380 [Assembly 



sorao distance in the interior, in ages back, and incorporated with 

 sea animals and other marine substances; some of both kinds 

 are said to bo rich in phosphate. Maj not some of the rocks in 

 New-Jerspy, in which this mineral has been found, have a simi- 

 lar origin to the English, that of coprolitesy or may not some of 

 the green sands found on the sea ooast there, and extending far 

 south, be rich also in this valuable mineral ? I do not think, as 

 I have stated before in this club, that land require more than a 

 certain quantity of this good article, and to apply it beyond this 

 would be useless expense — say from 100 to 250 lb. per acre, 

 according to the quality, as Professor Mapes has said, land gene- 

 rally will probably receive and profit by more of this than any 

 other mineral, such as lime, gypsum, &c., The purest state in 

 which it is to be found is, we believe, bone. This contains con- 

 siderable animal matter, and, if broken, ground, or dissolved in 

 sulphuric acid, all is preserved. 



Mr. Meigs had observed, with great pleasure, that in the State 

 of Wisconsin, a flax pulling machine had been invented, which 

 can pull twenty acres of flax in one day. This is an immense 

 relief to the flax grower, for this operation was always hard 

 work — hardly ever done at a less cost than four dollars an acre. 

 This invention will be of far greater value to the flax crop than 

 Mr. McCormick's reaper is to that of wheat. Information can 

 be had of 3. B. Goss, of Janesville, Wisconsin. 



New- York, 10th Nov., 1851. 

 7o the Chairman of the Farmer^ s Club: 



In a letter dated the 3d February last, addressed to my rela- 

 tive, Mr. Hooper, Theydon Hall, Essex, England, and published 

 in the Transactions of the American Institute, page 398, under 

 date of the 15th February, 1851, 1 stated a new process of grow- 

 ing wheat, without ploughing or spading the land. I requested 

 him to make a personal examination of all the interesting points 

 of the subject, and to inform me by letter, for publication. His 

 reply is received, and contains such a satisfactory and corrobora- 

 tive evidence of the truth of the former statement, that the 

 reader, if inquiring, like myself, for practical facts and realities, 

 will be well repaid by investigating them in juxta position, and 

 whilst reading the firi>t, refer for confii'matioa to the 6econd. 



