122 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



that they should have been so long misunderstood, for he finds the soils 

 excellent. 



Subjects for next meeting, proposed by Prof. Mapes — " Use of green 

 crops, plowed in ;" " Leather, preparation of, for manure." 



The club adjourned to Monday, July 19th, at noon. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



July 19M, 1858. 



Present — Messrs. Lawton, of New Rochelle ; Andrew S. Fuller, of 

 Williamsburgh ; John Bruce, Solon Robinson, Thomas W. Field, of 

 Brooklyn ; Mr. Witt, of Williamsburgh ; Mr. Paine, of Brooklyn ; John 

 W. Chambers, Charles Z. Erhardt, of Astoria, and others — 41 members. 



Richard G. Pardee in the chair ; Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The secretary read the following translations and extracts made by him 

 from the last works received by the Institute from Europe, &c., viz : 



London Fairmers' Magazine, June, 1858. 



SULPHUR TO PREVENT POTATO ROT. 



It has been found that clay used in the purification of gas, absorbs 

 ammonia as a sulphate. " Five 7inUiun pounds weight of sulpJmr arc 

 estimated to be in our annual crop of wool — chiefly derived from the grass 

 eaten by the sheep. This must return to the soil, or that will deteriorate. 

 Of three acres of prime Regent potatoes, two and one half of them were 

 dressed with coal gas clay, and all free from rot, while the half acre with- 

 out clay, more than half rotted. A great discovery seems here to be close 

 at hand. 



Note by Meigs. — France has saved her grapes from the oidium by using 

 sulphur on the leaves, fruit and vines. Let sulphur be sprinkled in our 

 potato hills at planting. 



TOBACCO GROWN IN FRANCE. 

 At Lille they raise 24 cwt. per acre. Government buys it all at prices 

 fixed by itself. An ancient convent at Lille is occupied in curing it for 

 market. 350 men and 400 women are employed at it. This tobacco is 

 never used alone. All sorts of other tobacco are mixed with it. The 

 cigars are made by the women. Snuff after undergoing various processes 

 for six months, remains for one year in immense heaps of forty or fifty 

 tons each to acquire a sce?tt. 



THE SORGHUM. 



One field yielded sixty tons weight of stalks per acre, at three cut- 

 tings, for fodder. Another field thirty tons at one cutting. 



In the South of France it yields 15 per cent of sugar. It is cut and 

 cured in June, when three feet high. Let grow it attains eight or nine 

 feet. No insect touches it. Hogs eat the roots boiled. 



