48 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
for exportation, and trimming off the fat 
for tallow-making purposes ? 
In the first number of this journal, we 
gave the specification of a recent patent 
granted in England for the preservation of 
meat without the aid of salt. "VVe should 
very much like to see some experiment 
tried. It does not’appear to us at all im¬ 
possible, and if it could be done, New 
South Wales would add a very large article 
of exportation to her diminishing list of 
productions. 
We oiler one more problem to stimulate 
the ingenuity of our young readers of a 
mechanical turn of mind. It has been 
their task, perhaps, in the course of their 
colonial experience, to have to cleave a log 
of stringy bark or blue gum timber for fire 
wood. It is the daily task of hundreds, 
or we may say thousands, in this city. 
A common axe is the implement used for 
the purpose. It is a most laborious task, 
and severely tests the patience and tries the 
strength of a person unaccustomed to the 
labour. We think it would he easy to de¬ 
vise a simple combination of leverage, act¬ 
ing upon a powerful axe, which should 
eleave, without any great muscular effort, 
any ordinary log of colonial timber sub¬ 
jected to its power. It should not be a 
costly machine, perhaps not exceeding two 
or three pounds. We are sure a macliine 
of this kind would be hailed as a great 
boon by hundreds in this colony, and we 
hope that some of our young mechanics 
will turn their attention to Ik If they 
should succeed, they might obtain a patent 
right for £20, and we could safely gua¬ 
rantee them a large reward of fame, of gra¬ 
titude, and pecuniary profit. 'Who will be 
the first man to take out a patent in New 
South Wales ? 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
AUSTRALIAN, HORTICULTURAL, 
AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Seventeenth Monthly Meeting , Aug. 4th, 185?. 
Held in the Royal Hotel. His Excel¬ 
lency Sir W. Denison, K.C.B., President, 
in the chair. 
Members of Council present:— 
The Hon. E. Deas Thomson, C.B., Vice- 
President ; Messrs F. Mitchell, T. W. 
Shepherd, P. L. C. Shepherd, R. Driver, 
Wm. McDonell, D. Mclnnis, J. E. Blake, 
E. K. Silvester, F. Creswick, M. Guil- 
foylc, Dr. II. Houston, II. R. Webb, 
and about fifty members and their friends. 
The minutes of the last meeting were 
read and confirmed. 
The President laid upon the table two 
descriptions of seed—one which we may 
look upon as the true Sorghum sacchara- 
tum, accompanied by its products, viz., 
flour, bran, pollard, sugar, and treacle, tlw 
original seed of which, the producer obtained 
from this society last season ; and the other 
a very similar seed to the saccharatum, 
but lighter in color, and which has in many 
instances been mistaken for the true seed, 
which he alleges that lie obtained from the 
Hon. E. Deas Thomson, but in which lie 
must be mistaken, as to this gentleman, un¬ 
doubtedly belongs the credit of having in¬ 
troduced into this colony this truly valuable 
cereal. 
The President stated that the above ar¬ 
ticles, together with specimens of Australian 
Cochineal, and Dye, prepared from the 
same, had been forwarded to him by Wil¬ 
liam Malbon, Esq., of Sunny Bank, Dapto, 
and had been prepared in a rough way, 
the exhibitor not having the proper appli¬ 
ances at his command for developing the 
qualities of this really valuable plant. 
The President also laid upon the table a 
box of sowing cotton, manufactured from 
cotton grown in Moreton Bay, which pos¬ 
sessed the appearance of the best samples 
of that made from the produce of older 
cotton producing countries. The reels 
were of the finest numbers manufactured. 
The Hon. E. Deas Thomson said, with 
reference to the first articles laid on the 
table by the President, that a correspond¬ 
ence had taken place in the daily journals 
respecting the introduction of the Sorghum 
saccharatum. By some means the seed of 
the common millet had been disseminate! 
as S. saccharatum. 
Mr. Thomson then laid upon the table 
samples of the two kinds of seeds, stating 
that the true saccharatum had been 
forwarded by him to the Director of 
the Botanic Gardens for distribution. He 
said lie had found it excellent fodder for 
cattle, that its seed was eaten by poultry, 
and that the saccharine matter was capable 
of being converted into sugar by crystalliza¬ 
tion, or spirits by distillation. 
Mr Thomson called the attention of 
members to a grass growing in the Domain, 
which possessed very nutritive qualities, 
was of stroDg growth, and would sustain 
