246 Transactions of the American Institute. 



you propose to bridge over, cut the rugged bark away, above and 

 below, to that which is sound, and make a slight longitudinal incision 

 in the bark, so that it will admit the scion without bruising its bark. 

 It would be well to raise the points of the bark on each side of the 

 incision. Now cut your scions to the proper length, allowing an inch 

 and a half at each end to slip under the bark of the girdled tree ; 

 pare off the scion at each end, as far as it is to go under the bark — on 

 one side only. ]S r ow slip the scion down, flattened side next the tree- 

 wood, under the bark, at the lower incision, and, by gently bending, 

 shorten it back to allow it to be entered above. In this manner insert 

 the requisite number, tie a string over each splice, to keep the bark 

 from rolling up, and cover all the several splices with grafting wax, 

 and your tree is sure to live and outgrow the accident— provided all 

 is done with average skill and care. I have trees in my orchard that 

 I repaired in this way four years ago, and now, except a slight enlarge- 

 ment at that point, one would never suspect that they had ever been 

 girdled ; in fact, I consider them just as sound as any other trees. 



Mr. S. Seeley, Long Hill, Conn.— I have kept from 100 to 300 

 fowls for twenty or twenty-five years past. I have kept correct- 

 account during that time of the number of bushels of grain the hens 

 eat during each year, the amount the eggs sold for each year, the 

 market price of the grain, etc. The eggs sold, taking one year with 

 another, including the worth of the manure, and the eggs and 

 chickens consumed in the family, was about fifty cents per hen more 

 than their feed came to, at the market price of the grain. I raise but 

 few chickens ; it is cheaper for me to buy. The hens are kept in one 

 flock ; they are, most of them, the old-fashioned dung-hill fowl. I 

 . feed and water once a day, and give them all they will eat of corn,, 

 oats and buckwheat, with small potatoes when I have them, boiled 

 and mashed, with meal mixed in them ; also plenty of shell and bones 

 cut fine ; some meat in the winter. One year I had about 100 hens ; 

 I weighed all the grain. The hens ate fifty-five pounds of grain each, 

 and laid 100 eggs per hen. 



Adjourned. 



May 9, 1871. 



Nathan C. Ely., Esq., in the chair ; Mr. John W. Chambers, Secretary. . 

 Growing Orchard Grass. 



Mr. E. Scofield, Memphis, Mo., having read the frequent allusions 

 to the excellence of orchard grass, desires to be informed if it can be 

 successfully cultivated in the northeastern section of this State ; also, 



