There is not much that is either new or interesting in pomology this season; in fact, there has been a dearth of novelties for several years past, and one's eye for new fruit begins to grow dim from want of use. A visit to-day from Mr. Charles Downing, the veteran pomologist, brought to mind the enthusiasm of former days, if not the objects which caused it, and we traveled over again in thought and words some of those old journeys in search of facts in regard to many of the once new but now old fruits of our gardens.

The name of Downing has been so long and intimately connected with American horticulture, that some of the younger members of the profession, who have been born since the feme of the Downing brothers was established, can hardly realize the fact that the elder of the two (Charles) is still in the field, doing an immense amount of labor towards purifying the nomenclature as well as for the general advancement of American Pomology. Few men have ever devoted their lives more unselfishly and constantly than Charles Downing to the good of a science which so directly benefits his fellow man; and as he was but 72 years old yesterday (and for aught that I can see to the contrary, as young as when I first knew him, a quarter of a century ago), we may hope that his days of usefulness are far from being over.

While musing thus, he reminds me, as he has often before, that time is passing and growing more precious to us all as we grow old, therefore a run through a part of the garden before dinner will be just so much saved from the work proposed after dinner.

Of course, I shall not attempt to report private conversation, but will remark, incidentally, that we first visited my currant patch, where I have every species and variety of currant that will grow in this climate, besides some that won't without nursing. For a selection of six, I would name Red and White Dutch, Versailles, Cherry, White Grape and Victoria. The latter is a little later than the Red Dutch, otherwise no better. There are plenty of sorts equally as good as those named, but no better, consequently one gains nothing by adding them to a collection unless for the purpose of studying their peculiar characteristics. La Hative and La Fertile de Angers, resemble the Cherry in growth, leaf and color of fruit, but the bunches and berries are smaller. Champagne is a pretty pink or light rose colored sort, always appearing to be about half ripe. Glorie des Sablons is a striped variety, each berry distinctly striped with red, the ground color being a dull, yellowish white. I might go over the whole list in this manner, but the story has been told over and over again in our fruit books as well as in the horticultural papers.

"Nothing new among currants," said Mr. Downing, as we passed on to the raspberries; "but when you and I are gone, some young enthusiast will go over the same field and these varieties will be new to him and his associates."

An hour among the raspberries, which are exceedingly abundant this year, owing to favorable weather, enabled us to discover some of the strong as well as weak points in the old as well as newer sorts. Among the Black Caps, the Fay ranks first as a very early sort, and the fruit is of good size, firm black, with very little bloom - a first-rate market sort not becoming dull or of a faded color in rainy, damp weather, as usual with those covered with heavy bloom, like the Ontario and Mammoth Cluster. I may also remark that the canes of the "Fay" have very few thorns, which is another decided merit.

The "Surprise" is another very distinct and valuable variety, although not very generally known among the cultivators of small fruits. The berries are largo and of a conical shape, which is quite unusual among the black raspberries. It is a strong and vigorous grower and quite productive; berries firm, and with a slight bloom, ripening with the medium or late sorts.

"Elsie" is said to be a seedling of the last, but is so near like its parent, if not identical, that a distinct name is unnecessary. The older sorts still hold their own among the newer claimants for favor, and a man would have lost but little, except in prolonging the season, if he had never gone beyond the first sort introduced to notice, viz., - Doolittle, or American Improved Black Gap.

Among the red raspberries there is really a less number of novelties than among the Black Caps. The Brandywine, which has of late attracted considerable attention, is a rather dwarf-growing native sort, with medium size bright red or scarlet berries, quite productive and plants very hardy - an excellent variety for localities where the foreign sorts will not thrive. The Baldwin, a new sort from Illinois, is hardy, moderately productive, but scarcely sufficiently distinct from the wild varieties to be found in the woods all through our Northern States. I have quite a number of what are known as "Herstine's Seedlings," but none appear to possess any special merit making them worthy of extended culture.

Of course I hope no one will consider Mr. Downing in any way responsible for my opinion as expressed above, because he happened to be with me during an examination of these fruits to-day, for probably both of us are too decidedly independent to allow another's taste or opinion to warp our own.

Although Mr. Downing has been a close student of pomology for a half century or more, he is as eager and ready to learn to-day as when he first begun, showing that egotism or self-conceit in regard to knowledge of any one subject has never as yet entered his mind. Fifty years is a long time to look forward to, but a very short period to look back over; hence the failure to accomplish much by those who are negligent or waste time while young, and the wisdom of those who are industrious even during an ordinary lifetime - Rural New Yorker,