AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 311 



West India Island, Jamaica, as calculated to be useful and to suc- 

 ceed in our Southern and perhaps Middle States. 



Mr. Birkmann received a quantity of young pear trees from 

 Europe, out of the right season for planting. He applied mineral 

 manures to every other tree when set out. The pear trees which 

 were treated to the mineral manure were saved, the others died. 



Chairman — I imported some hundreds of pear trees one season. 

 When received, they were (some of them) almost dry. I covered 

 them with earth a few inches; shoots grew up from them; these 

 I let grow by cutting the rest of the wood away. 



Prof. Mapes — I treated some of the Charter Oak grape vines 

 with the phosphates, and they grew seven feet during the same 

 time that those without it grew three in length. 



Chairman had noticed the effects of the phosphates on the 

 growth of cabbages. Some of his acquaintances were growing cab- 

 bages for market, and when the phospliates had been applied, he 

 measured some of the plants four and one half feet in diameter 

 of leaves and thirteen in circumference. 



Chairman — Guano judiciously applied is cheaper than barn- 

 yard manure. 



Prof. Mapes spoke of the extraordinary growth and promise of 

 fruit of the Lawton blackberry, and believes it to be a new variety. 



Subjects continued to next regular meeting, July 17th, at noon — 

 Milk, Butter, Cheese, and Market Gardening. 



The Club adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



July 11th, 1855. 



Present — Messrs. George B. Rapelye, Prof. Mapes, Solon Robin- 

 son, Clubb, Vail, J. K. Fisher, William B. Leonard, Dr. Water- 

 bury, Sewall Short, John W. Chambers, Orange Judd, Buckland 

 of the New Jersey Phalanx, Charles Oakley, Paul Stillman, Stacy 

 and others, forty-three members in all. George B. Rapelye in the 

 chair. 



Henry Meigs Secretary. 



The Secretary read the following papers : 



The mountains about Sebastopol are of red and white marble, 

 much cracked on their surface. The sand on the shores glitters 

 like gold. It is very fine gold colored mica, fit for most beauti- 

 ful writing sand. Nothing of the kind sold by the stationers 

 equals it for beauty. The ink retains its brilliancy for years. This 

 was the gold dust with which the Roman Emperor Gallienus 



