283 



Stated Meetings January 15. 



Present, twenty-four members. 



Judge Kane, President, in the Chair. 



Letters were read : — 



From the Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, 

 dated London, Nov. 19, 1S57, and from the Royal Asiatic So- 

 ciety, dated London, Dec. 5, 1857, both returning acknow- 

 ledgments for Vol. XI. Part 1, of the Transactions, and for 

 No. 56 of the Proceedings of this Society: — 



From the Boston Society of Natural History, dated Boston, 

 Jan. 7, 1S5S, acknowledging the receipt of Vol. XI. Part 1, of 

 the Transactions, and No. 57 of the Proceedings: and — 



From the Society of Arts and Sciences of Batavia, dated 

 Oct. 20, 1S57, in relation to transmitting the publications of 

 this Society. 



The following donation was received: — 



FOR THE LIBRAKY. 



Quarterly Journal of the Chemical Society. No. XXXIX. (Vol. 

 X. 3.) October 1857. London. 8vo. — From the Society, 



Dr. Emerson made a communication on the subject of the 

 Chinese Sugar Cane, as grown in this country. He referred 

 to the difficulty at first experienced in granulating the sugar 

 produced from it; but stated that by recent experiments, as 

 made and described by Mr. Levering, that difficulty has been 

 obviated and the process rendered so simple as to be easily 

 practised by an intelligent rural producer. 



Dr. E. referred to the product of this cane, as stated by Mr. 

 Levering, and expressed the opinion that its cultivation will be 

 found adapted to a variety of soils, and will ultimately prove 

 to be important and profitable to those who engage in it. 



Specimens of sugar produced from this cane were exhibited 

 by Dr. Emerson. 



Prof. Cresson remarked that the fibrous substance of the 

 Sorghum is well adapted to the manufacture of paper, and may 

 hereafter be of importance for that purpose. 



