236 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



of this metal, which, when placed in the fire, flows upon it, and 

 is incorporated with it. It was put into use, and when three 

 shoes pointed with steel had been worn out, the Franklinite iron 

 on the other shoe stuck out like a pea, the iron about it being 

 worn down. There is no such thing as a horse slipping with such 

 a shoe. If you attempt to wear it down with a file you find that 

 you might as well scrape it with a bar of soap : you can make no 

 impression upon it. Mr. Selleck. has also been able to incorpo- 

 rate this ore with wrought iron so as to be put to very important 

 uses. It is known that no amount of heat that can be obtained 

 in a forge fire will melt wrought iron so that it will flow. Now 

 Mr. Selleck has found this curious fact, that though wrought iron 

 could not be thus melted, yet when from five to ten per cent of 

 Franklinite is incorporated with it, it can be melted with all the 

 facility necessary. The compound thus obtained has all the 

 appearance and all the properties of steel. Cast iron will take 

 up a certain amount of zinc if presented to it moderately ; but 

 when it is taken up no amount of heat will drive the zinc out; 

 and when this Franklinite is separated from all the zinc that will 

 come from it, there is still a portion of that metal left in the 

 ore, which cannot be got out. 



Dr. Trimble asked if the horse-shoe could be made so as to 

 prevent horses from slipping in Broadway, for if so it would be 

 something greatly needed. 



Mr. Selleck said he could make a shoe that w^ould either pre- 

 vent the horse from falling, or cut the pavement up. 



Mr. Carpenter said he thought this metal might be applied to 

 innumerable uses on this principle, and suggested that a commit- 

 tee be appointed to investigate the subject. 



A motion to that effect being adopted, Messrs. Trimble, Quinn 

 and John G. Bergen were appointed on that committee. On motion 

 the regular subject of the day was postponed. 



THE CULTURE OF THE PEAR. 



Prof. Mapes read an essay by Mr. Quinn, oflFered in competition 

 for the premium proposed by the American Institute for the best 

 essay on the subject of " The Culture of the Fear," Messrs. 

 Peter B. Mead, John G. Bergen and Gabiel Marc, were appointed 

 a committee to report thereupon. 



