304 [Assembly 



zeal and good judgment, who had said publicly that draining had 

 been practiced with success in Delaware, on the plans laid down in 

 Mr. Skinner's Farmers' Library. Tiiat the blind drains spoken of 

 as costing twelve and a half cents a rod, were stated by Mr. Hail, of 

 Lebanon, who says " give me four good horses with proper tools and 

 men and I can dig any quantity of drains two and a half feet deep 

 for twelve and a half cents a rod. "That when the chairman asked 

 if he meant blind drains, he here replied that he supposed he did, for 

 .otherwise they would be merely so many ditches. Mr. Skinner said 

 that he had not stated that the drains would be made for twelve and 

 a half cents a rod. 



He explained the estimate of his postage expense, to have been 

 caused by the transmission of not only letters of several pieces, of 

 12| cents each, but of bags of seeds, of which his clerks sometimes 

 sent off 100 in a day. Mr. Skinner presented a letter from J. R. 

 Stafford of Cleveland, communicating an analysis of Indian corn, by 

 Mr. Payne, whom Professor Henry in a letter to Mr. Stafford says, 

 he may be, as he thinks, relied on. Profes.sor Henry said, it is con- 

 templated that a perfect analysis will be made on the application of 

 the Commissioner of Patents, and perhaps at the expense of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



PROFE&SOR henry's ANALYSIS. 



Starch, 28 40 



Nitrogenous matter, 4 .80 



Fatty matter, oil, , 20 



Cellular tissue, 20.00 



Dextrine, 2.00 



Various salts, 7 . 20 



Total, 98.20 



Mr. Skinner read an extract of a letter from Mr. Sumner of South 

 Carolina, stating that a brother who has been a year and a half a pu- 

 pil of Liebeg, is now engaged in analyzing corn, cotton plant, and 

 Indian pea, from the ashes, stalks and grain of these products, sent 

 to him from this country. Mr. Colt of Paterson offered one himdrexJ 

 dollars to the Institute ioi the analysis of corn. 



Mr. Wakeman. — Mr. Colt offered $100 for that purpose, I saw 

 Prof. Chilton about it, no definite arrangement was made, and now 

 Mr. Colt has employed Prof. Jackson of Boston to do it. 



