68 MAeSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



vinery or the common lean-to is the most economical. He thought 

 a cheap lean-to would be, but Mr. Wood thought the ground 

 vinery cheapest. 



James Cruickshanks remarked that a good deal had been said 

 about giving air in vineries in winter, and he regarded the prac- 

 tice as correct. He had always seen peach houses as well as 

 grape houses left open after the fruit was gathered, and had 

 shovelled out snow before preparing for forcing. 



John B, Moore said that Mr. Frost began by making his ground 

 vinery out of two hot-bed sashes, each six feet by three, such as 

 are within reach of every one. They were fastened together at 

 the ridge by hooks, and when the grapes had ripened could be 

 piled away like any sashes, occupying very little room. Mr. 

 Hovey had alluded to the improved methods of ventilation as 

 being no better than the old, but Mr. Watt would tell us to use 

 the modern style. To give it up and go back to the sliding venti- 

 lators would be like giving up the horse rake and going back to 

 the hand rake. We must consider the great saving of labor. 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. 



Saturday, February' 12, 1876. 



William C. Strong, Chairman of the Committee on Publication 

 and Discussion, presiding. 



The Chairman remarked that in some respects it was unfortu- 

 nate that our exhibitions had increased to such an extent that we 

 lost their inspiring presence here, and yet he could not but con- 

 gratulate the Society that the shows had grown beyond the limits 

 of the Library Room. The display on this occasion was un- 

 doubtedly the finest ever made by the Society at this season of the 

 year. Among plants particularly worthy of mention were the 

 fine specimen azaleas shown by J. F. Rogers, Mr. Rand's display 

 of orchids, C. B. Gardiner's prize cyclamens, and James O'Brien's 

 beautiful table design. 



The Chairman then called on Dr. G. F. Waters to read the fol- 

 lowing paper which he had prepared for this meeting, a portion 

 of which, relating to his experiments in the improvement of corn 



