336 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Mr. Carpenter suggested that there was not soil enough used on top of 

 the manure. 



The Chairman. — I mix salt with my hot-bed compost, and am not 

 troubled with fungus. 



EARLY SPRING PLANTS. 



Mr. Carpenter. — I have brought forward early peas, some ten days in 

 advance of the usual time, by setting up a board on the north side of the 

 row. The earliest peas I know of are called Daniel 0' Rourke peas. I 

 have had peas covered with snow without injury. Beets may be planted 

 very early without injury from frost. The Bassino beet is the earliest. 

 I plant sweet corn from April 1, to July 4. The Excelsior is the earli- 

 est variety, Stowell's evergreen corn is the latest kind of sweet corn; it 

 is very prolific. I have used guano in the hill, three inches below the seed, 

 to the best advantage of any kind of manure for early corn, 



Mr. Gale related some experiments of a man in Dutchess county, in se- 

 lecting the earliest ears for seed, which he continued for five years, until 

 he got seed that ripened earlier than any other kind that he could procure. 



The Chairman spoke of the efforts of Mr. Baden, some years ago, in 

 producing corn that always ripened five or six ears to a stalk. 



Mr. Smith. — No good farmer will use corn for seed that does not come 

 from stalks that bear at least two ears. 



Mr. Cavenach. — Early peas, &c., should be covered with salt, hay, or 

 litter. 



The Chairman. — I start all my early plants in cold grapery, and then 

 tmnsplant to the open ground, set in lulls made rich by good compost, and 

 cover the hills with glass boxes. Field corn on the Hudson should not 

 be planted till June 1. J]arly corn I start April 1. Melons, &c., I have 

 started Feb. 1. I pluck off the blossoms of vines so as to let them bear 

 only a small number, and all perfect. I thumb-prune all running vines. 

 He then related a fact about a Frenchman, who grew enormous water- 

 melons at Hyde Park, up the Hudson. He started the plants in hot-beds. 



Mr. Cavenach. — We always shorten in cucumber vines and melons to 

 great advantage. 



DESTROYING BUGS. 



Mr. Grale. — The best way to destroy bugs in a melon-patch, is to lay 

 shingles on the ground near the hills, and look under them before sunrise, 

 where the pests all harbor, when they can be easily destroyed. 



Mr, Smith. — My remedy for grape-vine bugs, is to scatter gypsum on 

 the wet leaves. It is also largely used near Hartford, upon melon vmes. 



John G. Bergen. — We have the rose bugs with us, but having plenty of 

 rose-bushes, they do not trouble the grape-vines. It is a goud preventative 

 to plant roses near vines. 



Mr. Smith urged the trial of gypsum to prevent the depreciation of the 

 rose bugs upon all kinds of plants. 



Mr. Smith described a very destructive bug that is new to him. It is 

 something like the corn bug, but much more voracious, and very destructive. 



