164 Transactions of the American Institute. 



oimces of sugar to one pound of fruit, or enough to sweeten it for 

 the table, and let it stand a day or two before canning, when the 

 sugar so hardens the finiit that it is not likely to cook to pieces, 

 and juice enough is found to require no addition of water. Then 

 put the fruit on the fire to scald in a porcelain kettle, and when it 

 is thoroughly scalded, I wring a cloth out of cold water and spread 

 it on the table four double; rinse out the jars in warm water, and 

 set them on the cloth and fill them with the hot fruit, seal them 

 tight with rubber, wax or anything else, and let them stand on the 

 cloth until the cans are cool, then put them away in a dark, cool 

 place, and the fruit will keep good until you wish to eat it. Perhaps 

 you will say any fool will know the jars would break, filled in this 

 way. I have tried five difierent kinds of jars, and have never 

 broken one, and have put up peaches, apples, berries, plums, &c., 

 and the fruit has kept as good as when I stood over the hot stove 

 to fill them, and. lifted around the great boiler of water. If the 

 fruit is scalded in a kettle, and then put in the jars, we are able to 

 can more fruit in the same jars than if it was put fresh in the jars 

 and scalded in them; and this is an item when there is a dozen in 

 the family to feed. 



PLASTIC SLATE. 



The Chairman read a letter from Mi\ Eyre, of Trenton, stating 

 that he and others visited Mr. Hai-rison, of Philadelphia, who was 

 alleged to have put on a plastic slate roof and had it pulled off" — 

 when Mr. Harrison said he never had such roof. The original 

 statement, therefore, seems unfounded, and needs explanation. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — I will state that in conversation with IVIr. 

 Sinclair as to the cause why his roof leaked, he said he is convinced 

 that it was put on too thin, for it ran ofi", and that from that trial 

 he has no knowledge but what plastic slate will make as good a 

 roof as is claimed for it. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTUEE. 



A long discussion ensued in relation to appointing a committee 

 to investigate scientific principles touching agricultural subjects. 

 Mr. Moulton then presented the following resolution, which was 

 accepted and adopted by a vote of the Club: 



''Resolved^ That the subject of the investigation of the relations 

 of the atmosphere and the soils and their vegetable gi*owths, look- 

 ing to the discovery of the best natural and artificial manures and 

 nourishment for the difierent vegetable growths, as strawberries, 



