240 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



ths committee, and were instructed to add one or more Long 

 Island farmers. 



]\Ir. John G. Bergen objected to acting upon the committee, 

 because, as he supposed, this examination was to test the compara- 

 tive value of this machine with others made for the same purpose. 

 As he has never seen any other at Avork, he should be unable to 

 sav this v.-as the best. He also thought this committee, and all 

 similar ones appointed to test agricultural implements, should be 

 very careful in making reports that they do not recommend any 

 that will not l>ear the test of actual practical work. The fault which 

 he finds with all potato diggers is that they will not work in stony 

 land, nor when the vines are green, or the ground obstructed 

 with weeds. This seems to be the report of several which have 

 been tried within a year or two upon Long Island. Such machines 

 will not answer the purpose of farmers who raise a crop for early 

 marketing. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter said apotato digger would not answer in 

 his fields, but the plow will. Ho grew a thousand bushels this year, 

 and found that l)y running a plow through the hills that it saved 

 about one-half the labor of digging. 



The Greeley Prize for Grapes. 

 Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter announced that the prize of $100, 

 offered by Horace Greeley, for the best grape for general cultiva- 

 tion, has been awarded to the Concord; and as Wm. H. Gold- 

 smith, of Newark, N. J., made the best exhibition of this variety 

 at the late fruit show of the Institute, the prize has been awarded 

 to him. The announcement of the fact that the Concord was the 

 favorite elicited unanimous applause. 



Quinces — A New Use For. 

 The subject alluded to three weeks ago, of quince wine, made 

 by Mr. Henry A. Graef, Brooklyn, N. Y., was referred to a com- 

 mittee of physicians, chemists and experts. Their report, in brief, 

 is, that having examined the formula by which i\Ir. Graef makes 

 the compound, which he calls " Cidonia Bitters," they find noth- 

 ing in it which may not be taken medicinally, in small quantities, 

 in all cases Avhere tonics are used, while it is evident to the taste 

 of any one who tries it as the committee did, in comparison with 

 a dozen other sorts, that it is the most pleasant of any one, and 

 particularly well adapted to use in wine. The committee are also 



