thought excellent, until he told them it was made of rhubarb (pie plant) stalks.

Dr. Trimble. I like this champagne, but I am afraid it will not meet with favor among those who drink the most of the article sold in this city under that name.

1

Mr. Solon Robinson.-I think the samples shown to-day prove that America is capable of producing its own wine, and that we are really independent of the wine countries of Europe; and as Americans we ought to encourage American productions.

Mr. L. A. Roberts read a letter from a friend in California who has twentyseven acres of vines, planted on a gravelly soil, which he declares are all foreign varieties, and that the Isabella, Diana and Catawba grapes are of no account in California; but, with the sorts they have there, he believes that they can make just as good wine as can be made in Europe, and more to the acre, the soil being more productive.

Mr. Solon Robinson.-The Catawba grape wine, made by John L. Mottier, of Cincinnati, is a good, pure, wholesome wine, and, though pretty acid, it is a very pleasant one, and never produces heaviness nor headache, and a person would have to drink a great deal of it to produce intoxication. It is an excellent, light, pure grape juice wine.

Prof. Mapes. In all situations where the Catawba fully ripens it makes a very good wine.

Mr. R. G. Pardee.—I find that it is not strong enough to keep. It turned to vinegar in a moderately warm room in my house.

Prof. Mapes gave a very interesting history of the manufacture of spurious wines and liquors, and how any particular flavor can be obtained by the aid of fusil oil, which is a product obtained by distillers of grain, by mixing it with the proper acid. Tannic acid and fusil oil, for instance, give the exact flavor of strawberries. The production of this fusil oil has become an extensive branch of trade, and it is so cheap that it is used to adulterate dearer oils, and it is certainly very largely used by manufacturers of brandy and other liquors, and "flavoring extracts," such as soda drinkers use. It is anything but wholesome. An immense quantity of "first rate old Bourbon whisky" is made of the newest kind of whisky, rectified and doctored with fusil oil.

Brandy contains fusil oil naturally, and some of it not in sufficient quantity to be deleterious when the brandy becomes aged. But we get very little pure brandy here, as the French distillers understand how to mix whisky and New England rum, deodorized by charcoal, with a little brandy and fusil oil to give it the right flavor, and color it with caramel.

The only distilled liquor free from fusil oil is what is called pure spirit, which has been passed through charcoal till it loses all color and odor, and nearly all taste. Charcoal or clay will deodorize all fruit and render it tasteless.

Mr. Andrew S. Fuller.-How little we know as yet about grapes. We do not know why the Isabella and others of those esteemed good here do not do well in California, and why the foreign sorts do, which we cannot grow here, except in glass houses. If we grow the Isabella under glass, we produce great bunches and large berries, with very thick, tough skins and

poor flesh. And this appears to be the case with them out of doors in California, on the same ground that produces grapes that will make wine as sweet and rich as the grapes of Spain.

From what we have heard to-day the results of native grapes in California seem to be similar to growing our native varieties under glass, which is a perfect failure. The Herbemont is claimed as a native, but I have no doubt is from foreign seed, and when grown under glass has all the distinctive characteristics of a foreign grape.

The only variety of grapes from which wine has been made to any extent here, of sufficient excellence to command a market, is the Catawba, which I believe will be entirely superseded by the Delaware.

Subject for the next meeting: "Detention Houses for Fruits and Strawberries."

Adjourned.

JOHN W. CHAMBERS, Secretary.

June 17, 1862.

Mr. Francis C. Treadwell in the chair.

BARREN GRAPE-VINES.

Stephen Haight, of Washington, Dutchess county, sent in the following communication upon this subject:

"GENTLEMEN: I am a constant reader of your discussions, and have discovered that you have got into a puzzle about barren grape-vines.

"Allow me to say that such things do certainly exist, as barren grapevines, and here I present the proof. I have two vines set by my kitchen door for the purpose of making a shade; have been there ten years; always blossom very full, and always fall from the vine before July overtakes them. They were both layers from the same parent vine. A native grape of excellent quality; ripens the latter part of August. I have others which were taken from the same vine, which are productive.

"Here are the samples for you to examine: one from the barren vine, and one from the parent vine."

Mr. William R. Prince, of Flushing. The matter stated in this letter is absolutely impossible. Barren vines may and do often come from seed, but this specimen represented as a layer, and the other from the one which produced the other, must have been derived from some other source. The man must have been mistaken; his statement is contrary to science. There are particular kinds of grape-vines which produce fragrant flowers, which are all staminate, and have an odor like those of mignonnette; these are grown only for ornament.

