164 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. Steele insisted that he was right, and promised next week 

 to prove it by bringing other specimens from the same tree. 



Dr. Trimble again brought forward specimens of the Gansell 

 Bergamot pear. 



Mr. Carpenter exhibited two pears, the Lawrence, and the 

 Beurre Clargeau,both excellent pears. Good judges consider the 

 latter nearly equal to the Seckel. 



TREE COTTON. 



Mr. Robinson read a letter in which a sea captain, whose name 

 was not given, confirms the statements of Mr. Kendall with regard 

 to the cotton tree. He describes the cotton as of very fine tex- 

 ture, equal to our Sea Island cotton, but not of so long a fibre. 

 He had once brought 150 bales of it to this city, prior to 1853 ; 

 but on account of the tariff, and as it was imperfectly ginned, he 

 reshipped it to Liverpool, for which he received such good 

 returns that the merchant resolved to ship his cotton direct to 

 England. 



FUMIGATION OF BORERS. 



Mr, Bergen exhibited a specimen of poplar perforated by large 

 borers, to show that they so stop up the hole behind them that 

 they cannot be reached by fumigation. 



"Corn fodder" and " Mushrooms" continued. Adjourned. 



October 14, 1861. 

 Prof. Nash in the chair. 



PRESERVATION OF GRAPES. 



Mr. Eobinson read a letter inquiring what is the best method 

 for keeping grapes. 



Mr. Pardee. — I obtained a premium five or six years in succes- 

 sion for Catawba grapes brought to the annual meeting of the 

 State Agricultural Society in February. My process was this : 

 Selecting a very pleasant, dry, sunny day, when the grapes were 

 just ripe, I commenced at half past three o'clock in the afternoon 

 to take the grapes from the vines, as carefully as my fingers could 

 take them off, and picked out Avith the scissors all the green, 

 wilted, or imperfect berries. I next carried them into the house 



