94 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



or tliat the plant sprouts and produces canes that are worthless for fruit. 

 I liave noticed, said he, that the stools that produce the greatest number 

 of canes are the most worthless ; and yet these are the very ones that are 

 usiuilly sold for propagation. Such canes I have to pull up and burn 

 every year. I suppose I have burned a thousand this spring. I hope this 

 discussion of small fruits will be continued. 



The Chairman. — We will continue that and the other questions before 

 the club. 



The Secretary. — As to the destruction of the seeds of weeds by birds — 

 reminded the club that whew snow covers the earth, the birds which re- 

 main, are seen shaking the seeds from weeds standing above the snow and 

 eating them, and in that way myriads of weed .seeds are destroyed by 

 birds. And when spring brings the flocks from the South, they all feed 

 for some time on the seeds lying upon the ground, before any seeds have 

 grown, of either weeds or of our useful crops, a?id it is Tiot until viidsum- 

 mcr that any of our valuable grains are fit for their food. 



Mr. Edgar, of Hudson city, Jersey, complains of the poor condition of 

 his j^'ca crop, and asks for Information how to remedy it. 



Subjects adopted for next meeting, proposed by Prof. Mapes, " The most 

 economical method of renovating worn out land." 



By Eev. Mr. White, " The small fruits, continued." 



By Mr. Solon Robinson, " The mud and shells of our salt water rivers 

 and bays, as manure." 



The club adjourned to Monday next, at noon. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



June 7, 1858. 



Present — Messrs. Dewey, Dr. Peck, Thos. W. Field, Paine, Stacey, 

 Bixby, Lawton, of New Roehelle ; Mr. Bruce, Rev. W. White, of Staten 

 Island ; Solon Robinson, Hon. Horace Grreeley, Prof. Mapes, Prof. Nash, 

 Goodwin, Chambers, Leonard, Fuller and Treadwell, Mr. Bell, Mr. Geiss- 

 enhainer, Mr. Vanderveer, Mr. Chilson, R. G. Pardee, Adrian Bergen, of 

 Gowanus, and others — 55 members in all. 



Prof. Nash, in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



GRAFTING. 



By Mr. Meigs. — This highly valuable art is of very ancient origin. 



Aristotle^ s (about 2200 years ago,) graft is considered to be the most in- 

 genious ever invented for escutcheon grafting. 



Place the bud on the bark of the subject — trace its outline with the 

 sharp point of a pen-knife — the moment this bark is lifted from the sap 

 wood set in the bud and cover it with the bark, showing only the eye out, 

 then fix it as we do buds, as to ligatures, &c. 



Pliny graft (nearly 1800 years,) remains unaltered. One nurseryman 

 in Normandy and Brittany used it exactly as Pliny did, and he says that 

 it had been used from time immemorial ! He did not invent it. The 



