MANURE. 
141 
report expressed the hope that hereafter, when the 
Society found itself more completely established 
in all its departments, enriched in resources, and 
protected by legislative incorporation, it will be 
enabled to add to its other endowments a pattern 
farm. The report, with its accompanying resolu¬ 
tions, was adopted. 
Dr. Stevens made some observations respecting 
the use of whale oil soap, and stated that much 
injury had resulted from its application to trees, by 
the too great acceleration of their growth. As to 
the worms, no liquid was efficient against them, 
for they deposit their larvse under the inequalities 
of the bark. A solid coating was, in his opinion, 
•the only efficient protection. Dr. Underhill had 
found security in scraping his trees in the winter 
with a dull hoe [a scraper for this purpose, such as 
is found at the agricultural stores, would be better], 
and then paint them with soft soap, and afterward 
he had found a solution of potash—a pound to six 
or eight quarts of water-^-answer fevery purpose. 
Gov. Edwards, of Connecticut, then was called 
up, and gave a very interesting account of his 
raising an entensive variety of early and late pear 
trees from the seed. He recommended that fruit 
trees should be raised in this.way, and stated the 
probability that the race of a tree became, in a cer¬ 
tain number of years, enfeebled and finally extinct, 
and it was therefore necessary to renew the trees 
from the seed. [We consider this false doctrine 
entirely. If fruit trees are properly taken care of 
they will never run out, any more than animals or 
man himself.] He had also planted the seeds 
of the two native species of grape—fox and frost— 
from which he had raised a great variety of fine 
fruit. Altogether, cultivating the native fruits of 
this country had been too much neglected, and he 
earnestly recommended it as being among the sub¬ 
jects most worthy of attention. Dr. Underhill 
agreed with Gov. Edwmrds on the necessity of cul¬ 
tivating American fruit, especially in regard to 
grapes. Foreign grapes, except under glass, can¬ 
not be cultivated in our climate. The winter 
freezes them and the summer scorches them to 
death. All the hundreds of thousands of dollars 
expended in the experiments with foreign grapes 
had been literally thrown away; and yet there were 
nurserymen, who knew better, every spring adver¬ 
tising; and selling foreign grape-vines which they 
promised would flourish in our soil. They ought 
to be and should be exposed. In regard to Ameri¬ 
can grapes, they had already been much improved, 
and would doubtless improve for a hundred years 
to come. He had himself produced Isabella and 
Catawba grapes, which had been pronounced good 
by Frenchmen, Spaniards, and Italians; and they 
were now beginning to lay out vineyards for these 
varieties in Spain, France, and Germany. When 
we began to import them, Americans would doubt¬ 
less find them of exquisite flavor! 
Some further remarks were made on the subject 
of grapes, pears, &c., by Gov. Edwards, Dr. Ma¬ 
son, and Col. Clark. Dr. Gardner eloquently de¬ 
fended the European grape, and stated that it was 
a superior fruit when found wild, which was not 
the case with the American grape. His opinion 
was that the Isabella and Catawba were hybrids. 
At the meeting on the loth of April, the Corres¬ 
ponding Secretary, Mr. Green, read a letter from 
Baron Von Spech, of Upper Bavaria, accompanied 
by a treatise on sheep and another on hops, writ¬ 
ten by that nobleman. 
Mr. Howland presented a basket of large, deli¬ 
cious strawberries, perfectly ripe, and of the most 
exquisite flavor and fragrance—together with a 
plant containing the berry in all stages, from flowei 
to ripe fruit. They are the monthly strawberry. 
Mr. Howland received the plant from Mobile about 
eighteen months since. The plant is very healthy 
and vigorous, and hears luxuriantly. 
Mr. Bradish presented for distribution and expe¬ 
rimental planting a small parcel of potatoes from 
Ocana, a table land in the highest part of New 
Grenada, S. A., and in about 30° lat. N. They 
were dark in color, and of small size. 
Mr. Griffin detailed some experiments he had 
made last summer with various kinds of manure 
upon corn. He planted corn with guano, pou- 
drette, stable-manure, and ashes. That with guano 
was far the best, poudrette next, and ashes last. 
Some of the corn which he had soaked thirty-six 
hours before planting, in guano-water, grew the 
greenest and thriftiest; but he did not know that it 
yielded any more than that guanoed in the hill 
The ground was clayey, and not particularly 
adapted to the potato. 
Mr. Howland had tried an experiment with corn 
last year. He divided a ten-acre lot into three sec¬ 
tions. The first he gave a top-dressing with stable 
manure planting; the second lime before plowing ; 
the third he first plowed and then dressed with lime. 
This he found to be decidedly the best. 
Mr. Lawrence exhibited a model of his newly- 
invented park-gate, which can be opened without 
dismounting. It is very ingenious and simple, and 
must work well. 
Dr. Gardner mentioned that some noise had been 
made in this country regarding a new kind of pro- 
vender used in Germany, and 'which was said to 
be far more nutritious than any other kind of green 
fodder, not excepting clover. This was known 
under the name of spurry, and in several instances 
persons had sent to Europe for the seed. This was 
quite unnecessary. The plant is indigenous here, 
and well known to farmers as infecting corn and 
wheat fields. It is known as corn spurry; and if 
even half the wonders told of its nutritiousness by 
our friends in Germany be correct, it is worthy of 
attention by our farmers. At the Doctor’s sugges¬ 
tion, a committee was appointed to make some ex¬ 
periments on this subject. After some little farther 
business, the Society adjourned, to meet on the first 
Wednesday evening in May. 
Manure.— Cart out all the manure on your pre¬ 
mises as fast as possible, and spread it broadcast 
upon your grass lands or plow it under for hoed 
crops. It is fast losing its most fertilizing portions 
in the sun and rain, and the sooner you get it on to 
your lands and covered up, the better. If left to 
rot in the barn yard it fertilizes the air, and passes 
into your neighbors’ crops at the expense of 
our own. No good farmer will neglect his manure 
eap—it is his mine of wealth 
