some of the intermediate ones were removed, thus admitting more light and a better circulation of air, as well as giving increased freedom to the roots; the result has been, that spurs that ripened only one bunch last year, have this year ripened two or three handsomely. Mr. Ellis's pride seems to be, not so much to grow a large bunch, as one that shall be thoroughly ripe, with a high color and thick bloom. That he grows large bunches, however, we know, for we saw a number weighing from two to five pounds each, which can only be produced by vines in the best condition. We saw also several splendid bunches of Muscats, weighing from three to five pounds each, thoroughly ripe and delicious, the berries looking like great drops of amber. There were also splendid Cannon Hall Muscats, not quite so large in the bunch, but much larger in the berry, and even more delicious. The vines were all healthy, making a vigorous growth, and carrying their wood and fruit to perfection.

We know of no place where vines can be examined with more satisfaction than at Fox Meadow. Its genial hearted owner has much reason to be satisfied with every thing thus far done.