368 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



growth, then a length of locust will make three posts where cedar 

 usually gives but one post. 



Dr. Smith thought well of the protection for posts in earth bj 

 a coat of asphaitum, and in commerce it is readily obtained — he 

 had walked over the extraordinary lake of asphaitum in the island 

 of Trinidad, whence any desired quantity can be imported. 



Adrian Bergen — Out of 100 locusts set out by me hardly one 

 lived. My seedling locusts do better. Locust seems to hate trans- 

 planting. 



Mr. Pardee — The duration of timber is found to depend greatly 

 upon the season of the year when it is cut down, and tlie month 

 of March, in our latitude, is the best to fell it. There is no time 

 like it. 



Thomas W. Field of Brooklyn — My experience in tree culture 

 is something large, and I find that locust trees will not grow every 

 where. Much injury is done by recommending plans sometimes, 

 for what would flourish in one place will not do it in another. 

 These theories resemble bladders blown up, prick them and they 

 collapse like this locust notion. Nor is this true only of locust. 

 We must learn to suit our plants to our places, and not go for pine 

 apples on Long Island, where I live, but for pine trees — I mean 

 in open air ! 



Fencing is pronounced very costly. But to all rules and theo- 

 ries there are exceptions, for in a large portion of our north, we 

 have lands covered with stones. Now when we want to farm it 

 we first want fences, and then we take all the stones off and make 

 fences with them — they making durable fences and making our 

 farms capable of cultivation — without which we could have no 

 crops. 



Solon Robinson moved that " fences" be continued to next 

 meeting. 



Mr. Judd asked, how shall we prevent our fence posts from 

 being lifted by frost ? 



Prof. Mapes suggested a hole larger than the post, so that the 

 post may be entirely surrounded by small stones to be grouted 

 with hydraulic cement — that is not dear. 



