200 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



one being from trees which, said Mr. Carpenter, I have planted 

 within ten years. The yeHow Harvest apple was over ten inches 

 in circumference. 



The Beurre Giffard pear is one of the best early pears we have. 

 The Diana d'Ete is an earlier pear, and by some preferred. 



The Red Astracan apple is one of the very best early varieties. 

 The Strawberry apple is also a very choice one, and the most 

 fragrant of all. 



The Belle de Fontenoy raspberry is the largest, and is quite 

 hardy and produces a good fall crop, as well as spring or sum- 

 mer crop. It grows upright, about four feet high. 



The Cattawissa is another very valuable variety of hardy rasp- 

 berries. The only Avay to propagate this sort is to bend down 

 the canes and cover the tops. This also produces a good fall 

 crop. 



The Allen raspberry I consider nearly a worthless sort. It is 

 a pistilate variety, and will not do anything without being mixed 

 with some other sort, and with me, while I can get so many other 

 better sorts, is not worth attempting to cultivate. 



Some other gentlemen expressed themselves to the same effect 

 in regard to each of these varieties of raspberries. 



WINES. 



The subject of wines being one of the questions of the day. 

 was now called up, and George H. Hite of Morrisania, was called 

 upon to give his explanation of his method of making domestic 

 wines, samples of which Avere given. 



ISABELLA GRAPE WINE. 



This sample, made in 1856, of pure juice of grapes, without 

 sugar, was highly approved — in fact it was considered the best 

 Isabella grape wine ever tasted by the testing committee, which 

 consisted of John G. Bergen, R. G. Pardee, and Judge Meigs. 



ELDERBERRY WINE. 



This was not considered very good after tasting the grape 

 wine, though it was much like a strong claret, and gave satisfac- 

 tion to some tasters. 



CURRANT WINE. 



This was considered an excellent wine — that from black cur- 

 rants was much like port wine — more medicinal than as a bever- 

 age. Some from red and white currants was thought to be equal 



