256 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



dren. Tlu^y are industrious in their way. One man and hoi'se will tend 

 twenty-five acres of corn, and a hoe is seldom used in a corn field in that 

 part of the State. All that is bad among the inhabitants is of the bitter 

 rot of slavery. 



Dr. Snodgrass. — The bitter rot of apples is prevalent in Maryland and 

 Virginia, in many of the seedling sorts. The idea prevails there that it 

 arises from the neglect of pruning orcliards. 



Mr. Thomas Cavanach. — We need not go to Illinois to look for such 

 people as are described. They can be found within forty miles of this city; 

 there are plenty of them on Long Island. 



Mr. Adrian Bergen said he would not attempt to defend the civilization 

 of the 'west end of the Island because he lived there, but he would say that 

 upon the east end the people were very far advanced over some other sec- 

 tions in one respect — they did not practice the ridiculous and expensive 

 folly of letting cattle ruti at large in highways. 



Apple Tree Suckers. 



Mr. H. A. Sheldon, Middlebury, Vt., says: " I bought a village lot with 

 several old apple trees, which I want to replace with better ones. From 

 the bottom of some of them are large suckers from one to three inches in 

 diameter. Had I better graft these suckers, or eradicate the whole and 

 plant new trees ?" 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — As a general thing grafting suckers is poor busi- 

 ness. It should be done only as a last resort. An old apple tree if still 

 vigorous may be profitably grafted, but one already in a decline will go 

 still faster if its large limbs are cut away for grafting. In Mr. Sheldon's 

 case, it would be the best course to dig up the old trees, root and branch, 

 and depend upon new ones, and it would be better to plant them upon some 

 other part of the lot. 



Mr. Holt said that in no case would he graft old trees, unless they were 

 in vigorous condition, and he did not believe it would pay to graft suckers. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter said that he would much prefer to plant young 

 trees upon new ground. 



Mr. Dodge inquired how it would do to let the old ones stand, and plant 

 the young trees between, and afterwards cut away the old ones ? 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter replied that he would prefer to dig up the old 

 stumps and set the new trees in the same places. 



The Oporto Grape. 



Dr. Ward said that Dr. Sylvester, of Lyons, N. Y., was present with a 

 sample of his Oporto grape wine, which he wanted the Club to taste, and 

 have the opportunity of sajnng something of the history of this grape. 



Dr. Sylvester said tliat although it bore a foreign name, and had been 

 said to have originated from a vine brought here b}'^ a ship captain, he be- 

 lieved it a native American, as it had all its characteristics, was entirely 

 hardy, and grows as strong as the Isabella. At Ovid, N. Y., it has been 

 unfailing in productiveness for twenty years. There is a vine in Michigan 

 twenty years old, which produced one year forty gallons of wine. Near 

 Lyons, N. Y., there is a vine which has grown rampant over tree tops, 



