570 
EDITORIAL. 
better  policy  to  make  only  the  best  preparations,  and  then  no  risk  would 
be  run  of  losing  reputation.  Their  style  of  putting  up  extracts  has  been 
greatly  improved,  and  in  this  as  well  as  in  the  more  important  feature — 
their  preparation — we  can  see  the  excellent  effects  of  a  healthy  competition 
with  the  Messrs.  Tilden,  who  take  the  lead  in  the  American  enterprise  of 
vacuum  extracts. 
Among  other  uses  of  the  refuse  vegetable  matter  from  the  press,  is  that 
of  spreading  it  around  the  bases  of  the  trunks  of  their  fruit  trees,  with,  they 
think,  good  effects.  We  visited  the  garden  for  culinary  vegetables  and 
aromatic  plants,  and  also  the  orchards  for  plum,  pear  and  apple  trees,  which 
appear  to  thrive  luxuriantly,  as  we  can  testify  to  the  excellence  of  their 
fruit.  We  also  saw  and  tasted  the  "  Shaker  Seedling,"  a  new  variety  of 
grape  originating  here. 
Mr.  Gates  showed  us  some  sugar  of  milk  of  his  own  preparation  obtained 
from  the  whey  of  their  cheese  presses,  which  they  have  heretofore  thrown, 
away.  As  they  have  forty  cows,  this  new  branch  of  production  may  prove 
profitable,  though  they  have  not  yet  attempted  it  on  a  large  scale.  These 
and  other  things  that  attracted  our  attention  we  should  be  glad  to  dwell 
upon,  did  space  permit,  but  the  length  of  this  notice  cautions  us  to  stop, 
lest  we  trench  too  deeply  on  pages  devoted  to  graver  subjects. 
"Aldehyde"  is  informed  that  anonymous  strictures  are  not  published  in 
this  Journal,  and  where  writers  prefer  to  use  a  nom  deplume  instead  of  their 
own  names,  they  must  at  least  be  known  to  the  Editor,  who,  in  case  of 
publication,  assumes  the  responsibility  of  the  remarks  until  the  name  of 
the  writer  is  divulged.  We  hope  he  will  be  able  to  accomplish  what  he 
asserts  his  ability  to  perform,  and  give  it  to  his  brethren  in  our  next  num- 
ber under  his  proper  name. 
United  States  Naval  Laboratory,  near  New  York. — During  the  sitting 
of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  in  the  city  of  New  York,  we 
availed  ourselves  of  the  opportunity  to  visit  the  Government  Laboratory, 
and  were  courteously  received  by  Dr.  Bache,  the  director  of  the  establish- 
ment. Dr.  Edward  R.  Squibb,  the  assistant  director,  who  has  charge  of  the 
operative  department,  politely  exhibited  to  us  the  several  objects  of  interest, 
apparatus,  etc.  under  his  charge.  The  Naval  laboratory  is  located  in  a 
building  erected  several  years  ago,  on  the  grounds  of  the  U.  S.  Naval  Hospital 
at  Green  Point,  (Long  Island.)  as  a  hospital  for  small  pox,  and  other  in- 
fectious diseases,  but  was  found  too  near  the  main  building,  and  larger  than 
necessary.  Before  giving  our  impressions,  it  may  be  well  to  sketch  the 
history  of  the  enterprise.  For  many  years  previous  to  its  institution,  the 
medical  department  of  the  navy  suffered  in  its  usefulness  by  the  irregular 
quality  of  its  supplies,  and  the  total  want  of  uniformity  and  fitness  of  the 
outfits  for  the  climates  and  diseases  of  the  stations  on  which  they  were  to 
be  employed.    This  arose  partially  from  the  contract  system  of  obtaining 
pplies,  and  partially  owing  to  the  matter  being  left  to  irresponsible  parties 
