AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 399 



Soutli America, and the rude way in which land is cultivated. In the 

 course of his speech, he alluded to the practice on Long Island of drilling 

 corn, which he thinks a bad one, because the soil is not strong enough to 

 grow a crop in that way. 



The Chairman stated that corn for a grain crop is almost always planted 

 in hills on the island ; that seen by the doctor was probably planted solely 

 for a green fodder crop. 



NEW SEEDLING POTATOES. 



The Secretary read the following letter in relation to a new seedling 

 potato, a bushel of which was sent in for distribution among the members 

 of the Club : 



No. 308 Broadway, March 26, 1860. 



The Hon. Henry Meigs, Sec. Farmers' Club Am. Institute : 



Sir — I have the pleasure of presenting, for distribution, three specimens 

 of seedling potatoes, the production of Mr. D. A. Bulkeley, of Stone Hill 

 Farm, Williamstown, Mass. _ He has named the lot : No. 1, Black Swan ; 

 No. 2, Blue Nose ; No. 3, Bulkeley's Seedling. Mr. B. has for many years 

 been engaged in raising seedling potatoes. The " Stone Hill," well known 

 in some sections as an excellent and very early variety, is one of his seed- 

 lings. In his letter to me, he says of the Bulkeley's Seedling: "They 

 are the first I have ever consented to have bear my name, out of the thou- 

 sands of varieties I have raised. The last crop of them, the fifth from the 

 ball, was 544 bushels per acre. They took the first premium at our 

 county fair, and wherever else exhibited. Added to their productiveness, 

 they are a very smiling potato when cooked." While he considers this 

 the best of the three, he says the others are tip-top, and no mistake. 



Yours, S. R. WELLS. 



INCREASE OF FRUIT CULTURE. 



Solon Robinson. — The increase in fruit culture is so evident this spring, 

 that there is reason for hoping that some of the present generation will 

 live to see America produce as much fruit as the people require. Of 

 grapes, the prospect is that a greater number of persons will plant vines 

 this spring, than in any previous year. Dr. Grant's orders are so very 

 large, that it requires all the force he can apply to put up and forward the 

 vines ordered ; the largest portion being for the Delaware. I hold in my 

 hand a letter from Charles F. Erhard, of Bavenswood, L. I., one of the 

 largest and most successful propagators of the cherry currant, and also a 

 grower of one of the best summer pears, a new seedling that is well worthy 

 of being better known. This letter states that he cannot fill orders for 

 cherry currants ; that all the stock grown in 1859 was exhausted early in 

 the fall, and he now has orders for as many a-; he will be able to grow this 

 year ; one of these orders in advance is for ten thousand plants. Mr. 

 Robinson called upon Mr. Fuller to corroborate, if true, his statement as 

 to the increase of fruit-growing. 



Andrew S. Fuller. — On a recent tour in the country, I could havesold 



