32 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The question was before the Mechanics' Club of the American 

 Institute several months ago, and an engineer by the name of 

 Tillman, one of the club, doubted the success of the ocean route, 

 because of the presumed mountainous inequalities of the ocean 

 bottom which naturally must have mountains as well as the dry 

 land, and because of currents, and the impossibility of access to 

 the wires for the purpose of repair. The engineer proposed a 

 route on land perfectly certain, as much so as any line of tele- 

 graph now in operation; that is, overland to Behring's Straits, 

 thence over the old world. Distance is nothing, and here is posi- 

 tive certainty, for the sixty miles of Behring's Straits is nothing. 

 A competent land force can guard the entire circuit. 



Since the last fair, there has appeared from the East a new 

 plant never before known in Europe or America, one which pro- 

 mises and will give sugar in superabundance to all the temperate 

 latitudes, instead of being confined to the burning tropics. And 

 besides the vast utility of it to man, it will be also of immense 

 benefit to our animals. Horses and cattle thrive on a proper 

 share of sugar. Those of our people who use many horses for 

 laborious work, have discovered of late years that some sugar 

 mixed with their food is of great value to their health and conse- 

 quent strength — so that it is given to them even at the recent 

 very high prices. 



These new sugar-canes come from China and from Southern 

 Africa, the latter, known by the name Imphee, is just introduced 

 into the U. S. by Leonard Wray, of London. You all know 

 that by the daring adventures of scientific botanists, (some five 

 hundred of them,) in recent times, the nations of the world have 

 exchanged some precious plants with each other — many thousands 

 of useful and beautiful ones. Humboldt saw our primitive dahlia 

 of single petals in Mexico, and assigned it a rank as a sunflower. 

 The roots of it only were sought for as a new table potato. But 

 it was soon determined to be utterly unfit to eat, and was dropped, 

 flower and all. Not long afterwards, some double flowers being 

 noticed, the dahlia was courted by gardeners, and by proper 

 nursing has long enjoyed high distinction by its wonderful form 

 and colors. 



