We notice this Society has issued a call for a meeting to be held early in January. Iowa is fast growing to be a fruit State, as the exhibit of its products the past year show; and we hope this meeting will be well attended by every Western fruit-grower who possibly can. One hundred dollars in premiums are offered, as follows:

"Best and largest collection of apples, not less than four of each sort ................................

$25 00

Second best ...........................................

15 00

Third best ...............................................

10 00

Best single variety of winter cooking apples..

500

Best single variety of winter eating apples

500

Best collection of winter pears ............................

10 00

Best single variety of winter pears ......................

5 00

Best collection of grapes, not less than three clusters of each variety ......................

15 00

Second best collection .................................

5 00

Best single variety, not less than three clusters .............................

500

"Committees to be appointed at the time. All members, and those who will then become such, are cordially invited to bring their best fruits, and compete for premiums.

"W. W. Beebe, Dubuque, Secretary".

We shall be pleased to receive an account of the doings of the meeting.

In pruning apple or pear trees, be careful always to cut away all shoots of last year's growth that appear shriveled, or have not really and perfectly ripened their wood.

Shrubberies should have a top dressing yearly of well-decayed manure, or, better still, old leaf mold or virgin soil from the woods or forest, where such is accessible. There is no better time to do this than some fine open day in the winter.