286 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



hides became very offensive, and filth drained so freely from 

 them that the coffee was found to be a most disgusting mass. 

 But this seemed to make but little difference to the dealers ; a 

 well known manufacturer of ground coffee bought it all ; and it 

 is just about this time being distributed over the city of New 

 York, to give a relish to the morning rolls. 



Mr. Burgess. — In the adulteration of spices, charcoal is used to 

 a great extent. 



Mr. Fuller. — I am opposed to this whole matter of discussing 

 the adulterations of food. Let our people buy their coffee in the 

 berry, and grind it themselves ; the same applies also to spices. 

 1 know the hulls of mustard seed are used to a great extent by 

 spice grinders. 



Mr. Carpenter. — Tea is also adulterated. We sampled some a 

 fev/ days since, and found it to be very deleterious. It acted as 

 an emetic to a number of persons who tried it. 



Mr. Geddes, — I think facts are important, and one fact prop- 

 erly authenticated, is worth more than any discussion had here 

 without facts. I hope the report will be published, it will awaken 

 the attention of our people to the frauds in the preparation of 

 articles of food, and will do good. 



On motion, the report was accepted. 



Mr. P. G. Bergen called the attention of the Club to a seed of 

 a new fruit advertised extensively, called by the seller Alkakengi, 

 purporting to be a new plant discovered in Illinois. 



Mr. Fuller. — This new fruit from Illinois is nothing more than 

 the common ground cherry Physalis visco^a, it was called Alka- 

 kengi by the boitanist Tournefort, and there is where this gen- 

 tleman who advertises the seed, got his name for an old well 

 known plant. 



The subject of the day was then called up, viz : " The cultiva- 

 tion of the Lima bean." 



Mr. Lawton.7-1 am in the habit of putting out 100 polos of 

 Lima beans annually. My method is, to take a crowbar and 

 make holes about four feet apart, put in the pole firmly, ai'.d then 

 plant four beans to the hill. I plant them from the 20th of May 

 to the 1st of June. 



Mr. Cavenach asked if the mode of checking, by nipping off the 

 ends of the vine, had been adopted by members of the Club ? 



Mr. Trimble. — I think we raise no vegetable that will produce 

 a better crop than the Lima bean. Used as a vegetable or made 



