PllOCEEDIXGS OF THE FARMERS' ClUB. All 



it M'as ill eoiisequenee of the coal tar being offensive to the fly, 

 and ■wished s(3nie one to ivy the experiment of tarring some boards 

 and pLiring them in the trees. I liave done so, and the result is,, my 

 trees have all the plums they ought to stand undci', when for several 

 years tliey have been of no aeeuunt, and I had threatened to cut 

 tliem down. I took a roiigli board, about six or eight feet long, 

 nailed it to a pole of sufficient length for the tree, and running it up 

 by tlie side of the trunk, fastened it tliere with cords. I did not put 

 mine up quite soon enough ; tlie plums were al)Out half the size of 

 peas. I saw some of them had l)een stung. Tliey ought to be put 

 np when the tree is in bloom, and I would recommend once in two 

 or three weeks for a few times to repeat the process, and tar them 

 over again. Mv neighbt^rs tell me their plums have all fallen oil. 

 They have not tried the ])lan. I read the discussions of the club 

 with great pleasure and interest. 



Fruit Kiln. 



Mr. "SY. B. Lyons, Tineland, X. J. — Will the Club please give 

 information in regard to the pi'oper C(")nsti-uction of a house for diy- 

 ing fi'uit. I have just built one, but it does not answer the jnirpose ; 

 it is four by six feet inside, six feet high, racks eight inches apart, 

 with ventilators on top, and heat wath a small stove. The fruit does 

 not dry evenly. Are my racks too close, and does it need more and 

 side ventilation ? Any instruction you can give w^ill be thankfully 

 received. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman. — -The clieapest fruit kiln is made l)y building a 

 small house over a rude brick or stone arch, the door and the chim- 

 ney of which are both outside the M-alls of the house. Li this way 

 the heat is unifoi-m, and continues many houi's after the lire goes 

 out. In Tennessee and Yirginia, where a great many ]>eaches are 

 dried, this arrangement is usual. Yet it is inferior to the close 

 chamber, so arranged as to receive and discharge a current of hot air. 

 "\Yitli a stove the ])etter plan would be to heat the chamber with the 

 stove-pipe, the door of the stove being in, without the cluunber. 



The Coffee Trke for Forest Culture. 



Mr. Jefferson Bartlett, Marshfield, Warren county, Penn. — Some 



time ago I saw a discussion on the subject of cultivating timl)cr, 



and there appeared to be a query what kind to ]>lHnt that would be 



most lasting. Some suggested black walnut, some chestnut, some 



