THE APPLES OF NEW YORK

What's your favorite apple? McIntosh? Empire? Gala? Delicious? Paula Red? Cortland? Or perhaps you're a Granny Smith, Fuji, Honeycrisp or Jonagold person. Whatever your choice, now's the time to satisfy your apple appetite with choices freshly picked and sold at your favorite roadside stand or cider mill.

If your appetite is for reading and viewing illustrations of apples, however, just stop by the Bullis Room and ask one of our volunteers to show you this collection's two-volume The Apples of New York, by S. A. Beach, N. O. Booth, and O. M. Taylor. Both volumes were published in Albany in 1905 as part of a series of reports by the New York Agriculture Experiment Station. Between the covers are many pages of information about and illustrations of apples.

Who said you couldn't have your apples and eat them too?

(This collection also has volumes in this series on grapes, peaches, pears, and plums and volunteers would be happy to assist you with these, as well.)

MAY WE PRESENT...

...the Bullis Room's volunteer of the week. Please take note of his proper attire (white glove) for handling a rare book. Also please note his steady focus on the reading material.

When he comes to the end of that book, he can study Increase Lapham's family tree, which is under the table's glass covering, or chose another book from the shelves (with the help of another volunteer, of course).

We are enjoying this unusual volunteer's company as we go about our various duties. Sometimes, we find ourselves occasionally making a remark or directing a question to him.

We would also enjoy setting up a time for you to stop by and take a look at the collection. You may contact us through this blog or by calling 315-986-5932, Option 3.

NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE

Tomorrow we will pause to remember those who lost their lives in the attacks on September 11, 2001, and to give thanks for people like Nettie Bullis who reach out to their communities and individuals in need.

Miss Bullis quietly helped many people during her lifetime, and through her legacy she is continuing that service to others through various programs. Her response to such needs is an inspiration to the rest of us.

BACK TO SCHOOL

A list of 2009 school supplies may be longer than a list from the early 20th century, but it still includes some standard #2 pencils, which is what 15-year-old Charles R. Bullis probably used when he wrote this essay in 1906. And it also contains an element of that familiar assignment, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” We hope you enjoy it.

How I tried to make a Steam Engine

Last summer I was much interested in trying to make a little steam engine. I used a baking powder can cover fitted into a shoe blacking box which I intended to solder together for the boiler and a thirty two caliber cartridge in which I filed a hole near each end for the piston cylinder For the steam valve I found some solder which I melted and with much difficulty molde into the proper shape and filed smooth. I used a piece of a bicycle spoke with screwerheads on the end so that two pieces of metal could be screwed up together and hold packind to prevent steam leakage. The plug is the open end of the cartridge through which the piston rod passes I made of two pieces of lead one to screw into the other so as to hold packing. I molded the ballance wheel of lead and filed an exceentric on it but when I melted my remaining solder which I intended should hold the parts in place I fit it into the fire. I then tried babbit metal but it bubbled and was no good for so slender a casting and as I did not have any more time before school commenced I did not finish it. Sometime when I have time I will finish it and see if it will run. It is to have a safety valve but no governor.

Charles R. Bullis, A thursday lesson from page 14 in the rhetoric

Good