value such plants were likely to become to Europe and America, and applied himself to their study, their culture and manufacture into sugar, &c. While in this country Mr. Wray was constantly at our rooms, and made some interesting remarks in relation to its growth. Mr. Wray discovered among the Kaffirs sixteen distinct kinds of imphee of various degrees of saccharine richness, and differing very widely in the time required for their maturity.

There is no lack of plants from which sugar may be made. Indian corn, the rock maple and some other trees, the beet root and sundry other esculents, and lately we have seen sugar made from the juice of the box elder. Mr. Wray compares the value of the imphee with the beet, as follows: IMPHEE.-Time of growth from three to four months; sugar, per acre, 3,000 lbs; molasses equal to cane molasses.

BEET ROOT.-Time of growth from seven to eight months; sugar, per acre, 1,000 lbs; molasses very inferior.

"This, too, is on the broad supposition that the value of the molasses, fodder, &c., of the one, equals that of the other. I venture to say that the comparative value is so entirely in favor of the former, that the beet root culture will gradually be relinquished until it becomes at length totally neglected."

The total amount of maple sugar made in 1850 was 34,253,436 pounds; in 1860, the product was 38,863,884 pounds. This increase is not large, but sufficient to afford gratifying evidence that our beautiful maple groves and forests are not becoming extinct, while many are preserved with commendable care. We wish it could, with truth, be added, that the cultivation of this noble tree was extending in an equal ratio; equal, because the old trees in the forest are diminishing, under bad treatment and the demands for new lands for tillage. The landholder who appropriates a few rods of land for the preservation or cultivation of the sugar maple tree, not only increases the value of the estate, but confers a benefit upon future generations.

Of the 38,863,884 pounds of maple sugar produced in 1860,

Mr. Rowell. I have seen it stated that Indian corn was a very good article for making sugar, and that more sugar could be made from it than from any other kind of grain.

Mr. John P. Veeder. It was Prof. Mapes who advocated the use of Indian corn for making sugar. He said it would make a better article of

sugar than any other of the substances generally used. An objection to the Indian corn is, that it does not grow high enough; but this objection can be removed if it is not allowed to bear grain. I have had the Tuscarora corn grow twelve feet high. The leaves would also be good for fodder, and it could be planted closer together than at present. It is now planted three and four feet apart. Maple sugar is very pleasant to the taste, but it is not so well adapted for domestic use as the cane. Honey answers better for this purpose. The growth of the maple tree is prevented when we draw the sap from it, so that we could not depend on it for a regular supply.

The Chairman.-A peculiarity of honey is, that it contains both grape and cane sugars. In France, they made sugar from the beet root to a great extent, but they found that they lost very much by it. One of the French princes, during a tour through France, was presented by the people with a beet draped in mourning. Having the experience of France before us, the question to be considered is, whether it would be profitable to engage in its manufacture in this country.

Dr. R. P. Stevens.-The capacity of the beet to make sugar has been largely increased by improving the sced, so that the yield is some threefold. Some varieties are better than the cane. It also gives an increased value to the land, by improving the soil; and, although it has been a source of expense to France, yet, by the increased fertility it gives to the land, it will eventually prove a great source of economy. In regard to the raising of maple sugar, I would say that there are now large tracts of country in New England, Pennsylvania and New York, where the trees have been cut off, for lumbering purposes, that are now lying waste. These tracts are well adapted for growing the maple tree, which, with little labor, could be made available for this purpose; and when the trees became exhausted, the dead timber could be cut down and made into charcoal, which would be valuable in this condition. Charcoal, made from hardwood, is, at present, a great desideratum, as the supply for the manufacture of charcoal-iron is extremely limited. This is a great want, which dead maple timber could supply; and, unless something is done in this respect, we will have to look for our best pig-iron to other sources. The Lake Superior blast fur naces have had to stop the manufacture of iron for the want of charcoal If maple trees were now planted in this barren waste, in twenty-five or thirty years they could be tapped for maple sugar; and, when exhausted, they would still be valuable in making charcoal for the manufacture of that great staple in which our country so much abounds.

Mr. John P. Veeder. To make the maple tree available for maple sugar, will require at least twenty years' growth. Twenty-two years ago I planted maple trees, and they are now but four inches diameter; they should be six inches diameter before tapping, for, when they are tapped, they stop grow ing. From this we will see that the maple is rather a slow growing tree. The silver abele will grow ten times as fast as the maple. The elm is also a quick growing tree. These I consider superior to the maple, especially by their rapid growth. If we want hard wood for charcoal purposes, the growing of the maple I consider unprofitable, from the long time it takes to arrive at maturity; and when it does mature, we commence to kill it by

tapping. For charcoal, as I have said, we have other trees that grow much faster. On the whole, I would not advise its extensive cultivation. If I had a large forest of trees and intended to destroy them, I should not hesitate to tap them. I certainly should take away their strength. I should also consider it unwise to go in to this sugar business singly. It should be done on a large scale. Companies of the farmers should be formed, and they should concentrate their efforts in order to make it profitable. This Institute might be the source of valuable information to them. And now, since the Transactions of the Institute are to be placed in every school district in the State, it is very important that we should furnish them with the results of experiments, and thus save them from embarking in useless and unprofitable undertakings.

