236 [Assembly 



be shaken in the Supreme Ruler! Such uncertainty in regard to bu- 

 siness our changing government is continually producing, and this 

 instability is the greatest evil of our democratic system. The injus- 

 tice of those frequent changes, crushing as they do, many young 

 branches of enterprising industry, is too apparent to need elucida- 

 tion. 



After some farther observations upon the opinions of southern men, 

 &c., and excusing his unstudied and discursive remarks, Gen. Mercer 

 sat down, amid hearty applause. 



The question on the adoption of the report was then put and car- 

 ried. 



Mr. Meigs remarked that in looking over the proceedings of the 

 Royal Society at Paris, he observed that there had been quite a war 

 of words on this subject of acclimating plants; some contending that 

 it was altogether impracticable, mentioning the potato, which they 

 had possessed nearly three hundred years, as a witness; others con- 

 sidering acclimation perfectly natural and easy. The potato being 

 an annual plant, can be no proper proof for or against acclimation. 

 Mr. Meigs thought acclimation easy, and hoped to see it tried. Many 

 plants, we know, will change their appearance and character by a 

 change of climate. 



'O" 



Col. Clark observed that plants often undergo a material change 

 by transplanting, and mentioned the castor bean, a native of the 

 West-Indies, which, on being transplanted to this climate greatly 

 changes its period of maturity. While up, he would remark, that 

 the injury to vegetation by gases arising from brick kilns, was, he 

 thought, produced by excess of sulphate of alumina in the clay, ra- 

 ther than gases from the coal used. Some clay contains this sul- 

 phate in so large quantities that alum has been obtained from it. 

 The gases produced from burning this aluminous clay deprive the at- 

 mosphere of moisture, and of course, annihilates one of the greatest 

 supporters of vegetation. The affinity of sulphurous acid gas, for 

 moisture, is very great, and its effects upon vegetation proportionably 

 injurious. 



Gen. Dearborn, in regard to acclimation, said that he had picked 

 ripe balls of cotton from plants in his garden in Massachusetts, 

 though this valuable plant is acclimated only as far north as the sou- 

 thern part of Virginia. Sugar cane is a tropic plant, and in the tor- 

 rid zone it ripens full to the very top, the saccharine matter. It has 



