136 transactions of the american institute. 



Fruits in their Season. 



There were exhibited on the tables, to-day, an excellent display of cur- 

 rants from the farm of Prof. Mapes, viz: 



La Versaillaise, Queen Victoria, Red Dutch, Red Gondouin, Cherry, La 

 Hative, White Gondouin, White Grape, Fertileide Pallua, White Trans- 

 parent, White Dutch, and from Mr. W. R. Prince a very fine currant called 

 the White Provence. 



Mr. W. R. Prince. — The La Versaillaise and the Cherry I think are the 

 same currant, so nearly do they resemble each. other. 



Mr. W. S. Carpenter considered them both the Cherry. The Victoria is 

 distinguished by its long red bunches, and the Red Dutch by the excel- 

 lence of its flavor. 



Mr. Prince. — I consider the White Provence the most productive of all 

 currants, and it grows the largest berries. 



Mr. Carpenter thinks that White Provence, La Versaillaise and the White 

 Crrape are the three best sorts, and all that a family need to grow. 



Barren Grape Vines. 



Mr. W. C. Crosbjr, of Bangor, Maine, gives the following account, to 

 prove that there are barren grape vines: 



" In the discussions of the Farmers' Club I notice one respecting barren 

 grape vines, but I don't remember that any one said anything respecting 

 sex. 



" I have a vine which I planted for a ' Vermont native grape.' It has 

 blossomed several years and borne no fruit. This year I examined the 

 blossoms, and find them wholly destitute of pistils. The stamens and 

 anthers appear complete. Of course no fruit is to be expected from 

 such blossoms." 



A Great Crop of Strawberries 



Mr. R. Green, of Reelsville, Indiana, communicated the following: 

 " In the spring of 1861 I cleared out a small ridge of ground that was 

 heavily covered with beach and sugar timber, and set out 600 Wilson 

 Albany strawberry plants, three feet apart each way, as near as I could 

 for the stumps and roots, which pretty nearly covered the ground. The 

 ground was never plowed. I put the plants in with a hoe as well as I 

 could, in many instances having to cut off roots two inches through to 

 make a hole for them. In the course of the summer I hoed the ground over 

 tM^o or three times, loosening it as well as I could for the roots that 

 literally covered the ground. The piece contained one-tenth of an acre, 

 with ten or a dozen stumps that would average at least four feet square. 

 This spring the plants nearly covered the ground. That was all the cul- 

 ture they had until after the berries were picked this summer. The result 

 was twenty-five bushels of strawberries, actual measure. Now we think 

 that doing pretty well for Hoosierdom, particularly with the small amount 

 of labor bestowed upon them. The ground was a narrow ridge, naturally 

 well drained, which would yield twenty-five or thirty bushels of corn to the 

 acre if well attended. The result has been so satisfactory to me that I 



