80 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



for people from the country to drop in and rest an hour or two in the mid- 

 dle of the day. The hour is noon on Monday — the place 351 Broadway, 

 up stairs. 



Subjects for the meeting of May 24, proposed by Mr. Pardee, "Flowers." 

 By Solon Robinson, "Sea mud and shells of salt water rivers, bays, &c., as 



fertilizers." By Mr. Pardee, "Small fruits." 



H. MEiaS, Secretary. 



May 24, 1858. 



Present — Messrs. President Pell, Paine, of Brooklyn ; Dr. Edgar F. 

 Peck, of Brooklyn; Thos. W. Field, Treadwell, A. S. Fuller, R. G. Pardee, 

 Van Vleck, of Newark ; Meeks, Prosser, James I. Mapes, Newark ; Solon 

 Robinson, Stacey, Capt. Geo. F. Barnard, Mr. Bruce, Mr. Chilton, Mr 

 Leonard, Mr. Chambers, and many strangers ; Wm. Lawton, of New Ro- 

 chelle, Horticulturist — fifty-eight in all. 



President Pell in the chair for a short time — who asks William Lawton 

 to the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The Secretary read the following transactions and extracts from works 

 received by the American Institute, since the last meeting : 



[Journal of the Society of Arts, London, with nearly 400 affiliated societies— published once 



a week.] 



RELATIVE FOOD VALUE OF THE GRAIN OF INDIA. 



(By J. Forbes Watson, M. D., of the Bombay Army.) 



A question of vital interest to nations, and pre-eminently so to one like 

 India, containing 176 million of people. The slightest enlargement of 

 size of a grain, greatly increases their amount of food. 



It is a common and a great mistake to suppose that rice feeds India — as 

 a general rule, it is the food of the richer classes. Eggs, fish and meat are 

 permitted to various classes, although contrary to the Brahminical vegeta- 

 ble doctrine. The poor eat much cajanus (a bean), and other pulse. 



Wheat is par excellence best, containing as it does almost the precise 

 requisite balance between the nitrogenous or flesh-forming constituents, and 

 the non-nitrogenous or heat-yielding and fat forming elements, and indeed 

 wheat-flour may be taken as the standard by which to compare the rela- 

 tions between the nutritive components of other grain. Wheat bread will 

 support the system for a longer period than any other compound. (Corn 

 bread excepted. H. Meigs.) 



Liebig has taken wheat bread as a proper standard to guide us in the due 

 admixture of ingredients constituting a suitable diet. 



Agriculture has made more progress in India, than is supposed. Rota- 

 tion has been practiced there for ages, and their agricultural implements, 

 although rude looking, are well adapted for tillage. 



Wheat crops are prominent in Central India and to the north, and almost 

 to the sea side in Guzerat. The Indian wheat contains less water and more 

 nutriment than the European wheat. The Indian wheat is very hard, so as 

 to prove detrimental to mill stones ! Barley is much used in Northern In- 



