AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 1*13 



munity, I have taken the liberty of herewith giving you a description of 

 the kind of fruit, thinking that perhaps they were unknown in your section 

 of the country. They are very hirge blue plum, flavored like a Green gage, 

 and are very great bearers, so much that in the wet seasons they must be 

 frequently shaken, to prevent them from rotting, as they set almost as 

 thick as onions on straw bunches ; and again they are a natural fruit, and 

 are either propagated by the stone, or from the sprouts that spring from 

 the roots. They are called here the Richland plum, from, I suppose, their 

 originating in Richland township, in this county. My trees are loaded 

 this year with them, so much so, I am fearful of their breaking down." 



Mr. Pardee. — I do not attach any importance to this letter, because I 

 have seen just such things before as here described. When the curculio 

 first began its ravages, some trees were exempt in the same way. A man 

 in Connecticut, preserved his plums last year by sprinkling the trees with 

 a manurial compound. Air-slaked lime has sometimes preserved the fruit. 



Mr. Fuller. — The Golden Cherry-plum is exempt from curculio, while 

 they can find anything better to feed upon. 



Mr. Pardee. — I suggest experiments with compounds of liquid manure. 

 The black knot will destroy trees if let alone, but if vigorously pruned off 

 as fast as the knots begin to appear, the disease may be cured. I have 

 thus saved a Green gage in the very midst of a knot-infested district. Cut 

 off the limbs as soon as the sting-holes are visible. I do not think the 

 curculio makes the black knot — it is some other insect. The holes are 

 like pin-holes, and each one contains an egg, and afterward a maggot. 



Dr. Trimble. — I believe the black knot comes from the curculio — the 

 same insect that stings the plum. I have hatched out, under glass, the 

 curculio from the limb that had been stung, so as to produce the knot. 

 The rot of plums spoken of by the letter from Pennsylvania, is occasioned 

 by the same insect. 



Mr. Gore of New Jesey. — I once saved my quinces with a mixture of 

 calcined gypsum and chappel salts. The latter is a manurial substance 

 manufactured at Baltimore. I don't know the proportion, as the mixture 

 was accidental, but it was a dose for the curculio. 



Mr. Pardee. — I cannot believe the curculio and black knot have any 

 connection. I don't know of any horticulturist that does believe it. I 

 hope experiments will be tried. 



Mr. Fuller. — I hope then that they will be carefully tried, so as to be 

 sure. 



NOXIOUS WEEDS AND PLANTS. 



This, one of the questions set down for discussion to-day, was called, 

 and Andrew S. Fuller, a practical horticulturist, who has made himself 

 familiar with weeds, was called upon to exhibit and describe several speci- 

 mens which he had placed upon the table. He said : 



The most troublesome weeds that we have to contend with in Brooklyn, 

 are the "Triticum Eepens, or Quack-Grass" perennial. It ha^ long, wiry 



