252 TKANSACTIONS OF THE 



prepared ground, where in the second year the fruit exhibited 

 itself in perfection. It is supposed to be an accidental seedling. 

 The roots settle far into the ground, beyond the reach of drouth 

 or plow, and must thus become strong and vigorous before show- 

 ing perfect luscious fruit. The shoots are smooth and round, of 

 the ordinary size of shoots of the wild blackberry, with the fruit 

 upon side and main stems in thick clusters. In cultivation^ 

 coarse manure is found best adapted to the growth of both ber- 

 ries and plants." 



Plant the roots four and a half feet apart and cultivate the 

 same as Antwerp raspberries, with stakes and tying. The canes 

 are hardy and need no pro!^ection, but may be covered in winter, 

 like raspberries. The small thorns of the young shoots disappear 

 in winter and spring, so that they may be handled in transplant- 

 ing without gloves. For this peculiarity we have called the 

 variety the " Thornless Blackberry." 



Members of the Club thought that a very good distinguishing 

 name, and all concurred in the opinion that the variety is very 

 well worthy of cultivation, particularly when such fruit sells for 

 18 to 25 cents a quart. 



• PRATT'S DITCHING MACHINE, 



Prof. Mapes said he had lately seen this machine in operation. 

 It is a wheel of spades, drawn by two horses and held by a man, 

 by which he can dig a ditch three feet wide and seventy rods long 

 in a day. It lays the earth on one side, or ]x)th sides, in going 

 back and forth, and the ditch may thus be made any width 

 desired. Stones do not injure the machine, and it works in hard 

 clay almost as well as in sand. He thinks it a very useful tool 

 for all farmers; and he saw fields upon which the machine had 

 been used that are now worth double what they were while wet.. 

 He also spoke of a new tile machine, by Mr. Pratt, that he saw 

 in use at Canandaigua, that will cost $200, and make 5,000 tiles 

 a day, at a cost of $3 a thousand. 



ANALYSIS OF CORN AND COBS. 



As much has been said upon the value of corn-cobs for feeding 

 stock, and ingenuity has been taxed to build machines to grind 

 cobs into meal, the following analysis made by Dr. Charles T. 

 Jackson, possesses peculiar value. It was made at the request 

 of D. Jay Browne, and by him furnished to Roswell L. Colt, of 

 Paterson, who communicates it to the Farmers' Club. The paper 

 read by the Secretary, says : 



