Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-09-12
Special Correspondence
FROM RICHMOND.

| FROM RICHMOND.
| recent visit TO our metropolis gives me some
| thing to say TO the Stanton Spectator.
/ For several days past the exhibition of fruit
| by the Physiological Society has been on the top
| most wave of conversation. The Assembly Hall,
| sometimes called the Skating Rink" having
| been converted into what in times of spiritual
| darkness, might have been called temple 6ed-
| icated to Pomona In this temple we breathe q
perfumed atmosphere, not alone the perfume OF
| the fruit, but lovely flowers lend their beauty to
| the scene. The odoroQs IQbe-fose taking US In
fancy, by IL rich perfume, to lanos Of Inc ori-
In the centre Of the hail. Morton a Richmond
| Florist contributes pyramid OF plants bear
| ing many hued leaves; nvaiing IN beauty the
| glories OF our richly arranged autumnai forests.
| Just now their variegai ed leaves enthu-
siasra With the votsries OF Flora, and the dis play
/ referred to- indicates diiigent research III the
realms of the is.ir Goddess, ranging from tempe
rate to torrid zone As an item of beauty we
must be allowed 10 aiiude to the gold fish rowing
amid the water plants in their crystal globes
| Captivity is dreadful, but the compensation to
| these captiveS IS that larger fish cannot make
| them prey.
| The dear Old Dominion, with the unseltish-
ness and courtesy which has ever been her dIa-
dem of beauty in her hail of exhibition, has
| awarded to the distant States the best and most
| conspicuous positions. What first meets the eye
on entering, is the gorgeous display OF apples,
pears, and grapes, from Kansas, Nebraska,
| Iowa, Minnesota and Calfornia-fruit so fine
| that it might have been gathered In the tabled
regions of Grimm's German fairy legends. On
| the California table was displayed olives, and
| branches from the olive tree, the true olive
branch from which was plucked the welcome
| leaf by Noah's dove
The first impression on the visitor to the hall
u.s. that the Pacific States have the finest display
of apples, pears, and grapes and judging by
their brilliant hues the must shine with
brightest glow upon those western shores, or per-
haps it is the vim with which they are cultlva-
ted, as mention is made of 113 varieties of apples
from Iowa. raised in vicinity where, % years
ago, there was not an apple tree of any kind,
whatever
The finest pears, we hear, are from tide-water,
raised near the city of Norfolk. The finest figs
raised in that city-the figs of Smyrna-are not
finer than those grown in the confines of Nor
folk. The salt air and the shelter afforded by
the brick houses, conspiring to aid their growth
From Nelson county, on corner of table,
was displayed grapes, peaches, and pears, which
looked the concentration of sunbeams. From
our neighbor, North Carolina, the finest of all
grapes-the Scuppernong- is we'll represented.
The parent of all apples-the Crab-was one
of the varieties displayed in the Virginia dele
cation of apples The parent might well boast
own district of country who were non pa-reil.-
Perhaps it is to this species of apple-the Grab
Mayor Kelley referred in his telcitous address
to the Pathological Society - From the bitter
fruit of thorny tree in Eastern Europe Sci
ence has developed the most delicious fruit of
our day, in more than 500 varieties"
We will not say more, as ADLER pens than ours
will tell the story of this convention of fine
fruit. Tonight the exhibition closes.
FALAIs
Peninsula, Sept 9th, 1871.