PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 63 



itself to my mind. Many species of the grape are "diaecious," i. e., having 

 staminate and pistilate flowers on different plants. Perhaps the one spoken 

 of by A. Lester may be staminate, and require one which is pistilate to be 

 planted near it, or vice versa, instead of a change of soil. 



The question then arose whether there was any such thing as a " flower- 

 ing grape vine," that would not bear fruit. 



Dr. Church, of this city, stated that he had a vine that flowered regularly 

 every spring for several years, and produced no fruit; but he did not think 

 it was because the blossoms were either pistilate or staminate, and needed 

 a vine of an opposite sort to fructify them. 



Mr. Carpenter said that was the case with raspberries, particularly with 

 the Allen variety. 



Mr. R. G. Pardee. — Is there any proof that any grape vine is permanently 

 barren ? I have known vines barren for years, which, by a new kind of 

 treatment, became fruitful, with no other change of circumstances. Vines of 

 this sort are often made to produce by pruning and fertilizing. 



Culture of Indian Corn. 



The Chairman asked whether hilling or flat culture was preferable. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — Although I am not in favor of hilling corn by hand, 

 yet, as a general thing, whoever tries to raise corn entirely upon the sys- 

 tem of flat culture will find the increase of expense too much to pay. It all 

 depends upon soil and situation. Adaptation to circumstances must be the 

 governing principle. It is one of the faults of the discussions of this Club 

 that members are too apt to lay down rules suited to the circumstances of 

 the speaker. Some land absolutely requires a different mode of culture 

 from others. Many English farmers fail in this country because they 

 attempt to follow rules only suited to the moist climate of England. 



Dr. D. P. Holton. — Economy in the culture of the ground is to be attained 

 in following a triple series: 



1. The construction of instruments in conformity to nature's laws and to 

 the ends derived. 



2. Publication of these inventions to secure their practical adoption. 



3. The right use of these instruments with due regard to the soil and its 

 products, climate and surroundings. 



The American Institute has from its origin regularly pursued this series: 



1st. It pursues the first in welcoming and encouraging the presentation 

 of new instruments, or modifications of those in use. 



Here theories and principles are discussed and skillfully applied, whether 

 to sustain the hopes of the inventor or to instruct him wherein his inven- 

 tion is formed on a basis of error. 



It is often more difficult to dissipate an erroneous basis than to recon- 

 struct a truthful one. Here many an inventor has had occasion to appre- 

 ciate the proverb: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend;" and again the 

 encomiums and prizes of the Institute have judiciously stimulated true 

 genius. 



2d. The American Institute pursues the second of the series in its weekly 

 reunion of practical farmers and men of science for public discussions, in 

 its annual fairs and in its Transactions, widely circulated through the press. 



