the 5th of January the mercury at
Westport, Wis., indicated 26 degrees below zero, the lowest point ever
recorded there. He adds: "The peaches are killed, as are the
blackberries. Cherries are injured very much and the raspberries also.
The dry September checked the growth of the berries and sun-burned them
some, and now the cold hurts them badly. Apples are all right yet and
prospects for good crop are excellent."

* * * * *

It may be of interest to many readers to know that the I. & St. L. R. R.
will sell tickets from Indianapolis and intermediate points to St.
Louis, to persons attending the meeting of the Mississippi Valley
Horticultural Society, at one and one-third rates. Mr. Ragan informs us
that this is the only railroad line from central Indiana that offers a
reduction of fare. The Missouri Pacific system of roads, including the
Wabash, and embracing about ten thousand miles of road, extending as far
north and east as Chicago, Detroit and Toledo, and as far south and west
as New Orleans, Galveston and El Paso, will return members in
attendance, who have paid full fare over these lines, at one cent a
mile, upon the certificate of the Secretary of the Society. The Chicago
& Alton, C., B. & Q., Keokuk, St. L. & N. W., Chicago, B. & K. C.,
Illinois Central, Cairo Short Line, and Hannibal & St. Joe roads will
return members on the same terms. The Ohio & Mississippi will sell
tickets to St. Louis and return at one and one-third fare, to members
indorsed by the Secretary. The Louisville and Nashville will give
reduced rates to members applying to its General Passenger Agent, C. P.
Atmore, of Louisville, Ky.

THE WEALTH OF THE NATION.

The Census Bureau and Bradstreet's agency have made from the most
accurate examination possible an estimate of the wealth and business of
the nation: Aggregate wealth of the United States in 1880 was
$43,642,000,000 (forty thousand and a half billions); the total amount
of capital invested in business was $8,177,000,000 (over eight
billions); and the number of persons engaged in commercial business was
703,828. Twenty-two per cent of all the business capital of the country
is credited to the State of New York. Massachusetts ranks second,
Pennsylvania third, Ohio fourth, Illinois fifth, and Michigan sixth. The
aggregate business capital of these six States was $5,113,087,000,
leaving to all the other States $3,063,923,000. The total recorded
nu