124 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



something' of the prospect of the growing crops in this part of the West. 

 The season has been an unusually fine one, and the winter wheat was 

 never better. Spring wheat and oats are equally good, and there is a 

 greater number of acres sown than ever before. We hear the same from 

 every part of the State. Wisconsin can supply England, if need be, and 

 fill her granaries to the brim. There is also considerable hay." 



Rev. Joshua Weaver. — I think that my breed of melon bug.s must be 

 diffei"ent from others. I saw it recommended to keep coops with hens and 

 chickens in the garden. I tried that, but they did not rid my vines of the 

 bugs. I have grown tomatoes and melon and cucumber vines together, 

 but that did not prevent the depredations of the bugs. 



The Pennsylvania Tea Plant. 



Hulda Barton, of Pittsfield, Penn., sent a specimen of the Tea Plant 

 that has been spoken of so much of late in the papers. Slie says : " We 

 have made it and put it before good judges of tea, and no one knew but 

 what it cost $1.50 a pound. The leaf resembles that of the tea we buy." 



Solon Robinson. — I have tried this tea, and find a slight resemblance to 

 the real article. Undoubtedly, as one corre.spondent said, it has been used 

 by store-keepers to mix with tea, as I think an adulteration of ten, or, per- 

 haps, twenty-five per cent, would not be detected. It is different from the 

 Yupon tea, used in North Carolina, and does not produce so stimulating an 

 effect as that. It is also more pleasant to the taste. 



A New Plant. — What is It? 



A. G. Chapman, writes from Scipio, New York, (near Cayuga lake): 

 " I inclose a few specimens of a new plant sent to me. I have lived in 

 this vicinity for the last 23 years and have not seen it bert)re. What is it ? 

 Although deeply interested in other departments of the Tribune, with me 

 your reports of the Institute Club arc a kind of dessert which I should 

 sadly miss, if they should be omitted. While writing I will mention our 

 agricultural prospects. Winter wheat : a very large breadth sown; three- 

 fourths of it looks very promising; more than an average crop may be 

 looked for. Early sowed wheat, barley and oats are looking well ; late 

 sowed feels the drouth. Hay will be fully an average crop. Pasture good; 

 the cows show it in a good flow of richest milk, other stock in their sleek 

 and thriving condition. Corn small but promising; a good crop expected. 

 The wool crop Avill be larger than heretofore. 



Mr. R. G. Pardee. — The plant is a Tehalia; one of the tassel flower family, 

 grown as an ornamental garden plant. 



Barren Currants. 



A. N. Ward, Freedom, N. H., wants to know " if currant bushes, grown 

 from cuttings will produce fruit. My father has some over fifteen years old, 

 that have never produced a full grown currant. They blossom every year 

 and currants form, but they always blight and fall off before they are half 

 grown. -If they will grow from cuttings, I should like to know why these 

 do not mature." 



To this inquiry Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Pardee replied that the cause of 

 the currants not maturing has nothing to do with the fact that the bushes 



