232 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



had to take up a stone drain lately that operated well at first, but after 

 being down seven years, became clogged. I do not think that the drain 

 the gentleman describes will fail as soon as the wood decays. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — Still, for persons situated as Mr. Griffin is, I would 

 recommend that mode of draining, even if it had to be renewed every seven 

 years, for the beneBts would more than counterbalance the cost. 



Adjourned, John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



January 31, 1865. 

 Mr. Nathan C Ely in the chair. 



Vegetable Flour. 



Mr. H. (jF. Bulkcley, Cleveland, Ohio, sends for the inspection of the Club, 

 three specimens of vegetable flour, dried by superheated steam, with pre.=?- 

 snre only sufficient to balance the weight of the atmosphere. The steam 

 comes into direct contact with the vegetables, aad they are taken from the 

 steam dry enough to grind into flour in a common grist mill. The steam 

 dispels the air, and takes its place to convey heat. Steam will carry heat, 

 lay convection, ninety to three hundred times as rapidly as the air, in dry- 

 ing. The sample of pumpkin flour inclosed is taken from ninety pounds — 

 the product of two double loads of pumpkins dried by steam, and ground in 

 a grist mill, directly from the steam. One pound of this flour will make 

 ten to thirteen pies. This allows of having pumpkin pies in the spring of 

 the year, when milk and eggs are plenty, and when other pie material i» 

 scarce. The dried carrot is much esteemed by some for improving the color 

 and richness of coffee. The potato flour may be shipped around the globe. 

 All kinds of fruit can be dried quicker, better and cheaper by this than by 

 any otlier mode. It greatly improves the quality of tobacco and prevents 

 waste by shorts. Four years old tobacco can be made by this process in 

 as many days. Superheated steam, without pressure, is a disputed princi- 

 ple. I have been perfecting this principle for seasoning and drying all 

 kinds of substances for eighteen 3'ears, at a very great expense, and will 

 explain to any one who desires to know more about it. Fruit and vegeta- 

 bles may be placed on frames, and the frames piled on cars, and dried while 

 the cars are passing throngh the dryer. Some persons use as many as 

 thirty-five cars in one kiln. As soon as a car load of the dry material is 

 taken from one end of the dryer another car of the undried is nin in at the 

 other end, pushing the cars ahead on that track. In this way the dryer is 

 perpetual, and no cause for going into the dryer to add or remove the dry- 

 ing substance." 



The samples of pumpkin, carrot and potato flour were as fine and dry as 

 wheat flour, and looked as though they might be as easily preserved. 



Roofing — What is the Cheapest. 



Mr. John C. Reed, Seneca Castle, Ontario county, N. Y., wants " to know 

 if there is any cheaper n)ethod of renewing the voof of an old building than 

 by shingling. We may dispense with fences but we cannot with barns and 

 sheds with tight roofs. I have thought of making a cement of water, lime 



