508 [Assembly 



tains various saline matters, having the properties of pecipita- 

 ting sulphuretted hydrogen and ammoniacal gases, and render- 

 ing them perfectly inodorous. Besides these valuable qualities 

 of the peat it is also one of the best fertilizers extant, containing as 

 it does large quantities of phosphate of magnesia and lime, sul- 

 phate of soda and potash, carbonate of lime, chloride of sodium, 

 and soluble silicates of the alkalies, all o^ which are the neces- 

 sary every day food of all the esculent and farinaceous plants 

 that make up the vegetable food of man. This remarkable peat 

 is lendered still more powerful than in its native state, by a diffi- 

 cult process of charring, now rendered perfectly easy by certain 

 new improvements now in use by the Great Pond Mining and 

 Agricultural Company, incorporated in Maine, who have estab- 

 lished works for the manufacture of this agent and the introduc- 

 tion of it into general use. The Legislature of Maine, on incor- 

 porating this company, held its object in such high esteem as to 

 exempt it from taxation for a period of five years. The com- 

 pany has now a steam mill which is capable of grinding 500 

 boxes a day, which sells for two dollars a box. The supply is 

 extensive and can be made equal to consumption, which as soon 

 as it is known will be immense. This is the only mine of peat 

 in the country known to possess these peculiar properties. 



Mr. Van Wyck. — The primary division of cherries into Bigar- 

 reaus Morellos and Hearty having been fully described with 

 some of the varieties under each head, and commented upon, I 

 shall confine the few observations I shall make on the subject, 

 mostly to some notice of the common red sour ckerry. This is 

 pretty well known in all parts of our country, and I think it is 

 one of the most useful and esteemed of this class of our early 

 fruits. It begins to turn red, when a little more than half grown, 

 about the latter part of June, and continues growing and chang- 

 ing color to a deeper red until ripe. There is no better cherry 

 for cooking. It will answer for this, a few days after it begins 

 to change its color, until it gets perfectly ripe, which is towards 

 the middle of July ; alter it gets dead ripe as it is usually called, 

 it becomes a dark red, the sharpness of its acid is greatly blunt- 

 ed and softened by its perfect ripeness, then it is an excellent 



