338 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



milk as a whole (most regularly in the case of sugar). The 

 variations from this are different for the different ingredients. 

 In the percentage numbers, sugar does not seem to be af- 

 fected by the diet. The variations in the amount of albumen 

 are so small as not to be capable of determination. No influ- 

 ence on the amount of casein could be traced to the food. 

 The influence of food on the amount of fat. is seen to be very 

 small. When it appeared to be altered it was after increase 

 of the albuminoids of the food. Increase of the fatty ele- 

 ments of the food did not specially affect the amount of but- 

 ter; the variations in the percentage amount of casein and 

 fat are to be attributed to irregularities in the fat production 

 in the gland. The farmer must therefore not hope, by varia- 

 tions in the food, to produce a " butter-cow" or a " cheese- 

 cow." The differences in this respect are differences of stock 

 and individuals. 21 A, June, 1871,424. 



USE OF WATER-GLASS IN WASHING WOOL. 



Among the many practical applications of water-glass, or 

 the silicate of potash and soda, its use in the washing of wool is 

 said to be not the least important. For this purpose one part 

 of the water-glass is to be dissolved in forty of warm water, 

 and the wool placed in it for a minute, and stirred around a 

 little with the hand. It is then to be taken out and rinsed in 

 cold or lukewarm water, when it will be white and entirely 

 free from smell. After this treatment the wool is said to re- 

 main perfectly soft, and is not affected in the slightest degree, 

 even if allowed to remain for several days in the solution, 

 and then rinsed out with warm water. Wool may be washed 

 very rapidly in this way, and in large quantity, by inclosing 

 it in baskets or nets, immersing it in the solution, and treat- 

 ing it as above mentioned. Even the sheep can be rendered 

 of snowy whiteness very quickly if immersed for a minute in 

 a vessel containing the above solution at a temperature of 

 100 to 120, and then rinsed in pure water. In this case it 

 may be necessary to take some precaution to prevent the in- 

 troduction of the solution into the eye of the sheep, which 

 may be done by fastening the legs securely to prevent strug- 

 gling, and, perhaps, enveloping the head for the time in a 

 cloth. 



A similar use of the \vater-<dass is recomnicmU'd for the 