The Chairman.-It is well known that the chemist can make sugar from saw dust by means of sulphuric acid; and there are various other substances from which it can be made. Doubtless, a practical application of scientific knowledge in the selection and use of new substitutes for the cane will lead to very important results. It is desirable every farmer should understand whether it is best to boil the syrup and make the sugar on the farm or send the liquid product to the manufacturer.

Mr. Dibbin. I consider the best way for the farmer is to sell his syrup to the manufacturer, and avoid purchasing those machines that are so numerous in the country for making sugar. It can be done better and cheaper by the regular sugar maker, as is manifest when we consider the facility and reduced cost at which articles can be manufactured on a large scale. Dr. Rowell. The wood that grows very rapidly makes a very poor charcoal. The maple, being a hard wood, is valuable for this purpose.

Mr. Veeder. Some of the softer woods, such as the Lombardy poplar and the ash, make a very good charcoal.

Mr. Rosevelt.-In France they use charcoal not much thicker than the finger, made of hard branches, and it is considered very good.

At the suggestion of the chairman, the subject of Horology was selected for discussion for the next meeting.

Adjourned.

AMERICAN INSTITUTE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION,

May 21st, 1863.

Chairman, S. D. Tillman, Esq; Secretary, Mr. John W. Chambers.

ROOT'S NEW STEAM ENGINE.

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Mr. John B. Root presented a model of his new duplicate steam engine, a working model of which is in operation at the works of Mr. J. L. Jackson, 28th street, N. Y. Mr. Root made drawings on the blackboard, showing its peculiar structure. It has two rectangular pistons working at right an gles. The inventor showed the mode of reversing. The steam can be cut off at half stroke, and the exhaust kept open until the end of the stroke, After being a little used, and the surfaces get to a bearing, the wear is very little, and it does not seem to be affected by expansion, as all the parts are heated alike, and not like other rotary engines, where the steam acts only

on one part at a time, which causes unequal expansion, and consequently great friction and unequal wear.

Mr. Rowell. I have seen this engine at work, and it ran very smoothly, and appeared to work remarkably well. It appears to be a perfect machine. The engine was slowed so that I could listen to the exhausts, and it appeared to work perfectly.

Mr. Joseph Dixon.-I would like to remark, in confirmation of what has been said, that I saw this machine in operation for half an hour, and it worked very beautifully and smooth. The speed was increased very high, and then slowed so that I could hardly see it move. The exhaust was clear, and I could not perceive any noise, and I concluded that it worked very perfectly. What a further investigation would elicit I do not know; but at present I think this engine will take a high place among those of its class.

The Chairman.-This is the only novel steam engine, of any importance, which has appeared for the last few years. It has the advantage of two cylinders and pistons, working at right angles on the crank, as on the common locomotive, yet the whole is one case. It is remarkably compact, and requires no balance wheel. The pistons are necessarily rectangular, and the power is applied very close to the shaft. The wear of the engine must be determined by use. With regard to its adaptability to many places where comparatively small power is required, there can be no question.

Dr. Rowell.-In regard to the wear of rectangular pistons, it may be remarked that slide valves, some of which are four or five feet area, wear very even, and keep tight for a long time.

Mr. Root. In figure 1 we have a perspective view from the valve chest side. In this figure, A is the case, or what may be called the cylinder, and B is the valve chest; C is the main shaft, and D is the valve stem, which has a rotary motion; the other external parts are not peculiar, with the exception of the governor, which is. In figure 2 we have given a side elevation of the steam cylinder, A, with the valve face removed.

This valve and face is shown in figure 3, while the piston and its crank shaft are depicted in figures 4 and 5; thus the main parts, constituting nearly the whole engine, are presented in this number.

In figure 2, E is one piston and F is the other; they are both right-angled and parallelograms in shape; the inner one, F, is hung directly on the crank pin, and slides up and down in the other one; it will thus be seen that one piston has a vertical motion, while the other works horizontally. Steam is admitted to both these pistons at once through the openings in the valve face, and clearance is given in the cylinder, as shown at G; the openings, H, are for the four exhausts. These exhaust and steam passages are shown clearly in figure 3; in it the valve face is marked I, and the steam ports G; the exhaust, H. These latter, where they issue from the annular passage common to the whole, are shown in dotted lines; from these the steam passes into the cylinder which is cored out all around, so that the exhaust steam may be taken out at either of the two points closed by the screw plugs shown in the engravings. The valve itself is a simple metallic ring, shown isolated, at K, figure 3; the central orifice fits the eccentric, L, and this eccentric is driven by the stud on the end of the crank pin, so