PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 841 



distribution, two of each kind, of valuable sorts, and this he 

 intends to continue at future meetings. 



Mr. Buckhalter, of Pennsylvania, also sent in some grafts of a 

 fine new apple, samples of which were before the Club some 

 weeks since. 



HUBBARD SQUASH SEEDS. 



Mr. E. Henry presented seeds of the Hubbard squash for dis- 

 tribution, which he hoped would be taken and groAvn by persons 

 who do not know the great value of this variety. It is an excel- 

 lent substitute for the sweet potato. 



CHARCOAL AS A DEODORIZER. 



The Chairman, in an able paper on the subject of fuel, read before 

 "the polytechnic club" on Thursday last, said a quality was 

 attributed to charcoal, which recent experiments, do not confirm, 

 namely retarding decay in animal and vegetable matters ; from 

 the short discussion which took place upon the subject I am in- 

 duced to believe, that its introduction into -the farmers' club, 

 may lead to experiment from which the agriculturist may 

 derive much profit. A piece of boiled beef, placed for a short 

 time in charcoal, (finely pulverized,) will be found perfectly 

 deodorized, and as far as "taste and smell is concerned, sweet and 

 sound ; this experiment has been so often made that it is not 

 extraordinary, that it should be almost universally admitted, 

 that charcoal could not only arrest putrefaction, but restore the 

 animal fiber to all its peculiar and healthful properties as food ; 

 thus, opinions may be established, on plausible appearances as 

 well as scientific experiments, that are entirely erroneous. Char- 

 coal, far from being an antiseptic, facilitates the decomposition of 

 any organic substances ; but renders them inodorous by storing 

 away in its cells the gases which arise from putrefaction. 



Professor Way takes this view of the subject, in a communica- 

 tion before the Royal Agricultural Society of England, to the 

 following efiect: "The noxious gases resulting from putrefaction 

 of animal matter generally, consisting principally of sulpheretted 

 hydrogen and sulphuret of ammonia, each particular animal sub- 

 stance, excretion or otherwise, had its peculiar odor, although 

 abundantly perceptible by the senses, and in many cases, as in 

 musk — almost inexhaustible, was inappreciable by weight." 



The difierence in the action of animal charcoal will not be 

 considered, but the qualities and efl'ects of finely pulverized wood 



