I 

 PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 343 



ollierwi?e, and tlu? question whether this paper is made from the green 

 nusk is hurdly wortliy of consideration. Indian corn was sent from this 

 country into the soutli of Europe in the IGtli century. It is now known 

 there as the American corn. There was at first the same prejudice against 

 it that prevailed in Enghmd against oatmeal. It will be remembered that 

 Dr. Johnson, in giving the definition of oatmeal, said "it was food for men 

 in Scotland and hor^trs in England." Such prejudices have, however, long 

 since disappeared. The true home of the American corn is between 20^ 

 south and 35"^ north latitude, but it will grow in some places as far north 

 as 40", the climate being modified by the oceacj and by altitude. In the 

 United States the auiount of Indian corn raised in 1859 was over 830,000,- 

 000 bushfls. Of course, connected with all this, there must be a vast 

 quantity of refuse matter, which could doubtless be utilized if paper was 

 manufactured from the husks. The expense of erecting an establishment 

 as ("Xtensive as the Imperial mills at Vienna would be about $300,00i>. 

 Prof. Joy closed by iilluding to the use made in this country of straw and 

 shavings in the manufacture of paper. 



Mr. Bartlett said — At present it is found profitable to mix a portion of 

 straw and wood with the rag stock. He had seen some beautiful 

 specimens of this kind of paper, 



Dr Parmelee said he had lately visited a paper mill which supplied lead- 

 ing daily newspapers in this city; a large portion of the stock there used 

 was obtained from straw. 



The Chairman remarked that there was no danger of overestimating the 

 importance of improvements in the manufacture of paper. To the Ameri- 

 can the newspaper was a necessity. Theie were many among us who could 

 forego a morning meal, but not a morning paper. 



Dr. Richards gave some interesting reminiscences of the late Dr. vSamuel 

 Mitchell of this city. One of his sayings was that the evidence of a 

 nation's advancement in civiligation was to be found in the number of rags 

 consumed by it. In this country the demand for rags is far greater than 

 the h<»me supply ; we are obliged to import them from Europe in large 

 (juantities. When Dr. Mitchell was in Congress, many years since, he 

 labored diligently for tlie repeal of the duty on foreign rags, and was suc- 

 cessful. Afterward he alluded tothis as the most important act of his life. 



The Association being about to take its usual summer vacation. Prof. 

 Joy moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman for the faithful manner in 

 which he had performed his duties, which was seconded by Mr. Bull, the 

 Secretary of tl*e lostiiute, with complinjentary remarks. The motion was 

 put by Mr. Dixon, and carried unanimously. 



Mr. Nash spoke of tlie importance of the complete reports which had 

 lattcrl}' been made of the meetings of this Association. It was stated that 

 full reports had appeared in Ihe Neio York Tribune. As the Daily, Semi- 

 Weekly, and Weekly have a combined circulation of over 200,000 copies, 

 it was fair t<j conclude that all the scientific intelligence of general interest, 

 in both the Old and New World, for some months past read before this 

 Association, has thus been presented to nearly a million of readers. 



