POLTTECSNIC ASSOCIATION PROCEEDINGS. 583 



The Chairman said the elementary substance, tellurium, was 

 classed by French chemists among the metalloids. Arsenic, also, 

 is regarded by them as a metalloid. On the other hand, English 

 chemists placed both these elements among the list of metals. It 

 is evident that the specimen of tellurium before us has many of the 

 characteristics belonging to metals. 



Dr. L. Bradley said he would like to test its electrical qualities, 

 which perhaps might assist us in deciding whether it was metallic 

 or non-metallic. 



The specimen was handed to Dr. Bradley, and he is expected to 

 report upon its power of conducting electricity. 



STEAM PLOW. 



Mr. J. K. Fisher exhibited his plan of a steam plow, the novelty 

 of which was a combination of about twenty circular saws, intended 

 to cut into and finely divide the soil; these are to be moved, as 

 well as the whole plow, by steam, in a cylinder having twenty-two 

 inches stroke and sixteen inches in diameter. 



Mr. J. E, Sypher said he had seen all the steam plows brought 

 out in the country, and the chief deficiency in all was too small a 

 supply of steam power. 



Mr. Dudley Blanchard said the difficulty with the locomotive 

 steam plow is the great power required to cany the machine over 

 the soft uneven soil of the field. 



Mr. J. Wyatt Reid explained the English system of drawing 

 plows by means of wire ropes extending across the field, and put 

 in motion by stationary engines. 



Dr. L. Bradley criticised Mr. Fisher's plan, and thought that 

 even the power he proposed (over one hundred horse-power) did 

 not seem to be as eflfective as two horses would be before an ordi- 

 nary plow. 



Mr. L. B. Page spoke of the great number of horses required to 

 break up the soil of the Western prairies. 



Mr. S. H. Maynard said that, of all the machines thus far brought 

 out for moving the soil, he believed the Evans' Rotary Digger was 

 by far the most efficient. 



Dr. D. D. Parmelee then took the floor, and read the following 

 paper on. 



