AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 141 



POTATO. 



The committee reported the best one exhibited to be the '■''Boston Pink,^' 

 raised in Alameda. They are small compared with the Orego?i Red, so 

 extensively raised along the coast, being only about half as large, but firm, 

 smooth, entirely free from that course and stringy nature which characterizes 

 the great mass of the potatoes grown in California. 



The greatest evil attending the culture of potatoes here is the disposition 

 to grow larger every year, and become coarse, hollow and stringy. 



The imported Marrow squash soon becomes mammoth, losing its good 

 quality. 



No country exceeds this for growth of hops. 

 The Chinese sugar cane is approved. 



A Grcrman company, near Los Angelos, arc planting ha?f a ?niUio7i 

 grape vhies. Sainsevain & Co., will make 150,000 gallons wine. The 

 wines resemble Muscatel, Port, Claret, Burgundy, Sauterne, and Sherry. 

 The brandy is well approved. Sainsevain & Co., have bottled over 50,000 

 bottles of "Sparkling California." 



The taxable property of the State is §160,000,000. The annual gold 

 $95,000,000, with the probability of increase. The mining region contains 

 about 14,000 square miles, besides the gold in the mountains. Platinum 

 is widely diffused. Our quicksilver mines at New Almaden are the most 

 productive in the world. We have magnetic iron, sulpher, coal, palladium, 

 chromium, antimony, nickel, cobalt, sulphate of iron, tin. bismuth, arsenic, 

 manganese, borax in pure solid state, iodine, obsidian carbonate of soda, 

 porcelain cla}', salt, of superior quality in unlimited quantity, native soda, 

 gypsum marble, of the most beautiful varieties, saltpetre, in large quantities. 

 The wheat land seems not to be exhausted by annual cropping ; sixty 

 bushels an acre is common ; 120 have been grown on an acre. We can 

 grow rice, sugar cane, &c. 



The French grape crop is about, at best, 5,000 lbs. per acre. Ours is 

 ordinarily from 10,000 to 13,000, and 15,000 lbs. an acre is not unusual. 

 Last year we raised fifty-one ihousa?Ld tons of grapes. 



botts in horses. 



Southern Homestead, Nashville, Tenn. 



April 28, 1859. 



A Certain Cure. — When your horse is complaining, looking around at 

 his side, lies down pretty often, is not swollen, you may very readily con- 

 clude that he has the botts. Lose no time in giving him a qixart of sweet 

 milk and molasses, and as you let his head down after he has swallowed the 

 drench, slap him several times on the side he complains of most, with a pad- 

 dle about two feet long, six inches wide, and one inch thick, striking him 

 pretty hard. This process jars the botts loose from him, and they take 

 hold of the milk and molassess. In ten or fifteen minutes after, give him 

 a quart or a half gallon of strong sage tea — this kills the botts. 



The secretary hoped the Club would notice the general declarations of 



