154 



northern bank of the pit. The width of the vein, in a nearly 

 horizontal direction, Avas about six feet, its thickness diminishing 

 "wedge-like to a mere line at the termination, -which Ave readilj 

 reached with a pickaxe. At its outer edge, when it was first 

 exposed, it was probably about six inches in thickness. The 

 cancrinite was less abundant and fainter in its coloring in the 

 vein in place than upon the block. The best specimens were 

 doubtless contained in the fragments of rocks, which had been 

 carted away and which were buried beneath the road before the 

 discovery was made. The elaeolite was predominant in the 

 vein, imparting a general, greasy lustre to the whole. There 

 was also considerable felspar. The other minerals detected by 

 Rev. Mr. Chute, viz : the iron pyrites and the zircon, were so 

 minute as to escape our notice. 



Hon. C. "W. Upham being requested to impart what inform- 

 ation he might possess of the manner employed by the Patent 

 Office at Washington to collect and distribute rare and valuable 

 seeds, both agricultural and horticultural, gave an interesting 

 account of the original plan, operation and results as far as 

 came under his personal observation. It was thought by Rev. 

 John L. Russell that the facility, of importing whatever was new, 

 rare and useful into New England from abroad, on its earliest 

 information, to our enterprising seedsmen and florists in Boston 

 and through the activity of the officers of our Salem merchant 

 vessels which visited every part of the known world, did not 

 make this arrangement so important as he was willing to allow 

 it might be elsewhere. To know accurately what foreign 

 species of plants would be likely to become valuable, some 

 extensive information of a thousand concomitant circumstances 

 would be needed, else much time and labor might be fruit- 

 lessly spent. Many of the esculents as well as the grains 

 used for grazing, which were useful abroad, were next to 

 useless here; and some introduced as new and valuable 

 w^ere already introduced weeds growing at our roadsides 

 and in waste places. On the other hand it was shown that in a 

 few instances very good varieties of garden vegetables had been 



