258 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



day or two, and then press out the juice, and add four pounds of refined 

 sucar to each gallon, stirring it thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved, 

 and then put it in casks for fermentation, without water, and it works en- 

 tirely clear, and has no look nor taste of muddiness after it is racked off 

 and bottled, and obtained a little age. My grapes never mildew, though 

 I manure the vines richly, and never trim off any but the dry branches, 

 being satisfied that that course is suitable to the Isabella. My vines are 

 protected on the north and west." 



GAS-LIME. 



" Will sandy loam be improved by an application of gas-lime; or is it 

 beneficial to any soil ; and in what quantity should it be used ? " These 

 questions come from Mr. Sandford, of Erie, Pa., but there are multitudes 

 of others who would like to be answered as well as the writer of this let- 

 ter. Now, who can speak and say " I know?" I can guess, but that is 

 not the sort of information wanted. 



THE GREAT FENCE QUESTION. 



It was agreed that this question should be discussed at the next meeting — 

 Joseph Blunt agreeing to present his views, with the laws extant upon the 

 subject of fencing. 



WINTER PEED FOR CATTLE. 



This question, adopted at a former meeting, was called up, and elicited 

 some discussion, and was continued, with the addition of "the best food 

 for man, and the best manner of cooking it," which will be discussed at 

 the next meeting. 



Mr. Lawton thought the greater the variety of food for cattle, the bet- 

 ter. His method is to cut all hay and give four or five pounds at a feed- 

 ing, three or four times a day, with roots, &c. ; parsnips, carrots, turnips, 

 beets, all cut small. The great importance of cutting food is to save the 

 old cows the labor of mastication. 



The Club then adjourned. H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



November 14, 1859. 

 Mr. John D. Ward, of Jersey City, in the chair. 



The Secretary, Mr. Meigs, read a number of interesting papers upon 

 miscellaneous subjects. 



STEAM PLOWS AND DIGGERS. 



First, a paper by John Algernon Clark, of England. In 1846 a patent 

 was granted for an armed cylinder, to disintegrate the soil. In 1847 and 

 1849 other patents were granted in England for the same purpose. None 

 of these plowed the ground, as we understand plowing, but some of them 

 worked over about nine acres a day. In 1855 another patent was granted 

 that worked six acres a day. In 1857 another machine, that carried its 

 own rails, was patented. In 1853 a Canadian inventor patented a land 



