582 TiiANSACTioys of the American Institute. 



peculiarities of the blue-grass counties are that a body of soft lime 

 rock lies under all that region and constantly feeds the soil from the 

 bottom. This lime contains some phosphate, as well as carbonate, 

 and this accounts for the vigor of the growth of blue-grass all around 

 Lexington. 



Mr. F. D. Curtis. — I recommend orchard grass in place of Ken- 

 tucky blue for the locality in question. 



Honey Bees. 



Mr. O. F. Lyon, Pleasant Valley, Pa., has just bought a swarm of 

 bees and put them in one of his upper chambers, the hive facing the 

 window on the south side, and the window is raised enough to per 

 mit free egress and ingress. He would know if the honey-makers 

 will do as well here as if they were out in the open air. 



The Secretary. — I should say, judging from some facts which have 

 come to my attention, that they would do better in quarters less con- 

 fined. 



Adjourned. 



December 7, 1869. 



Nathan C. Ely, Esq., iu the chair; Mr. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 

 Cheap Roofs. 



Introduced by a letter complaining that a roof laid with plastic 

 slate gave a bad taste to the water. 



Mr. J. M. Allen, — The roof in question was covered with some 

 bogus composition, as the genuine article does not color water, 

 because it does not disintegrate either when the water is soft or hard. 

 I have seen water stand upon the mastic in a pail for days in hot 

 sunshine, and remain as limpid as when it fell from the clouds. My 

 house roof was covered with it, and my wife never saw any difference 

 in the rain water, all of which we use. My balcony floor is a little 

 concave, and is covered with plastic slate; it holds water like a dish 

 till it evaporates, every time it rains, and has for three years. No 

 color appears in the water, nor does a single drop ever get through it. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman. — The difficulty M'ith plastic slate is the shrink- 

 age of the boards under the felt. They part the felt, unless it is 

 thick and tough. The best of felt must be used and the roof-boards 

 should be well seasoned. A friend of mine in New Jerse}' has a 

 new way of laying a flat roof that is excellent. He uses felt wirh 