Mr. Andrew S. Fuller, of Brooklyn.-The point at issue is, that some person made an inquiry here by letter, whether there were such things as barren grape-vines, and stated that he had one that blossomed freely and never produced fruit; another letter-writer ridiculed the idea, probably because he had never seen a barren grape-vine. I have seen them, said to be fifty years old, which never produced a grape. How, then, do you know they were grape-vines, if they never showed fruit?

Mr. Prince replied, by the science which determines their class and order as perfectly without fruit as with.

THE NEW LAW ABOUT CATTLE IN THE HIGHWAY.

Mr. Adrian Bergen, of Long Island, introduced this subject, and stated that there were a great many persons who were ignorant of the fact that we have a new, good law, which, if enforced, will rid us of an intolerable nuisance. He therefore wished that the provisions of the law should be well understood by members of the Club, and that they would make it better known to others..

Mr. Solon Robinson.-I hold a copy of this law in my hand, which I will read, if there are any members desirous of hearing it. By the first section it is enacted that it shall not be lawful for any cattle, sheep or swine to run at large in any public highway in this State, and it is made lawful for any person to seize and shut up an animal found upon the public highway, or trespassing upon his premises. In short, it makes every man his own pound-master, and authorizes him to proceed summarily against trespassing animals, and if properly enforced will prove one of the best laws ever passed by the Legislature of this State.

Mr. Adrian Bergen.-It is very important to us on Long Island that it should be enforced, and I am determined for one to do my duty, and ask the support of all others to sustain me in doing it.

Professor Mapes.-This is a very righteous law. We have a similar one in New Jersey, where I have had occasion to test its efficacy. I do not pretend to close the gates of the road leading into my place; I leave them open on purpose, so that if any person chooses to defy the law, I will give him an opportunity to feel its effects. I made one owner of horses pay for the damage which they did in running through my hot-bed, breaking the glass and frames. It is contrary to common sense principles to suppose I am obliged to fence my neighbor's cattle off my premises. In New Jersey we have pretty nearly succeeded in convincing those who have been in the habit of pasturing the highway, that they have no rights there.

Mr. Andrew S. Fuller.-I am glad to hear that Prof. Mapes intends to punish the owners of cattle straying into his premises. I have seen a hundred head of cows prowling in a body in the streets and vacant lots in Brooklyn. If one unruly one breaks through the fence, it may let in a whole army, and destroy $1,000 worth of nursery plants in a few minutes. I had eight cows in my nursery a few days ago, and one of my neighbors had the impudence to tell me that I must strengthen my fence, for he wanted to turn his cows out upon the common. These uncivilized cowherds claim it as their right to possess all land that is not fenced. There is a lot adjoining me, fenced at the cost of $7,000, with a wall ten feet high; and that is the only way to keep Brooklyn cows off your premises. I was at Flushing the other day, and found that everybody could enjoy the convenience of keeping gates open. I hope our police commissioners will instruct the police to pound all cattle running at large.

Mr. John G. Bergen.-I shall be glad to see this law strictly enforced, and it can be much more easily done than the old law, which required the animals to be first driven to the pound. Still I do not think this law repeals

the one creating pounds and pound-keepers, so that any one that chooses can follow the provisions of that law.

INQUIRY ABOUT GRUB WORMS.

Mr. Solon Robinson read the following letter from D. L. Lamon, of Fryeburg, Maine:

"I have heretofore been much interested and instructed in reading the proceedings and discussions of the Farmers' Club. I think the thoughts there suggested and disseminated among the farmers of the New England towns through the press, have been read generally with great eagerness, and have led to much practical good. My object particularly in writing this note is to ask a consideration-at one of your meetings-of the subject of the grub worm, with a view to suggest a remedy against its devastation. The farmers, as well as horticulturists, in this western part of Maine, have been greatly exercised for the past three years on account of their abundance and destructiveness, and anything like a remedy will be hailed with joy.

"Neither salt, ashes, superphosphate lime, or severe winter's frostwhich some say is necessary to kill the eggs-seems to decrease their numbers."

Mr. Solon Robinson.-As no one present can give the desired information, I hope some one of our correspondents will be able to communicate one.

HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND COMFORT FOR CHILDREN AND MOTHERS.

Mr. Solon Robinson.-There is a gentleman present with a new agricultural implement, which he wishes to introduce to the attention of the members of the Club, and particularly to the ladies present. It is an implement of the utmost importance to them, for it will tend the baby while they are engaged washing, milking or churning; and as the baby and the tender are both present, I hope the inventor will be allowed to show it up now.

Dr. Brown, of this city, then introduced and explained the object and uses of this new machine, which apparently gave much satisfaction to all present. It is really an ingenious and valuable improvement upon all the projects heretofore introduced for the same purpose.

Mr. A. S. Fuller introduced a number of specimens of his seedlings; also specimens of the Triomphe de Gand and Downer's prolific.

Mr. Solon Robinson showed specimens of Hooker's seedling and Wilson's Albany; both specimens very large and fine.

Mr. Fuller said: I have nothing to say about any of these seedlings, except to answer questions and give explanations; but here are specimens of the Bartlett, now well established as a superior variety; and here is Downer's prolific, a very good sort, but not worthy of all that has been said in its favor. The Wilson I have always spoken favorably of as the most prolific of all strawberries, and if permitted to ripen fully, in a good season, its acidity is not very objectionable. It has a great many good qualities. The Triomphe de Gand is rapidly gaining in favor; it is a hardy sort, and very prolific, and of rather a sweet, pleasant flavor.

Mr. Prince disputed this point. He said: It is one of the characteristics

of the Triomphe de Gand strawberry that it is devoid of sweetness and perfume, which are the characteristics of the other varieties of the pine family, and ranks so low in Europe that it is only found upon two catalogues; and it is entirely rejected in Belgium, where it is said to have originated. It cannot be rated among the prolific varieties, because it won't bear a third crop-none of the fine varieties of the strawberry will, though cultivated for their high flavor, which is a characteristic of many European sorts. I have tried them all, and have now some 250 varieties growingforty of them new, and some of the highest flavored ever grown. To prove it, I invite every one to come and see them and taste, and prove my assertion. There are six North American, two South American, and six European classes of strawberries, some of which are to be found growing all the way from 17° south to 64° north, embracing the torrid, temperate and almost a frozen region. The Chilian strawberry was introduced into Europe in 1712. All the North American varieties are hermaphrodite and pistillate. We have no native male variety, and all pistillates are superior to staminates or hermaphrodites for production, if properly fertilized by male plants set near them. This is the case with Hovey's seedling. We have not yet obtained great size and high flavor in any one berry of the Virginian family, but that they are usually combined in the Pine family. Many of the European strawberries are remarkable for their high flavor, but some of them are so for size and flavor combined. The Triomphe de Gand is a European variety of large size, but it lacks quality. As to productiveness, it is impossible for a hermaphrodite plant to be as productive as a pistillate, fertilized by independent plants. The Hovey, with a fertilizer blooming at the same period as itself, is very productive, but it is not by any means the most so, as many varieties produce much larger crops; and, as a rule, all pistillates are the most productive. Downer's prolific is a pistillate, and so are mostly all prolific sorts. I have a true pistillate, the Diadem, that is more productive than the Wilson.

Mr. Andrew S. Fuller.-This is a pretty strong assertion, and contrary to the opinion of all but Mr. Prince, and a very few who adhere to the pistillate variety. I have fruited a thousand sorts, and never have found a pistillate worth cultivating. I have tried all of Mr. Prince's sorts, and have never found one so good to produce as Wilson's, Downer's or Triomphe de Gand. The pistillate flower is not natural; it is a deformity, so far as science is concerned, like all double flowers.

Mr. Prince argued at great length in favor of his pistillate theory, contending that the objection all arises from carelessness in cultivation, in allowing the male plants to overwhelm the bearing plants. Among other objections to the Wilson strawberry, he said that it must be cultivated as an annual; it never produces a crop the second year from the same plants. Mr. John G. Bergen. This theory of Mr. Prince is not borne out by facts, for it is well known that the Wilson is the greatest bearer ever cultivated. Mr. Solon Robinson.-The Club has just tasted of some of Wilson's strawberries, grown upon my vines set three years ago last spring. They speak for themselves as to size and quality; they are, at least, not small; many of them are an inch and a half in diameter, and considering the state of the weather not excessively acid. Now, these berries are the second and third