PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 259 



growth when set in the garden. I have transferred plants in this way 

 without injury when they were in blossom. 



Mr. A. L. Smith gave his mode of growing tomatoes. He digs holes 

 eighteen inches deep, anii puts about six inches of rich earth at the bot- 

 tom, in which he sets the plant, and, as it increases in size, gradually fills 

 in till level, and after he has done hoeing puts three or four shovelsful of 

 white sand around the plant, which he considers better than manure. 



Mr. Carpenter. — I take the opposite course, endeavoring to keep every- 

 thing well up with the surface. 



Mr. J. G. Bergen — Sand might answer for manure in Connecticut — it 

 would not do for Long Island, and we never should succeed if we set our 

 plants, as Mr. Smith does, in holes. I live in a section of country where 

 more tomatoes are raised than in all the adjacent counties. Some of our 

 farmers plant from ten to twelve acres. We prepare the ground very mel- 

 low and rich, and mark it off four by five feet, and some five by six feet; 

 and the vines, when fully grown, cover the ground that we can hardly get 

 between them. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — I plant my tomatoes in poor soil, and when I find 

 about a dozen tomatoes set upon the plants I stop them, and then transfer 

 them to the ground, and force them to ripen the tomatoes set. I want 

 tomatoes very early, as I consider tomatoes grown the last of the season 

 not fit to eat. 



Delaware Grape Raisins. 



Mr. R. G. Pardee stated that he had made some excellent raisins this year 

 made from Delaware grapes, with no signs of decay in drying. 



Subject for the next meeting: " Pruning, Grape Vines in particular, and 

 Preparation of Hotbeds." 



Adjourned. • JOHN W. CHAMBERS, Secretary. 



February 24, 1863. 

 Mr. Edward Doughty, of Newark, N. J., in the chair. 



Wax Models of Fruit. 



Mr. William S. Carpenter exhibited models for the purpose of letting 

 members know what beautiful ones they can have if they wish. The speci- 

 mens were made by Mrs. De Wolfe, corner of Broadway and Twenty-first 

 street, New York. They were very much admired. 



Pears and Plums. 



Dr. S. J. Parker, Ithaca, N. Y., writes inquiring the name of a hardy 

 plum and pear grown in that region. He says: 



"It is about the size of the old blue plum, which perished years ago by 

 curculio and black knot. The color is reddish blue on the sunny cheek, 

 and greenish white on the shaded side, with a whitish blue bloom wheu 

 ripe, and is then sweet, soft and pleasant to eat, or good for cooking. The 



