272 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



is all important as well as rich manuring, for the vine is a gross 

 feeder of certain kinds of manure. 



Mr. Pardee corroborated the opinion that round grapes are the 

 best. He says he has seen at one show six kinds of Isabella 

 grapes. One of the best vines he ever saw stood where it took 

 all the soapsuds from the kitchen. The wood of last j^ear'? 

 growth, and that only, produces the growth of this year which 

 produces the fruit. The hardiest North-of-Europe grape does 

 not generally do well here. The Concord grape is not generally 

 conceded to be equal to the Isabella, and cannot be recommended 

 where the latter will ripen well. 



Prof. Mapes — I think the loose bark should be peeled off the 

 grape-vines. Near Burlington, N. J., there is a very extraordi- 

 nary grape-vine ten inches diameter ten feet from the ground. 

 It is a mere stump and no one can remember when it bore grapes. 

 Isabellas grafted on the fox grape-vine are not improved with me. 

 JEE-ABOUT IN PLOWING. 



George E. Waring showed a letter of eight pages of Egyptian 

 hieroglyphics, or some other unreadable manuscript, from the 

 Connecticut Jee-about man, who pertinaciously persists in claim- 

 ing that he is the first man who ever thought of such a practice, 

 and thinks it very hard that we will not give liim the credit of 

 the invention. 



Mr. Waring offered a resolution voting him that honor, but 

 the rules of the Club don't allow the passage of any resolutions 

 on disputing any fact stated. 



The members of the Club are perfectly willing that all the 

 honor of the first Jeeing-about in Connecticut should be claimed 

 and enjoyed by Levi Durand of Derby, though they cannot de- 

 clare him to be the inventor, because they do not believe it. 



Mr. Moore of Orange, N. J., inquired of Prof. Mapes what he 

 cultivated between two grape rows 1 He had found the prepara- 

 tion of the ground very troublesome. He had succeeded in 

 plowing eighteen inches deep. He had planted corn between his 

 rows. 



Prof. Mapes — The ground must be dug deep and thoroughly 

 drained to raise grapes. It is not so much matter what you grow 

 between rows so that the ground is kept clean, though I would 

 not grow corn. Wires should be coated by wliite oxyd of zinc 

 combined with gutta-percha. Heat the wire with a spirit lamp 

 and rub on the compound, which may be done almost as rapidly 

 as a man can walk. 



