166 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



This wheat was procured by the Department of Agriculture of the Patent 

 OflSce, and has been distributed extensively throughout our country. 



The wheat is a native of Maryland, a winter variety, perfectly hardy, 

 ripens fifteen days earlier than the Blue stem, and makes extra flour. 



The following gentlemen received the specimens: 



Dr. R. T. Underbill, Croton Point, N. Y. ; Mr. John G. Bergen, Gowanus, 

 L. I.; Mr. John P. Veeder, Guilderland, N. Y.; Mr. Jas. Geo. Campbell, 

 Lawrenceville, N. J.; Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter, Harrison, N. Y.; Mr. S. H. 

 Brown, Greenwich, Conn.; Mr. Griswold, New York city. 



" Fruits in Season" was designated as the subject to be discussed at the 

 next meeting. 



Adjourned. JOHN W. CHAMBERS, Secretary. 



October 14, 1862. . 



Mr. Adrian Bergen, of Long Island, in the chair. 



Rev. Mr. Weaver, of Fordham, presented a pear which he wished to 

 know the name of. 



Mr. W. S. Carpenter.— It is the Vicar of Winkfield. 



Rev. Mr. Weaver.— I bought it for another variety. There has been 

 some mistake by the nurseryman of whom I bought it. What is the proper 

 time for gathering this variety ? 



Prof. Mapes, cutting one of them to examine the color of the seeds, said: 

 These are now ready to pick. This kind will ripen if picked when the 

 seeds are brown; some other sorts would shrivel if picked before the seeds 

 are black. That is the case with Duchesse d'Angouleme and Flemish 

 Beauty". The Vicar of Winkfield is an excellent pear if kept in a cool 

 fruit room until December, and then ripened about four days in a warm 

 room. Pears never develop the best results if left to ripen upon the tree; 

 an important chemical change occurs in the fruit while ripening within 

 doors, developing a large quantity of fruit sugar, which is chemically 

 different from that of the cane; the latter, by distillation, makes rum, while 

 the sugar of fruit makes brandy. Pears should not be left to remain upon 

 the tree until they begin to turn yellow, nor should they be pulled before 

 sufficiently ripe, for then they will never perfect themselves ; yet no certaiii 

 rule as to time can be given when to gather any particular variety. The 

 Duchesse d'Angoulemes, upon the sunny side of my trees, are now ready 

 for gathering, while those upon the north side of the same trees will not 

 be ready for several days. It is of great importance to pear culturists to 

 know exactly the right time to pick the fruit, for I have seen to-day in the 

 New York market baskets of the Duchesse which were grown by a person 

 who understood the art, selling at two dollars, while others were selling 

 right by the side of them at seventy-five cents, simply because they had 

 been gathered a few days too soon. I have grown the Duchesse this 

 season with almost every pear upon the tree perfect, many specimens of 

 which would weigh sixteen ounces each. The Napoleon pear, which fails 

 in many places, and has been condemned by fruit societies, is an excellent 



