218 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



rieties, or making new collections. I once tried to grow forty- 

 five sorts of French pears. When they fruited, I only considered 

 five worth keeping ; and that is about the proportion, I think, 

 that gentlemen will generally get if they order a general assort- 

 ment of fruit trees from a nurser^'man. Among plums, I would 

 take first the green gage, and next the melon plum, and third, 

 some late-ripening German plums. The best early apple is the 

 bough ; then the fall pippin. If we can find out the best, and 

 reduce the number for general cultivation, we shall do the coun- 

 try a good service. 



Mr. Cavanach. — We have upon our nurserymen's catalogues a 

 great many apples and pears that are utterly worthless. The 

 best place to select fruit is at our great fruit shows. 



The Secretary. — The best of all pears is the old butter pear, 

 as we had it in perfection sixty years ago. 



COMMITTEE TO NAME FRUITS. 



Dr. Trimble, Wm. S. Carpenter, Andrew S. Fuller, R. G. Par- 

 dee, Peter B. Mead. Adjourned. 



HENRY MEIGS, Secretary. 



September 3, 1860. 

 Present, 50 members. Mr. Pardee in the chair. 



THE CUT-LEAF BLACKBERRY. 



The Secretary, Judge Meigs, read a letter from Mr. Munson, of 

 Astoria, who attributes the origin of the above blackberry to 

 France. He considers it superior to the Lawton, Avhen cultivated 

 on trellises upon dry ground. It does not do well upon moist 

 ground. He advises the rows to be eight feet apart, and he uses 

 galvanized wires for supports. 



PRODUCTS OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 



Mr. Disturnell exhibited to the club some remarkably fine speci- 

 mens of wheat, in the straw, as it grew in the neighborhood of 

 Lake Superior. He states that wlieat has grown there this sea- 

 son to great perfection, and that it is likely to become a very 

 fine agricultural country. He also exhibited .several specimens 

 of the natural growth of that region, and gave statements that 

 were very satisfactory to those present. The natural vegetation 

 f the Lake Superior region, he said, was very luxuriant. The 



