No. 216.] 611 



Mr. Meigs, called the attention of the Club to a small Cactus, 

 bearing a red flower, for the purpose of noticing the fact, Ihat the 

 red fluid, like blood, filled the main stem of the transparent leaf from 

 the ground to the flower — resembling a vein or artery gorged with 

 hlood. He had never noticed this fact, nor read nor heard of it. 

 The red color appeared to be formed at the root of the plant and 

 then forced through this vein to the flower. He had heretofore sup- 

 posed that the color of flowers and of fruit was formed on the fruit 

 and petals of flowers by the influence of light and air — after the 

 ■colorless material had ascended from the earth. 



Professor Mapes, remarked at length on the means by which flowers 

 received their coloring matter, and also upon the changes in the 

 chemical character of starch and sugar when combined with an 

 excess of oxygen. 



Mr. Wakeman. The importance of the subject of potato disease, 

 cannot be overrated. Apprehensions as to this falling off of the 

 potato crop have been expressed some time ago. McCulloch adverts 

 to it, saying that the potato crop sustains two or three times the 

 amount of population, per acre, more than the grain crops. 



Professor Mapes, reminded the Club of the prediction of Mr. 

 Cobbett, some twenty years ago, as to the failure of potato, and the 

 fatal consequences thereof. The Professor asked from practical men, 

 "what effect is produced by the application of pot ashes as manure 

 for potatoes. The diseased potato is said to be deficient in this in- 

 gredient. 



Judge Van Wyck. Ashes constitute a good manure, as is well 

 known, but have not been found invariably to be an antidote to the 

 disease. What are supposed to be antidotes frequently fail; lime is 

 one of the recipes. I believe that the disease is owing to acid as 

 in what may be termed sour soils, alkalies might neutralize this by 

 neutralizing the acidity. From my observations, I think the disease 

 has more frequently appeared in a wet season, and on a moist sour 

 soil, than in a diflferent season and soil, yet I may be incorrect. 



Mr. Fay, of Southboro, Mass. We think in our place that the se- 

 cret of raising healthy potatoes is in the application of salt. One 

 of our neighbors, Mr. Sibley, takes 1 quart of fine salt,- 4 quarts of 

 plaster of Paris, mixes them well, then takes 5 quarts of wood ashes, 

 and mixes them with the other mixture. He puts on each hill of 



