262 TRANSACTIONS OT THE 



ranges from rocks to powder, and it is that kind of soil l^est fitted to give 

 the requisites to the seeds that will cause them to germinate readily. 

 Some soils may be supplied with water but destitute of air. Another may 

 be supplied with air and no water. Soil that make seeds germinate be t, 

 makes plants grow be.st throughout. Soil must be finely pulverized, and 

 light and porous. All soil must have moisture and air freely parsing 

 through it to be in a healthy condition. Pulverization and draining are 

 the indispensable requisites in the preparation of any soil to get it in a 

 perfect condition. It is one of the most valuable improvements in agricul- 

 ture. We can easily see that fine pulverization is of the utmost im- 

 portance to the ready germination of seeds, and why not see the same 

 necessity for keeping the soil in the same condition throughout the growing 

 season ? 



The hour of adjournment having arrived, Mr. Pell postponed a continu- 

 ation of his remarks until next week, when the discussion of the subject of 

 tree planting, fruits and flowers and draining will be continued. 



Solon Robinson moved that, " How and when to prune grape vines" 

 should be added, as many persons are anxious just now for information 

 upon that subject. 



Mr. Burgess. — I get boxes which have been used to hold tin plates for 

 three cents each, and use them to start plants in — they last several years. 

 In England I got a silver medal for my melons, Pe?-5za«, like the Cantelope 

 somewhat. I kept the seed thirteen years. When the melons were ripe 1 

 put them in a dark cellar on slates, and each melon covered by an earthen 

 pot for thirteen days. (It will not do to lay them on wood, unless that 

 was perfectly dry ; on other wood the melons would be tainted with the 

 smell of the wood, as of pine, for inst nee.) At the end of the thirteen 

 days they are in a perfect order for table. For such melons I got the silver 

 medal and the applause, with hurrah ! three times three. I kept the seed 

 in cartridge paper and that in a tight tin box. 



Mr. Fuller, in answer to questions. — A tree dislikes confinement by being 

 tied to stakes, or otherwise. It demands all that exercise which the rvinds 

 give it, from its root to its topmost branch ! Its bai-k is often hurt by 

 ties to stakes. And trees with stakes don^l look well on a lawn, or else- 

 where. 



J. D. Wright. — Is it a good practice to put potatoes in the hole with the 

 roots ? 



Mr. Fuller. — No ! Never put in any raw, crude, vegetable matter. I 

 have now got some new and very choice Camellias, from France ; much 

 valued. 



Mr. Lawton. — The Camellias of our distinguished friend Marshall P. 

 Wilder, have sold — a single jilant — as high as $250. 



Mr. Pell spoke on the germination of seeds. 



The term germination is apj lied to the ]>henomena through which seed 

 passes after having reached the state of maturity. Unripe seeds rarely ger- 

 minate, for the reason that their parts are not prepared to combine chemi- 



