AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 197 



■spring of 1851. The scarfing or pointing has never been changed since 

 made in 1850, 



You are familiar, I presume, with the history of " kyanizing," so 

 •called, Mr. Kyan first discovered in England the process of preserving 

 wood, cordage, &c., by corrosive sublimate. This was so expensive that 

 only wealthy corporations, and parties employing large vats, could- use it. 

 The prominent idea was that the albumen of the wood was combined by 

 afiinity with the siiblimate. A French chemist suggested blue vitriol, as 

 baving a similar or greater afiinity for albumen. On that suggestion I 

 acted. Chloride of zinc is equally good— I pound to. 20 pounds of water. 

 I have a wooden cistern under my barn prepared in the same way, every 

 part of it. I have spruce posts now in the ground over two years, bo 

 prepared. My clothes-lines and twines exhibit, so far, similar results. 



I speak of the chemical aflanities above from recollection only. I have 

 Kyan''s book, but have not looked at it for years. This process by vitriol 

 is called, I see, by some parties, ** Burnetizing,^' 



Yours truly, J. W, FAIRFIELB. 



THE STRAWBERRY QUESTION. 



This was introduced by Wra. Richardson, who made a show of the 

 berries mentioned m the following letter. It is called the Austin Stranf- 

 berry^ and is an accidental seediing, originating in the Shaker Society : 



The Austin Seedling Strawberry is cultivated by the Society of Shakers, 

 at Watervliet, near Albany, and was produced from seed about four yeaca 

 since, a.Hd is a very large and hardy plant j very prolific ; bush and stems 

 high and strong ; in full bearing about the 25th of June ; a large propor- 

 tion of the berries measuring from 4 to 6| inches, and weighing from 1 



to \\ <iiL. 



The specimen of fruit presented grew from plants set !ast August oa 

 poor saiady soil, and not the largest berries gathered this season. 



Yours, Ac, CHMTNCEY MILLER, rrt^5/€e, 



^Ir, Richardson fully corroborated this statement. 



Strawberry Growing in Illinois. — Solon Robinson. — Samuel Edwards, 

 who writes from *' TS^e Evergreens, La Moile county, Illinois," thus statos 

 his experieece : 



I commenced cultivating them o© the pr«.irie in 1845, I have tried over 

 forty of the recommended varieties. 



The Necked Pine is the hardiest yet thoroughly tested ; it is the berry 

 to pknt by the aci"e here. Have had them a,n inch -and one-fourth ia 

 <liar«ieter. and of quality good enough to sell at wholesale in Chicago for 

 31 cents per quart. 



They have never failed to bear a good crop until this year ; the frosts 

 of the 4th and 5th insts. killed them entirely, except where protected by 

 trees in the orchard. My recommendations are : 



Always, if possible, plant on new ground ; use no maniire, as it induces 

 % rank growth of vines> with no fruit. Rows three and a half feet apart, 



