640 State Board of Agriculture, &c. 



& Slason from the beaches near Boston, but found that the 

 decomposed granitic rock of the Eastern coast is composed 

 of too soft feldspathic and micaceous material. J^inally, 

 these gentlemen brought sand similar to that they had been 

 accustomed to use in their mills, from Long Island, as 

 before mentioned, and this we find sharp and most desira- 

 ble. The sand can only be used o?ice for the blast ; it 

 becomes so divided and devoid of sharpness afterwards, as 

 to be useful only for polishing. 



The manner of putting the letters on the stone was a long 

 study. A long list of gums, resins, &c., were tried, until 

 we reached the shellac of market, which is the only sub- 

 stance thus far successful ; it is for convenience simply 

 heated and drawn out into sticks. The barrels were our 

 last and are still our principal trouble. Tliey must be as 

 true as possible in their interior diameter ; they must not 

 vary from this diameter 1-32 of an inch ; they must be as 

 hard as can be made, and they must be as cheap as possi- 

 ble, for their consumption is large. After many attempts, 

 we are having them made at Troy, New York ; but all our 

 efforts are so far in vain, to prevent their cutting out on the 

 sides after only four or five hours' use. There is a very 

 powerful agent at work on them you will readily perceive, 

 but why at this one jioiyit, almost invariably, this " cutting 

 out " takes place, and whicli will take place in barrels made 

 of the hardest chilled cast steel, is yet to be determined. 



We have also to contend with irregularities of texture in 

 the marble itself ; " flint streaks," which are not cut away 

 as fast as the softer marble, and stand out on the face as 

 " ridges." We have frequently an undulating, wavy appear- 



