140 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE 



The Chairman. — This question will be open for future discussion or com- 

 munications. 



Dr. Parker also made inquiry about grafting grape vines. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — The best way to graft a grape vine is to drive 

 wedges through a vine, at intervals, say of a foot, and sharpen the scions 

 and drive them through so they will project on the under side. Then lay 

 the vine down and cover it in a trench, extending from the root so that 

 water will not stand in it, leaving the extremity of the vine out to grow 

 its own branches and leaves, and next spring the whole can be taken up 

 and cut apart, and set where the vines are to grow. 



The French Tree Tomato. 



Dr. Parker does not speak favorably of this kind of tomato. He says it 

 is pi'etty near a failure if planted late. Those started early are doing 

 better, particularly on a dry loamy hill side. He wants to know how 

 cultivators about New York are pleased with this new variety. 



Mrs. Ham, of Columbia county, presented some specimens of blackberry 

 wine, which, after being tasted, was pronounced excellent. It is made as 

 follows: one quart of juice, two quarts of water, three pounds of sugar, 

 fermented in casks and drawn into bottles, corked and sealed, and kept two 

 years before being used. 



The Fruit Question. 



Fruits in their Season, and conversation about fruits, with samples, is a 

 standing question. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter presented some beautiful apples and pears, now 

 ripening. He remarked that the Eed Astracan apple is not only beautiful 

 to look at, as may be seen, but it is a profuse bearer and valuable market 

 apple, good for cooking, and a fair table apple. It ripens about August 

 10th. Here is the Early Harvest, and Red Marguerite, and Sweet Bough, 

 all good apples, now in season. Several others were in the collection, and 

 the Beurre Giffard, Madeline and Doyenne d'Ete pears. The Red Astrachan 

 apples were grown upon dwarf trees, only three and a half feet high; they 

 were grafted upon Paradise stocks. 



To Preserve Fruit all the Year. 



Mr. Robinson read from an English paper the following method to pre- 

 serve fruit all the year: " Take of saltpeter, one- pound; bole armenia, two 

 pounds; common sand, well freed from its earthy parts, four pounds. Mix 

 all well together. Gather the fruit with the hand, before it is thoroughly 

 ripe, each fruit being handled only by the stalk; lay them regularly, and 

 in order, in a large, wide-mouthed glass vessel ; cover the top of the glass 

 with an oiled paper, carry it into a dry place, set it in a box filled all round 

 to about four inches thickness with the above preparation, so that no part 

 of the glass vessel shall appear, being, in a mann3r, buried in the prepared 

 niter. At the end of a year, such fruits may be taken out as beautiful as 

 when first put in." 



