Connecticut western news., 1885-04-08

MIR EDToR.-Thinking perhaps you would like to hear the, news from this part of the country, thought I would write you.
 Highland is a town about the size of Canaan. It is situated on the west bank of the Hudson, directly opposite the city of Poughkeepsie. It is noted for it's fruit. All along the Hudson River valley we raise more acres of fruit than you do of grain in Connecticut. It is nothing unusual for a farmer here to have 30 acres of grapes, or 40 of peaches, but this season it Is not expected that we will have any peaches along the Hud- son, for the past winter has been very cold and the peach buds have all been frozen.
 Twill give you little idea of the fruit raised here. A neighbor of mine for the last three or four years has raised from 12 to 14 tons of entrants and I have known the boat to take 60,OOO baskets VI obA6hDeAAlco db Ouo LlLI6.
 The grand old Hudson is yet in the embrace of the frost king, on this, the 23d of March, which is something very unusual, for navigation generally opens by March l. Instead of the floating palaces having possession, which they usually do by this time in the season, the ice-boats reign supreme. To any one that never saw an ice-boat it would De quite novelty. With good breeze they will go as fast as an express train. We had a trial here while ago. The ice-boats left this city (Poughkeepsie) at the same time the express started for Albany. The boats made their run to Albany and turned around and started on their way back when they met the train going to Albany.
 A friend of mine from near your place was here 8 while 8 short time ago, and we visited Vassar. They have one of the finest museums in the state, also very fine art gallery. By the way, Vas sar is going behind this season, as there was no appropriation left by the founder to sustain it and it has to rely on it's scholarship for maintenance. This year they have not as many scholars into 100 as they have had formerly, therefore are not paying their expenses. For the last p years Vassar has been to the young ladies what Harvard and Yale have been to young men. What the future is to be for Vassar Is hard to tell, but it seems a pity to have 1t go down after it has prospered so long. It seems as if it ought to sustain itself when A young lady has to pay $500 year to go there. Perhaps some of your lady readers would like to know something about the cuisine | department of Vassar. They have an oven where they can bake 175 pies at once, and griddle which Is 6xl3 feet, so you see by this that it is on as large scale as any private family would need.
 The ice companies of New York city all have ice houses along the river above Newburgh, for below there they cannot gather ice for the reason that the water is too salt. The companies were in such hurry to get their houses filed they stored ice that was only six or eight inches thick, when now it is anywhere from 10 to Is inches.
 The ferry-boat here has been idle for about two months and all teams cross on the ice, but they all have to pay when they go on the bridge from the dock to the river, and it has been paying busi- ness this winter for those who put up the bridges. would like to speak of the West Shore read and the Buckeye mower and reaper, also the new post office that is being built in Poughkeep- sic, but I omit them for think you will not want to give space to so long a letter as it would make. EF.o
 March 2o, 1885,