PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 419 



April 30, 1867. 



Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair ; Mr. John W. Chambers, Sec'y. 

 Plastic Slate. 



A state^ient was read from Mr. Wm. L. Potter, the president 

 of the Plastic Slate Company, that NewelFs planing establishment, 

 at the foot of Nineteenth street, this city, having a great variety 

 of anoflinor roofs, is covered with this material, and he invited the 

 Club or other persons to call or examine it for themselves. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — I understand that there are several hun- 

 dred roofs in this city covered with this material; would it not be 

 well to visit some of these also? Mr. Sinclair, Croton, N. Y., had 

 a roof covered with it, and pulled it off. Justice to the public 

 would seem to require that his roof should be investigated. 



Dr. Peck. — Perhaj^s the foundations of those roofs were not 

 firm. I think one of them was not sufficiently rigid, and hence 

 the felt cracked. One cannot expect satisfaction where work is 

 done imperfectly. 



Mr. Horace Greeley. — When statements are made about tlie 

 failure of plastic slate, I wish they would state the true reasons 

 for their failure. I have been rather in favor of it, but I think 

 that natural slate will make the best roof. 



ViNELAND. 



Dr. Peck. — We have a gentleman here who has come from 

 Vinelandtomake a plain statement about the soil; and introduced 

 Mr. Howe. 



The Chairman. — The charg-e agiiinst Vineland, as it was before 

 the Club two weeks ago, was not that good crops could not be pro- 

 duced there, but that men going thither with small means, ($1,200 

 was mentioned) would be likely to starve, because they could not 

 raise a crop the first year, and before they could raise anything 

 their money would be gone. 



Mr. Howe. — I went to Vineland from New Hampshire. I cleared 

 four and a half acres, planted it to potatoes, and raised from 100 

 to 150 bushels to the acre, which I sold for |1 a bushel; I used 

 two or three hundred pounds of phosphates to the acre; it cost 

 $40 to $50 an acre to clear this land. I have sold that place and 

 bought again; it was three-fourths of a mile from the station, and 

 I got over $7,000. There were twelve and a half acres, and it cost 

 $25 an acre. The crop I spoke of I raised the first year. For 



