260 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



ticularly, in putting twenty-five per cent, of Avood npon hay. I 

 have known a bale of hay weigliing two hundred and fifty pounds, 

 ■with seventy pounds of wood upon it, which was not even fit to 

 burn. 



The Chairman stated that there are establishments for prepariifg 

 hay for the market, which make no charge to the farmer for put- 

 ting it in bales, deriving their pay from the wood which they 

 substituted ; that is, furnishing the farmer bales weighing as 

 much as the loose hay which they received. 



Prof. Renwick suggested that the committee should consider 

 the fruit baskets used by the farmers. 



Mr. Robinson suggested that they consider, also, the vegetable 

 baskets, called bushels, but holding only five-eighths of a bushel. 



Mr. Cavanach asked that the committee should investigate 

 manures, superphosphates, guanos, &c., and expose the frauds 

 there. 



The resolution was adopted, and Messrs. Trimble, Carpenter 

 and Gale were appointed as the committee. 



MUSHROOMS. 



Mr. Robinson read the following extract from " The London 

 Gardener's Chronicle :" 



"At a recent sitting of the French Academy, November 2d, 

 M. Chevreuil produced a magnificent bunch of esculent mush- 

 rooms, from the grounds of Dr. Labordette. His method of cul- 

 tivating is thus described : He first develops the mushrooms by 

 sowing spores on a pane of glass covered with wet sand. Then 

 he selects the most vigorous individuals from among them, and 

 sows (or plants) their mycelium in a cellar in a damp soil, con- 

 sisting of gardeners' mould, covered with a layer of sand and 

 gravel two inches thick, and another layer of rubbish from demo- 

 litions about an inch deep. The bed thus prepared is watered 

 with a solution of two grammes (one gramme is equal to 15.44 

 grains Troy) of nitrate of potash per square meter (1.1960 square 

 yard), and in about six days the mushrooms grow to an enormous 

 size." 



FRUIT ORNAMENTATION. 



Mr. Robinson read the following extract from the "Scientific 

 American" : 



" At Vienna, for some time past, fruit dealers have sold peaches, 

 pears, apples, apricots, &c., ornamented with armorial bearings, 



