Pickering.] 50 



while neither could learn from the success of his nearest neighbor on 

 the same range, if he had a different rock underljang his farm. 



He was familiar with an instance where the indigenous and intro- 

 duced vegetation of two farms differed quite conspicuously in some 

 species, although they are on the same range and the farm-houses are 

 not more than one hundred rods distant. The one with underly- 

 ing granite rock has an abundance of the Butternut, Juglans cenerea 

 Linn., Purselane Portulucca oleracea Linn., and common burdock 

 Lappa major Gcertner, while the other farm with mica-slate rock has 

 neither of these species. 



A difference in the water is quite obvious. On the inside of the tea- 

 kettle used on the farm with the mica-slate rock was to be found a thick 

 incrustation, while the tea-kettle of the other farm was quite free fi'om 

 anything of the kind. Coincident with this is also a phenomenon 

 observed in the manufacture of maple sugar on the two farms. The 

 vessels used for evaporating the sap on the farm overlying the mica- 

 slate rock, become incrusted like the tea-kettle, while on the farm on 

 the granitic rock the evaporating vessels, like the tea-kettle, are per- 

 fectly free from sediment. This incrustation is the same as what the 

 farmers frequently call sand or grit in sugar. 



Mr. Niles exhibited specimens of the sediments from both the tea- 

 kettle and sugar-boiler of the farm situated on the mica-slate rock. 

 He remarked that they had been carefully analyzed by Mr. A. G. Hill, 

 of the Lawrence Scientific School, with the following results : — 



In the sediment from the tea-kettle were found present, Carbonate 

 of Lime, Carbonate of Magnesia and traces of Phosphate of Lime, 

 Phosphate of Magnesia, Chloride of Sodium and Carbonate of L'on. 



In the sediment from the sugar-boiler were found present. Phosphates 

 of Lime and Magnesia, traces of Oxalates and Tartrates of Lime, 

 Magnesia and Phosphate of Soda. 



Mr. Niles thought that observations on the character and position 

 of the underlying rock would be of practical value to only the hill- 

 top farmers of Western Massachusetts, and not to the valley farmers 

 where the different soils had become mixed by aqueous agency. 



Mr. L. Wetherell stated that he was familiar with two 

 flimis upon which gypsum was used on the clover crops, to 

 no effect in one case, while in the other it was invariably- 

 attended by a three-fold crop, the two farms being but a 

 quarter of a mile from one another. Mr. ISTiles related a sim- 

 ilar case. 



Mr. Octavius Pickering exhibited and presented the roots 

 of a weeping willow, which were found in the following con- 



