332 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



the plowing early enough for the above purpose, I plant all I can in the 

 spring, and cultivate and hoe often, for I am a Connecticut Yankee, and 

 believe a hoe is an indispensable article, even in Minnesota. What I can- 

 not plant I summer-fallow. If farmers of our State will pursue this course, 

 I believe they will be pleased with the results." 



He also says that "this wild buckwheat, and a medley of other foul seed 

 that gather in the waste-boxes of wheat-cleaning machines, are often bought 

 by our millers for the purpose of grinding into Indian flour whenever they 

 get the contract." 



Tree Cotton. 



Mr. Prince called the attention of the Club to the fact that parties are 

 advertising seed of the tree cotton, from South America, and representing 

 that it will produce hardy trees, bearing cotton in this climate. This is 

 simply impossible; just as impossible as it is to acclimate any other tropi- 

 cal plant, such as oranges, bananas or sugar cane. Men ought to use their 

 brains, if they have any, before they invest money in such undertakings. 

 Every dollar spent for this seed will probably equal $20 thrown away. It 

 is a vain experiment to try to grow cotton in this latitude. 



The Black-Cap Raspberry. 



Mr. Prince contends that the " Improved Black-Cap raspberry," adver- 

 tised by Mr. Doolittle, is nothing more than any one can get himself from 

 the fields; that all the improvement comes from cultivation. 



Mr. Carpenter says that he has faithfully tried cultivating the Black-Cap, 

 and has failed to make it produce anything equal to the vines obtained 

 from Mr. Doolittle. The improved raspberry is a real improvement, and 

 grows twice as large as the wild, and more juicy and rich. 



What is the Best Treatise on Fruit ? 



Mr. Solon Robinson — The question is asked me almost every day. Will 

 this Club advise me how to answer? I will read one letter, as a specimen 

 of several others I hold in my hand. A friend writes from Hartford, Conn., 

 as follows: 



" Will you please inform me what you consider the best treatise which 

 has been published upon the general cultivation of fruits in this section of 

 the country ? 



" Several years since I planted quite a number of pear and other fruit 

 trees, with which I took considerable pains, intending to have the work 

 done in the best manner. Although I cannot call the result a failure, I am 

 convinced it should have been much better; and the feeling which I then 

 had, that there was a want of some good practical treatise containing 

 plain directions upon the subject, has been fully confirmed, both by my 

 experience with those, and with a small vineyard since commenced. Some 

 time ago you recommended Dr. Grant's Catalogue of Vines as containing 

 the best published directions for the cultivation of the grape. I obtained 

 one, and became much interested in the subject, and succeeded with 

 a small vineyard. He is now publishing another work devoted to fruit 



