AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 241 



Mr. Meigs .called up Mr. Charles Oakley, who had for a long 

 period maintained a garden for his pleasure, in the 9th ward of 

 this city, in which numerous fruits, flowers and vegetables were 

 grown by his intelligent industry, equal to any I have ever seen, 

 peaches especially. 



Mr. Oakley — Forty years ago I had a noble peach, six of them 

 filled a half peck measure. After 1810 I procured peach pits 

 from Bloodgood's nursery; I raised trees from them and some of 

 them stood twenty-five years. One of them gave a fine cling- 

 stone, called the Old Mixon clin^. 



In 1811 I received the first Lima bean I had seen, from Gov. 

 Ogden of New Jersey. I had four sorts of that bean. They grew 

 well, blossomed, but bore no beans. I then tried some beans in 

 thimble pots. I believe that Gov. Ogden and I made it fruit. 

 It became mixed afterwards and degenerated into the old white 

 runner. 



Prof. Mapes had success in pinching off' the tops of his Lima 

 bean vine at about five and a half feet above the ground, which 

 caused side shoots to grow large and bear well. I have seen 

 them flourish on sod grown upset and the beans put in at about 

 four feet rows — setting tlie eye of each bean down — which saves 

 the plant the painful necessity of turning round to get up. The 

 true Lima bean is known to have a dent on one side — a pint of 

 them may be had from each pole. 



Mr. Field of Brooklyn — I grow potatoes among my young trees. 



Mr. Vail — Good crops can be had that way, and we may grow 

 raspberries in the same field, corn, grass for hay. This species 

 of mulch benefits the land. 



Prof. Mapes — Salt hay is well used for that end. 



Dr. Sayre remarked that the Williamsburgh glass manufactory, 

 in which he had an interest, would supply glass plates of any 

 size and thickness for graperies and conservatories. 



Subject for next meeting, " Root crops." Adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



JWay 15, 1855. 



Present — Messrs. Prof, Mapes, Field, Solon Robinson, Mr. 

 Leonard, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Benson, Martin E. Thompson, 

 Bergen of Gowanus, Hon. Ogden Edwards, Judge Van Wyck, 



[Am. Inst.] 16 



