A Portable Grist Mill

We have received a circular setting forth the excellence of "Felton's Portable Grist Mill,0 patented Jan. 2, 1855. It is represented as being "well adapted to grinding Wheat, Corn, Oats, Rye, Buckwheat, etc, and may be driven by steam, wind, water, or horse power, doing the work with great rapidity and perfection, grinding from five to eight bushels of corn meal, and from ten to twelve bushels of feed per hour, with less than two-horse power." We fancy that such a mill as this is described to be, would be of great service to farmers, and others who have a large number of horses, or other farm stock, to feed. We have felt the want of such a thing ourselves to prepare horse feed, and are inclined to give this a trial.

Portable Steam-Engines

Certificates have been shown us thai prove the value of the portable steam-engines. One farmer asserts that he has threshed one hundred bushels of oats per hour, and can readily thresh and clean over two hundred bushels of wheat per day. Another says five hundred bushels, and that he has threshed, and cleaned, and put into bags, at the rate of one bushel per minute. For farm work, this engine is most valuable, and no less so for irrigation, which it can be employed to do when there is no other work on hand.

With the mowers and reapers, the steam-engine, the lawn-mower, gas-works, and so forth, we now want a race of farmers, educated at agricultural colleges, to direct this machinery to the best advantage.

The New York Horticultural Society has resolved to extend to the Pomologies! Society the usual hospitalities on the occasion of its next meeting in that city.

Porte Crayon's Dilemma

In turning over its pages, my eye is attracted to Porte Crayon's sketch of the "animalcules" that are destroying the fruits of West Virginia. The picture is a true one, and will be readily recognized by all horticulturists. They are on the increase the country over, and are likely to continue so. Their ravages can be checked, however, by a judicious application of " birch bark ;" but perhaps the best "philosophy" is to treat them as we do the birds - allow them their share.

A Portfolio Paper File

We have just added to our library an article which we think will be useful to all our readers, or to any person who takes a newspaper or a periodical. By a very simple arrangement the papers are filed away in a substantial cover, which answers all the purposes of binding. Letters, music, drawings, etc.,, can be filed just as well as newspapers, as the portfolio is made of various sizes. It is called Jacobs' Patent Portfolio Paper File, and we suppose can be found at the principal bookstores.

Ports Crayon's Troublesome "Vermin"

For the last two seasons my small fruits - especially those near the ground - have been disturbed by certain animalculae, not mentioned either by Darlington or Darwin. As they seem to be increasing and becoming more destructive, I send a drawing in the hope that some of your horticultural philosophers may suggest a remedy. David H. Strother.

Berkley Springs, Morgan Co., West Va.