230 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



capital to buy a dozen acres, and •work it a year, can lay the foundation for 

 a competency by investing in these Shrub Oak Barrens. 



THORN SEEDS. 



Solon Robinson. — A fiiend wants to know how to raise plants from seeds 

 of common thorn, for a hedge, which he has tried to do and failed. 



Mr. Fuller. — The seed lays in the ground two years in a natural state. 

 If scalded and planted in boxes or hot houses, they can be forced to come 

 forward sooner. 



WHITE EGG PLANTS. 



Wm. L. Carpenter showed some of the fruit of the Chinese white egg 

 plant. He said it is more prolific and much better than the purple. It 

 bears in clusters, the fruit being as white as ivory on the surface, and some 

 six or eight inches long and two inches in diameter, and very smooth and 

 beautiful. 



STRAWBERRY SEED. 



A letter from Berlin, Green Lake county, Wisconsin, wants the club to 

 tell him when and how to plant strawberry seed. He has done just what 

 I wish every one would do. He says: " I have saved the seeds of some 

 fine large and sweet ones, and mean to try to get some seedlings." 



Mr. Fuller. — Sow them now or next spring, in a fine garden soil, in a 

 half shady situation, and they will continue to vegetate for more than a 

 year. Sift the soil a quarter inch deep while light, and water often. 



Mr. Pardee. — I would advise amateurs to be careful not to cover the 

 seed too deep. The same advice will apply to many other small seeds. 

 Don't cover them too deep. 



TO MAKE BLACKBERRY OR CURRANT WINE. 



Add three pounds of refined sugar to each half gallon of the pure juice 

 and one quart of water, and let it ferment and work off freely at the bung- 

 hole. Care must be taken to keep the cask full. I would not recommend 

 adding over fifty per cent of water to the juice of any fruit to make wine. 

 The great fault is over-watering. Some grapes will make wine without 

 sugar, but there are but few that will answer. Use more juice and less 

 water, and give your wine age. Don't sweeten your must until you make 

 syrup, when your intention is to make wine. I have lately tasted wine 

 made of blackberries that was equal almost to the very best imported 

 grape wine. It was well worked in a barrel, by keeping it constantly filled 

 up, so that all the froth, and matter rising with it, would go over until 

 fermentation ceased, and then bunged tight, and stood till a convenient 

 time in winter and spring to draw off and bottle, and then corked tight, 

 sealed and laid down till two years old, when it becomes a truly excellent wine. 



A CLOTHES DRYING MACHINE. 



Solon Robinson : — 



Mr. Daniels of this city introduced to the notice of the Club, a model 

 of a clothes drying machine, that certainly seems worthy of the attention 

 of all city residents, who have not much room in back yards ; and we think 

 it will prove equally valuable in the country, in saving shoveling paths to 



