No. 149.] 397 



madder. And in truth, we are bound in duty to ourselves to 

 produce every thing essential to thorough independence. Eng- 

 land has long forbidden under civil penalties, the exportation of 

 certain of her raw productions, and has given all encouragement 

 to other nations to bring to her tlieir raw materials, that she may 

 have the very great profit of their manufacture. In reference to 

 the study of madder which is yet not fully understood, we must 

 invoke the powers of chemistry in the investigation. Let it be 

 proved to be a profitable crop, and our countrymen will readily 

 give ample supplies for our commerce as well as our home manu- 

 factures. Let public feeling be raised, and they will find more 

 than we can gather on the subject. 



Gen. Chandler observed that the well known Turkey red is 

 said to be produced in madder by the alkali in the soils, 

 yielding the color just in proportion to its presence in them. 



Judge Van Wyck. — Calcareous matter is now well known to 

 be necessary in soil, in order to give vigorous growth as well as 

 color to madder. 



Benjamin Pike, Sen. — I have raised madder on my Jersey farm? 

 in order that I might have that among other useful plants. 

 Where can we obtain the seeds 1 



President Tallmadge. — The Institute will find the seeds. The 

 agent is now requested to provide them for distribution. Our 

 next subject is Human Food. 



Mr. Meigs. — We are pleased to see among us Captain Robinson, 

 of Newburgh, who brought the Carp from England several years 

 ago — thus conferring a great benefit upon his country by adding 

 a fish before that unknown in our waters. 



Capt. Robinson. — I brought the Carp from France about seven 

 years ago, put them into our Hudson river, and obtained protec- 

 tion for them from our Legislature, which passed a law imposing 

 a fine of fifty dollars for destroying one of them. I put in Gold 

 Fish at the same time. Now some of these Carps will weigh 

 two pounds, and some of the Gold Fish, which are a species of 

 the Carp, are quite large, some of them being pure silvery white. 

 Both kinds are multiplying rapidly. 



