AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 519 



farthest north, possessed more ghiten,and that those farthest south 

 were lightest and nearest worthless. He had obtained liis opinions 

 on the subject from books on cattle feeding, and from observation. 



Mr. Robinson said that if oats from Quebec were in our market 

 they would range above those of Ohio, as the Ohio did above tlie 

 Southern. It was not uncommon for them and for the Scotch oats 

 to weigh 40 pounds to the bushel. The oat was a northern, as 

 the cotton was a southern plant. 



Mr. Waring had attended the Aroostook Agricultural Fair in 

 Maine, and saw very fine oats, with scarcely any woody fibre, 

 weighing 42 pounds and averaging 100 bushels to the acre. 



A gentleman stated that he had known the whole result of a 

 crop of oats to be materially benefitted by a shower falling very 

 sooh after sowing. 



The attendance at the Club was very large — in lact it has been 

 so at all the meetings for some months, and occasionally the 

 ladies lend their countenance to the discussions of these matters 

 about farming. 



William R. Prince of Flushing, Long Island, exhibited some 

 of the Chinese yams, the Dioscorea JBatata, about fifteen inches 

 long and about one inch in diameter at the largest. In color and 

 figure they resemble closely our yellow sweet potato. They were 

 just from the earth where the frost ha^ been several feet deep. 

 They were quite solid to the touch, the flesh as white as milk, 

 brittle as an icicle, juicy which ropes slightly when cut or broken. 

 About forty of the members tasted it raw, and the general opinion 

 was more favorable than was expected. Some consider it a 

 valuable addition to our stock of vegetables, although it may not 

 take the place of good potatoes. 



Mr. Prince distributed cuttings of the liquorice roots raised 

 by him at Flushing. They are about one-quarter of an inch in 

 diameter. 



Seeds of valuable plants, sent to the Institute for distribution, 

 by the Hon. Charles Mason, the U. S. Commissioner of the Patent 

 Office, and seeds given by members were distributed among those 

 present. It was a most agreeable sight to behold so many oi our 

 most intelligent citizens so zealous in seeking for good seeds. 



Subjects for next meeting — Irrigating machines and Potatoes. 



The Club then adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



