270 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Dr. Smith si^oke of the value and necessity of knowledge of 

 the elements required to grow plants, and instanced the peculiar 

 care found indispensable to grow straw best suited to hat and 

 bonnet making, especially to make the outer silicious coating of 

 the straw right. They pulverized flint, and mixed with suitable 

 soils for this purpose, successfully. Dr. Smith thought, decidedly, 

 that we should avoid all discussion foreign to the actual duties of 

 this Club, however proper metaphysical questions may be in order 

 elsewhere. 



Mr. Meigs — A letter from Florida states, that the Chinese sugar 

 cane is three feet high, is flourishing; and the writer (John B. 

 Meigs) has seventy-one hills of it, which he means to save the 

 seed of, for more extensive planting next year, 



Mr. Pardee proposed as subjects for next meeting, " the black- 

 berry and raspberry." 



Dr. Waterbury proposed, also, " ammonia." 



Professor Hildreth presented a beautiful specimen of parafine, 

 from Breckenridge coal, from the Williamsburgh works. It is 

 hardly to be distinguished from spermaceti. 



The Club adjourned. H. MEIGS, Recording Sec'y. 



July 21, 1857. 



Present — Messrs. Lawton, of New Rochelle, Evhard and Free- 

 man, of Ravenswoodj Long Island, Dr. Edgar F. Peck, of Brook- 

 lyn, do, T. W. Field, do, Mr. Tillman, Dr. Smith, of the Times, 

 Mr. Solon Robinson, Mr. Van Wyck, Mr. Brower, Dr. Wa- 

 terbury, Mr. Stacey, Mr. Jennings, Mr. Barlow, Judge Scoville, 

 Adrian Bergen, of Gowanus, and others — twenty-eight members. 



Adrian Bergen, of Gowanus, in the chair. Henry Meigs, Sec- 

 retary. 



The Secretary read the following translations and extracts made 

 by him from works received by the Institute since the last meet- 

 ing, viz : 



[Revuo Ilorticolc. Paris, May, 1857.] 



PASSION FLOWER FRUIT. 



This species came originally from Brazil, in 1816. Botanists 

 call it Pussijlora edulis, or eatable Passion flower. Its taste is 



