202 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



China, whicli we should judge to be something between a cabbage 

 and a turnip. 



ANALYSIS OF WINE. 



Judge Meigs also introduced an extended analysis of wines, 

 which will be printed in the Transactions. 



THE YIELD OF STRAWBERRIES ERROR CORRECTED.. 



Solon Robinson — I have a letter from C. A. Cowgill, of Dover, 

 Bel., correcting his error about the quantity of land which he 

 had in strawberries, which has been so much commented upon, 

 and which has all arisen from inattention to punctuation, and it 

 is on that account worthy of most particular attention — for the 

 same thing is such a common fault with all letter writers. Mr. 

 Cowgill says : 



" I have been somewhat annoyed at the inability exhibited by 

 yourself and correspondents as reported in the proceedings of the 

 Farmers' Club of New Yord, to comprehend the very plain state- 

 ment I make in relation to the "yields of my strawberry bed. 



"I suppose you did not take the trouble to read the statement, 

 but only listened to it. I said the plot was 126 square feet less 

 than one-tenth of an acre. This cannot admit of more than one 

 construction, viz : That if the bed had contained 126 square feet 

 more than it does contain, there would be one-tenth of an acre 

 in it. 



" Suppose you were to ask a person how much ground is con- 

 tained in such a lot, and his answer were to be: There is 100 

 square feet less than an acre, would you not clearly comprehend 

 him? Or would you imagine that he said there were 100 square 

 feet in the lot, and also conveyed the very original information 

 that 100 square feet is less than an acre ? Yet such is the con- 

 struction you appear to have placed upon my statement." 



Now let us see what Mr. Cowgill did say. Here it is, as it 

 was printed, and just as he wrote it : 



"I send you the following statement of the mode of culture, 

 and the yield of my strawberry bed. The space of ground occu- 

 pied by the plants is 126 square feet — less than one-tenth of an 

 acre." 



The error is all his, not ours, and. no other construction could 

 be placed upon the statement than just what has been placed 

 upon it. The fault is in the construction of the sentence. It is 

 a very common fault. Mr. C. is not a fool, as he says in a part 



