No. 149.] 371 



provide a substitute liere, if we would succeed in making tea one 

 of the American staples. 



Dr. Antisell. — There is not a doubt that tea will grow here in 

 regions similar to those of China, especially considering that the 

 United States and China are similarly situated, on the eastern 

 sides of continents, and the same northern parallels of latitude. 

 But I doubt whether we shall successfully sustain competition. 

 The unavoidable tedious process of getting it leaf by leaf — care-, 

 fully selecting leaves of the same condition, to form one quality 

 of tea, is entirely too costly for a freeman. Even in Assam 

 where labor is so greatly cheaper than our own, it has been pro- 

 ved to be too expensive. The firing of tea leaves might be dis- 

 pensed with, as it is with that sent over land from China to Rus^ 

 sia, that being prepared by aid of the heat of the sun only. Tea 

 is found growing wild in Assam. 



Mr. Meigs. — In Brazil the hands piclc about fourteen pounds 

 of leaves a day. 



Gen. Chandler requested members who take samples of the 

 Brazilian tea, to make report to the Institute, as to their quali- 

 ties. 



Mr, Pell. — I have grown tea plants on my place, which yield- 

 ed their beautiful and highly fragrant flowers, and then the nuts. 

 I did this in my conservatory. 



Dr. Antisell presented for inspection a specimen of phospho- 

 rite of lime, (phosphate of lime) a great mass of which has been 

 recently found in Dover, New-Jersey. This native article is ful- 

 ly equ,al in value, as a manure, to calcined bones. I have ana- 

 lyzed it, and found it to contain ninety-three per cent of phos- 

 phate of lime. It is soluble in muriatic acid, like bone. Small 

 quantities have been found in other places, but here it is in large 

 masses. 



Judge Van Wyck alluded to the statement made by Professor 

 Johnston, in one of his lectures before the Institute, viz : — that 

 they were making manure of a like substance in England, pro- 

 ducing in value, several millions of dollars per annum. It was 



