64 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The Secretary stated that it having been suggested by the Club, some 

 months ago, that although the grape vines transferred from western Europe 

 to the United States have not become acclimated, yet perhaps those from 

 other grape countries might. The Hon. Charles F. Loosey, Consul-General 

 of Austria, has imported for United States from Hungary eleven kinds o 

 their best wine and table grape vines, well assorted and in growing order, 

 to the number of 200. Resolved, That the thanks of this Club be given to 

 him for this valuable contribution to the vineyards of our country. 



Passed unanimously. 



The vines were distributed to the members, to be forthwith planted. 



Hon. John Gr. Bergen remarked on wheat crop, that some time ago there 

 was read at this Club, by the Secretary, a translation made by him from 

 French works, an account of better and larger crops of wheat being obtained 

 by sowing several kinds of it together — better crop than from any one sort 

 alone. Mr. Bergen suggested that such might be the result in planting 

 various kinds of corn together. Accidentally this has occurred and with 

 successful results. 



Mr. Pell. — Corn cobs will show the mixture by the parti-colored grains 

 on it. Still mixed corn gains on an acre some twelve bushels, and wheat 

 ten. 



The patent Buckeye viower of Aultman & Miller, manufactured by John 

 P. Adriance of Worcester, Massachusetts, was exhibited to the Club. 



Mr. Bancroft, of 43 McDougal street, presented for trial some bottles of 

 his champagne cider, which pleased members by its fine quality, and because, 

 unlike our wines, this was pure Ayhericati juice. 



The chairman then called up the subject of the day, viz.: 



INDIAN CORN. 



Solon Robinson — Farmers, are you ready ? — are you ready to plant the 

 seed of this most important of all American crops, grass only excepted ? 



If you are not ready, you have no time to lose. Now, to-day, is the 

 time to think, and to get ready. In this latitude, the 20th of May has 

 long been established as the right time for planting Indian corn, and it is 

 generally thought that the less deviation from that period the better it will 

 be for the product. 



There is another period, and one of no little importance, homely as it 

 may seem, for fixing the proper time for putting the seed in the ground. 

 It is a day in' the calendar of the aborigenes, which our pilgrim fathers 

 found established among those original corn planters. In answer to the 

 question, " What time in the spring do you plant corn ?" the answer was 

 " When the leaves upon the oak trees are as large as the ears of the squir- 

 rels that sun themselves on the branches, then our squaws plant the seed 

 that has been so carefully preserved in the smoke of our wigwams." 



There is much truth in the old Indian rule, both in preserving the seed 

 which was hung up in clusters of ears, by the braided husks, to the poles 

 of the wigwam, and in the time of planting it — the time pointed out by 



