PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 



American Institute, ) 

 Farmers^ Club, May Qth, 1851. ^ 



Judge Van Wyck in the Chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The Secretary read the following papers, translated and pre- 

 pared for the Club by him. 



[From the Revue Horticole, Paris, January, 1851.] 



ON THE CULTURE OF MELONS BY SLIPS. 



At this time when the cultivation of melons has become very 

 extensive, I think it a duty to give the details of my successful 

 practice with slips, and the comparison of them with those from 

 the seed. On the 25th of April last, I took the slips from a 

 Prescott melon of the last season — it is a ^^pure white fruit. I 

 put the slips under glass as often as necessary to protect them 

 from bad weather. They soon took root, and in ninety days 

 gave ripe fruit, equal in every respect to those raised under 

 frames from seed. The advantages of the slip is its early fruit, 

 plenty, and very few leaves. Melon seed, planted under the 

 same conditions on the 8th of May, grew very vigorously ; but 

 the fruit w^as much later — so that on the 8th of June the melons 

 on the slips were as large as hen's eggs, while the seed plants 

 hardly had one fruit set. I have set out the slips at various sea- 

 sons, and have always had excellent results. 



LAMARTINE, Garderier of Louviers. 



PRESERVATION OF FRUITS. 



This is important to fruit gardeners, for the best fruits can be 

 kept in perfect condition for the whole year. Much may be done 

 by having the fruits ripen in succession, and when they are near- 



