AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 341 



Prof. Mason said that as no one could patent a discovery of a principle, 

 this one may not be patentable, and therefore he is right in keeping his own 

 secret. But large premiums have been offered for similar discoveries, and 

 it may be worth while to investigate this subject, and see whether it is a 

 humbug, or whether it is patentable. 



Mr. Fuller, Prof. Mason, Mr. Pardee, Wm. S. Carpenter, and Mr. 

 Doughty were appointed a committee to investigate the subject, and re- 

 port. 



John G. Bergen said that the disease called the yellows is not the only 

 disease that affects peach trees, and prevents growing any good fruit. The 

 insect that curls the leaves is worse than the yellows, on Long Island. 



Prof. Mason, — If the thermometer falls 12° below zero for 24 hours the 

 fruit will bo destroyed, 



Mr. Andrus stated that his remedy cures the curl of the leaf as well as 

 the yellows ; it makes the tree entirely healthy. 



Wm. S. Carpenter said that he had raised peaches on a northern slope 

 after a season that marked 18" below zero for 24: hours. 



Prof. Mason stated that, in this State, where the thermometer sunk to 16^ 

 below zero last winter, there were no peaches, 



Mr. Smith, of Connecticut, said that he always preferred the northern 

 slope of a hill for a peach orchard. The disease called yellows always 

 spread from one tree to another, as far as the blossoms are carried by the 

 wind. He recommends cutting down a peach tree as soon as it shows the 

 disease. 



Mr. Henry recommends getting peach pits from healthy trees and healthy 

 districts, 



POP-CORN, 



Mr. Carpenter recommends the rice corn as the best kind of pop-corn to 

 grow in this vicinity. It is very prolific, and sells high. Each grain 

 grows to a sharp point ; its color is a yellowish white. There is quite a 

 large demand for pop-corn in this market. 



Mr. Cavanach, a horticulturalist of Brooklyn, read the following paper, 

 prepared by him ; 



THE GRAPE. 

 Vitis vinifera of Linn,£tjs, Vitacea of botanists. 

 The history of the vine is almost as old as that of man, for Noah had 

 BO sooner escaped the destruction by the flood, than he set about planting 

 a vineyard, and making wine. The vine was once cultivated for the pur- 

 pose of wine-making, in England, with almost as much success as in 

 France ; the Duke of Norfolk had, at Arundel castle, in Sussex, a vine- 

 yard, from which immense quantities of Burgundy was made ; and the 

 celebrated vineyard at Painshill, in Surrey, was noted for the excellence 

 of its champagne. It was noticed by Miller and Langley, and particularly 

 by Barry, in his history of wines. The extent to which the vine may be 

 trained in a favorable climate is unknown ; the two largest ever seen in 

 England, were the vine grown against a house in North Hallerton, long 



