AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 75 



Sandy Hill, Georgia, April 28, 1858. 

 To the Members of the Americafi Insfitufe and Farmers^ Club: 



I take some interest in your discussions, and ^YOuld like very much to 

 know what your opinions are in relation to peas and clover being injurious 

 to fruit trees, and perhaps you will confer a favor to more than one by dis- 

 cussing the subject. My experience is that peas are rank poison to fruit 

 trees, especially the pear, when grown amongst them ; and an old farmer 

 of four score or more, informs me that he has known more than one valua- 

 ble orchard injured past recovery, by having a crop of red clover grown in 

 it ; and I think I have sustained some injury from the same cause. 



The question in point with me is this : Which is it, what those crops draw 

 from the earth or air that injures the trees ; if from the earth, will culti- 

 vating about the trees remedy the evil ; if from the air, what is the 

 remedy? A FARMER. 



CLOVER AS A MANURE. 



Instead of plowing your clover under for manure, burn it on the ground 

 and plow the ashes under, and j^our crop will be increased ten or more per- 

 cent. Who will try a piece and report result ? A friend informed me that 

 he plowed in a crop in the spring for corn, a part of which had been burned 

 over, and the result was one-third more on the burned portion. 



A FARMER. 



PRESIDENT PELL ON THE PRODUCTION, HABITS, &c. 



OF FISH. 



The President read a paper upon fish culture. He states that he is try- 

 ing to grow the moss bunker for manure, and hopes for success in growing 

 them, but thinks the use of this fish the cause of disease in the districts 

 where used. As many as 6,X)00 moss bunkers have been taken in a seine 

 at one haul upon our coast. Mr. Pell also has in his ponds the black bass 

 of the Lakes — a fish that grows as large as shad. Another fish from the 

 Lakes very much resembles the black bass, and flourishes in artificial water. 

 Both do well, and are easily caught with a hook. The dace is a good fish 

 for ponds, as he prefers still water. The rock bass is a common fish in 

 Lake Champlain, and is much esteemed, and can be cultivated without dif- 

 ficulty. The muscalonge, from the Lakes, is an excellent fish, and appears 

 well calculated for artificial Avater if pure. This fish grows large, and 

 somewhat resembles the pickerel or pike of the lakes. Mr. Pell has the 

 stickleback, the curious little fish that builds a nest something like a bird. 

 Haddock he has tried, but failed of success, notwithstanding he salted the 

 pond. The haddock is much inferior to the codfish, although frequently 

 salted and sold as cod. He also gave accounts of experiments with several 

 other varieties, and how to transport fish alive safely. Mr. Pell thinks it 

 is possible to stock all the streams in the country with fish, and thereby in- 

 crease the food of the people to a very great extent without any expense. 

 STRAWBERRIES. 



Solon Robinson. — I have a letter from B. Bristol, Wallingford, Conn. 

 He says : 



