26 



hills, and the work and name of Joseph Jenks filled no mean place in 

 New England history. Mr. Goodell exhibited some pieces of iron 

 which he found at the bank of cinders near the mill-pond, presumed 

 to be fragments of castings from the old furnace. 



Mr. W. F. Newhall followed Mr. Goodell and gave some additional 

 facts about the " old house." 



Mr. Alpheus Hyatt, in response to a call from the President, re- 

 ported that he had made an unsuccessful search for polyzoa. The 

 species for which he was in quest being nomadic and capricious in 

 their habits of life, he had, as often before, returned without them. 

 A specimen of horse-tail rush upon the table led him to offer some in- 

 teresting remarks upon the ancient vegetation of which this was 

 a representative. 



Mr. C. M. Tracy had examined the specimens of Iron presented by 

 Mr. Goodell, and having had some practical knowledge of founding 

 iron, was able to identify them as the sprue formed upon all castings, 

 by the hole in the mould through which the moulten iron is poured. 

 This is broken off when the mould is opened and thrown away. 



Mr. E.N. Walton of Salem, spoke of the pleasure it gave him to come 

 once more to this favorite spot, and especially of his interest in the 

 beautiful river running through and bearing the name of the town. 

 He had often visited the source of the river, where at South Reading 

 it starts from the lake in that town, a modest brook, and then flows on 

 through Lyunfleld forming for some distance the boundary line be- 

 tween that town and South Eeading, acquiring strength from springs 

 and numerous little streams, occasionally furnishing motive power 

 for manufacturing establishments, and here, at the point of joining 

 the tide water of the ocean, it gives life to the woolen mill where so 

 many of the party had to-day witnessed the transformation of wool 

 into flannel while the proprietor had kindly explained the successive 

 processes of the manufacture. 



Mr. W. alluded to the large number of children present at the meet- 

 ing, and took occasion to speak of the value of object teaching, and 

 was glad to learn that the excellent school teachers of the town had 

 adopted this most efficient method of imparting instruction. Botani- 

 cal text books were rendered immeasurably more valuable by practi- 

 cal illustrations and personal examination of the objects treated of. 

 A better idea of geology could be planted and retained in the mind, 

 by a single Field Meeting experience, than by weeks' of weary study 

 of dry technicalities. And the principle holds good indefinitely as we 

 take up one science after another. In addition to the intellectual 

 advantages to be derived from the Field Meeting, the physical benefit 

 arising from an occasional day of health-giving ramble in wood and 

 dell, creating new life and vigor, could not be over estimated. 



Mr. Putnam spoke of the interest now felt in the collection of relics 



