376 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. J. W, Chambers, Secretary of the Club, said that he had three hives, 

 and they do as well on the average as bees in the country. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — One of the difficulties about keeping bees in cities 

 is the swarming. They are much inclined " to take unto themselves, wings 

 and fly away." If they do not do this, they create alarm, and if kept in 

 any considerable number, would soon become intolerable. Be assured, the 

 country is the place for bees — the city for flies. As to all "non-swarming 

 hives," they are the products of minds non compos mentis. 



As to cistern water, I use it every day as pure and limpid as though it 

 came from a spring. It is filtered through cement pipes, which are almost 

 as solid to appearance as our brown sand-stone, and yet perfectly porous. 

 These pipes are the invention of M. R. Pierce of this city, and the secret of 

 their porosity consists in mixing the sand and cement, with the least possi- 

 ble portion of water to make it adhere under powerful pressure. About 

 ten feet of 4-inch pipe is laid down in the bottom of the cistern, one end 

 cemented tight, and the other attached by cement to the pipe of the pump, 

 00 that all the water drawn has to pass through the substance of these 

 stone pipes. When sediment accumulates in the cistern, pump out the 

 water and clean it. Once or twice in the summer, if the water emits an 

 unpleasant smell, sift in about four quarts of pulverized charcoal. 



Cranberries have been successfully cultivated upon the dry, sandy lands 

 of Long Island in gardens, by keeping the runners cut off, in the same 

 way that strawberries are grown in hills. 



Adjourned. John W. Chambess, Secretary, 



April 26, 1864. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the Chair. 



How Deep Should We Dig Holes for Pear Trees. 



This question was put by the Chairman, in order to elicit some comments 

 •upon his present practice. He stated that he had a man now employed at 

 his place in Norwalk, Conn., where the subsoil is of a rather loose, porous 

 character, digging holes for pear tnes. He has furnished him with a 

 measure four feet long for the width of the holes, and half the length 

 for the depth. Upon examination, after part of them were dug, he has 

 concluded to lessen the depth four inches. Is this right? Of course the 

 holes are to be partly filled with rich soil, upon which the trees are 

 to be set. 



Mr. Solon Robinson said he did not believe in the policy of digging deep 

 holes. He preferred to have the ground well prepared by a turning 

 subsoil plow, so as to make the soil all mellow, and then set the trees 

 almost on the surface. 



Dr. Trimble concurred in this; said that he would never dig to exceed 

 twenty inches in depth, and the broader the better. 



Mr. Bartlett related the case of a Mr. Davis, in Rhode Island, who pre- 

 pared the ground thoroughly, twelve feet in diameter, and have the earth 

 well purverized ; the roots should be well spread out. These trees grew 

 amazingly. 



