286 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



a spoonful of salt to a dozen tubers. The water is to be poured off before 

 the potatoes are finished, and made dry by steam of the moisture being 

 driven off. 



SEEDLING TREES AND PLANTS. 



This, one of the regular questions of the day, was called up, and Pro- 

 fessor Terra Culture Comstock, introduced, who gave an exhibition of his 

 dried roots, and explanations just far enough to invite people to come to 

 his lectures and pay for any information they might obtain. As to answer- 

 ing any questions that would give the Club " his secret," that he utterly 

 refused, but Mr. Pardee, in spite of the Professor's opposition, explained 

 the whole subject, as he had, in one of the Professor's lectures, heard it 

 several years ago. The whole secret is, not to plant seed or plants too 

 deep. This explanation, the Professor utterly objected to, as "unfair," 

 " betraying secrets," &c. Some gentlemen, who had urged the Club to 

 hear the Terra Culture Professor, begged pardon for the act. They said 

 they really supposed that he had something to say, but now they were con- 

 vinced, after hearing all that he seemed able to tell, that he really had 

 nothing valuable to communicate. Mr. Pardee put a number of questions 

 to him, which he either could not or would not answer, and the Club came, 

 apparently, to the conclusion that the Professor was an arrant humbug, 

 and refused to allow him to occupy any more of their time. He afterwards 

 attempted to " offer explanations," but the Club would not listen to him, 

 and he probably left in disgust. At any rate, the members were disgusted 

 with him. 



Prof. Nash. — I have learned this week about terra-culture, that chest- 

 nuts will be most likely to grow if planted upon the top of the ground 

 where it is very hard, if simply covered with leaves. If planted in mellow 

 land they are not half as likely to grow as where the nuts fall upon a hard 

 path in the woods. 



Andrew S. Fuller. — Seedling forest trees can be profitably grown at a 

 dollar a thousand, at one year old. Maples, I can grow for 25 cents a 

 thousand. I have seen seedling maples three years old, two inches in 

 diameter. If the planting of seeds of forest trees was practiced exten- 

 sively, we might have in a few years an inexhaustible supply of wood and 

 timber. The seed of silver maple ripens in June, and must be planted 

 immediately, or they will not vegetate. The whole of the plains, or " bar- 

 rens," as they are called, on Long Island, may be planted with maple or 

 other forest-tree seed, and grow a most profitable crop. I have no diffi- 

 culty in transplanting hickory trees, if the top roots are cut one or two 

 years before I move the trees. There is no difficulty in transplanting 

 large trees if care is taken. No top-rooted tree can be moved safely with- 

 out previously cutting the top roots. 



There is no doubt that thousands of acres of the cheap lands of Long 

 Island could be planted to forest trees, and the crop would be more profit- 

 able than any other. This city needs hundreds of miles of street trees at 

 this time. Where can they be obtained ? All the nurseries about the 



