AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 167 



Solon Robinson. — I had a volunteer pumpkin vine once, that I looked 

 upon as a sort of special interposition for my good, the first summer I lived 

 on the prairie. It grc^' so wonderfully luxuriant, and blossomed so full, 

 and bore — well now I will you just what this volunteer vine did bear to 

 meet all my great expectations, and repay all my care and culture. It 

 bore not the least sign of fruit — nothing beyond a blossom. 



Andrew S. Fuller. — This corroborates my own experience of volunteer 

 seeds. I root them up and plant my own seed, though we may learn some- 

 thing from nature. 



Solon Robinson. — I have a lot of letters from the country, all expressing 

 satisfaction with what the writers have read of what is said and done at 

 these meetings — all going to show that, notwithstanding the sneers of some 

 very self-conceited people about " city lot farmers" giving their experi- 

 ence to the country, there are some people willing to ask and receive as 

 well as give information that may be useful to others through the medium 

 of this club, which is not entirely composed of experimenters and theorists, 

 but men of past and present practical experience. 



The Secretary remarked — That during the holding of its annual fairs, 

 the Institute has always suspended the meetings of its Farmers' Club, and 

 its Mechanics' Club. Therefore, when we adjourn, it will be to a day after 

 the close of the approaching fair. 



The club adopted for next meeting, the subjects of " General harvest- 

 ing," and " The best methods of preserving fruit," and then adjourned 

 until further notice. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary/. 



Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1868. 



Present — Messrs. Chambers, Leonard, Pardee, Slite, of Morrisania ;: 

 Chilson, Disturnell, R. L. Pell, Richard Chute, of St. Anthony, Minne- 

 sota ; John Campbell, Witt and Fuller, of Williamsburgh, L. I., and 

 others. 



Mr. Pell, President of the Institute, in the chair. 



Henry Meigs, S-ecretary. 



The Secretary read the following translations and extracts, made by 

 him, from the foreign and domestic works on agriculture, &c., received by 

 the American Institute since last meeting of the Club, viz : 



[Societe Imperiale Zoologique D'Acclimatation. Paris, September, 1858,] 



A NEW TROUT. 



By Mons. Auguste Dumeril. Administrature, Professor in the Museum 

 of Natural History. 

 It is well known that this fish abounds in the fresh waters of Algeria, 

 but are not deemed very good eating. Marshal Vaillant desired that we 

 should send some better trout and other fishes to the Algerian waters. 

 We offered premiums, and fortunate transfers have already been made. 



