AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 249 



uninviting, more humane than the task-masters of their fathers, 

 are now striving to return good for what was considered an evil, 

 by supplying them with bread. 



The Secretary read the following papers prepared by him : 



A NEW DELICIOUS FRUIT— LOYNET TREE OF JAPAN. 



Some of its exquisite fruit is presented by Henry Suydam, Jr., 

 of New- York, grown here. 



The climate of Japan has cold weather, snow, &c. Probably 

 this Loynat fruit may be found to flourish in such situations as 

 apricot will do well in. 



It is the I. Eriobotrya of Linn — 12th Order. 



It is one of the Rose family — Rosacese of Lindley. 



A NEW QUESTION IN VEGETATION. 



The seed of a fine large beet of three pounds weight grown in 

 the rest of the world, is planted in California or Oregon and pro- 

 duces a beet of sixty-four pounds weight. Such a one set for 

 seed in New-York, produced seed, which, when planted in New- 

 York, reproduced beets of three pounds ! 



At Astoria, when first established by John Jacob Astor, who 

 sent out an expedition to the mouth of the Columbia in 1811, 

 sent out seeds. His men planted them and were amazed at their 

 growth. Turnips three or four inches in diameter here, became 

 twelve or fifteen inches there. Radishes one inch in diameter 

 here, became four inches there, &c., &c. 



Is there a region on the globe where these results are found 

 besides ? And what is or are the cause or causes of such immense 

 diflerence in vegetation 1 I include the mammoth trees. 



H. MEIGS. 



PLUMS— PRUNES. 



Europe makes prunes of her plums to a great and very useful 

 extent. We desire to have our native plums made prunes. We 

 extract from the very valuable volume of the Patent Office for 

 1853, the following on this subject : 



" The common domestic cultivated plum is believed to be in- 

 digenous to the south of Russia, Caucasus, the Himalayas and to 

 many parts of Europe. 



" In England and in some parts of the United States, it is found 

 sometimes growing in hedges, but never truly wild. This species 

 and many of its varieties are cultivated for ornament, or their 

 fruit, in all the temperate countries of the .habitable globe. 



