372 [Assembly 



found there, like the specimens before us, in localities with the 

 ore of zinc. 



Mr. Eowman. — The discovery of native phosphate of lime in 

 such masses, was of importance. He had bought ground bone 

 at $1 per barrel, sent it to his farm in Virginia, where by putting 

 it in poor land which had yielded only five bushels of wheat, 

 the bone and good cultivation had given him forty bushels to 

 the acre. 



Dr. Antisell remarked that the phosphorite was as easily 

 ground as bone. 



Chairman. — The subject of Madder was noticed for discussion 

 to-day. 



President Tallmadge. — I had intended not to speak on the 

 present occasion, but I will begin where others leave off. As to 

 the subject of tea, a few words. I have no doubt whatever of our 

 power to grow tea here, but the whole question (in my judgment) 

 turns upon the point of preparing the leaves — the manipulation 

 of them. I will not consent that my fellow citizens shall be 

 reduced so low as to labor like the poor people of the Eastern 

 world, who are compelled to pick tea leaves and roll them up, 

 as is said for wages of one cent a day. But if we can invent 

 some suitable machinery, which will, like the cotton-gin, super- 

 sede hand labor, then (as I had occasion to remark, at the last 

 meeting of the club,) we may supply mankind, or a large por- 

 tion of them, with tea as we have done with cottori. 



As to madder, the well known and indispensable dye, (taking 

 the place of other much more costly dyes,) we can grow it and 

 with profit, to any amount. In 1836 we paid Europe for our 

 madder about three millions of dollars, which cost has already 

 doubled and must constantly increase upon us in all time to 

 come, with the growth of our population and manufacture. We 

 must therefore, if true to ourselves, make all our own madder, 

 at least, if not for exportation. Madder demands sucli soils as 

 we have in vast amounts — the fertile, alluvial and other lands of 

 our country, of which our vast rivers furnish in their valleys, 

 more that are free from swamps than any other country in the 



