772 [Assembly 



Mr. Wakeman presented on behalf of Mr. Day, some specimens 

 of Gutta Percha. 



Aaron H. Palmer, Esq., presented on behalf of His Excellency, 

 Senior Ygnacio Gomez, Minister Extraordinary aad Plenipotentiary 

 from Central America to the Holy See, La Revista Periodico. 

 Weekly Review of the Economical Society of Friends, of the State 

 of Gautemala. 



]\Ir. Palmer also presented a copy of the China Mail, an English 

 newspaper, published at Hong Kong, in China, and containing an 

 account of the valuable China grass, called Ma, its, culture, uses, &c.; 

 from which it appears that this plant, which seems to be a sort of 

 hemp, is an annual crop of immense amount, and its fibre is made 

 into cables for ships, and into the finest fabrics also. 



Mr. Wakeman. Cob Travers, of Paterson, has given to the Insti- 

 tute a premium of twenty-five dollars, to be olfered for flax. I de- 

 sire a committee to confer with Col. Travers, on the best mode of 

 applying it. 



Dr. Underbill moved that Mr. Wakeman be the committee Adopted. 



Mr. Wakeman reminded the Club that the Institute had received 

 from Mr. Vattemare 140 volumes ot valuable books, on the princi- 

 ple of national exchanges. Let the members of this Club interest 

 themselves in contributing such books, or seeds, or plants, as may be 

 acceptable for the Institute to exchange. No individual contribution 

 can be received, therefore we must make our returns in the name 

 of the Institute which is a public body. All our contributions will 

 be well received, and all books will find their place in the American 

 Department, in Paris. 



John Campbell, Vice President of the Institute. Those seeds and 

 plants which would be considered here of little value, might be 

 deemed very valuable there. I wish to know whether, after all the 

 long investigations as to the potato disease, there has been any defi- 

 nite knowledge gained? 



Chairman. Sir, there has been much and laborious investigation, 

 and the answer is minus. 



Judge Van Wyck. That malady seems to have presented the same 

 phenomena in all parts of the world where it has appeared, and 



