200 Transactions of the American Institute. 



vines are ripening, go through the patch, and mark every hill or 

 plant bearing seed, and when the seed is fiiUy ripe, dig up those 

 you marked, and from their product, select all the well developed 

 tubers, having the general characteristic of your variety, and reject 

 all others. Let these get quite dry, place them in a cellar or pit, 

 where they will be secure from frost, moisture, and vermin; pack 

 carefully, filling up the spaces with dry sand, and have a layer of 

 the same on top. If in a pit, put no litter within, but only sand, 

 and earth up well; thatch thoroughly to keep diy, and also to 

 retard thawing at the breaking up of winter. This is your seed 

 for next year. Guard it with jealous care. Nature confides it to 

 your charge; as you care for it, she will care for you; as you try 

 to assist her in carrying out her intentions, she will reward you; 

 and by persevering in this way, in a few years the potato will 

 regain its primitive health and vigor, every plant will beai- seed, 

 and the rot will be known no more. 



MELILOT CLOVER FOR BEES. 



Mr. H. M. Baldridge, St. Charles, Illinois. — For several years I 

 have been experimenting with honey-producing plants, in order in 

 find one or more plants that will pay to cultivate expressly for 

 honey purposes. The best plant I have found is Melilot clovir 

 {J^Ielilotiis Leucanthd). As its name indicates, it is purely a hon^r 

 plant. It blooms in this latitude from July to December, bit 

 further south is in blossom a much longer period. The plant grovs 

 rapidly, often attaining the height of from six to eight feet, aid 

 shades the ground completely. The tap root grows to considjr- 

 able length, and is seldom out of reach of moisture. The plantis, 

 therefore, not materially afiected by drouth. Early frosts injure 

 the blossoms but little, and even when wholly destroyed, the plmt 

 is again in full bloom in the course of three or four days. B<es 

 can work on the blossoms in this latitude (thirty miles west Df 

 Chicago) one hundred days at least, which is time enough to gi^e 

 every good, strong hive of bees a surplus of fifty pounds. T?n 

 acres of this clover, it is thought, will give full employment to in 

 apiary of one hundred families. 



Sherwood's wire gauze strainers. 

 Manufactured at Lowell, Mass. A variety of these article, 

 including some fruit-dishes, and articles for common domestic use, 

 such as for coffee-pots, also for sifters, egg-boilers, &c., were exhiH- 

 ted, and much admired. 



