Mr. M. Thomson on Australian Wines. 345 



3. " Notice of Plantain Flour," by Murray Thomson, Esq. 

 Plantain meal is prepared by taking oif the skin from the fruit, 



slicing the pulpy core, and then drying and powdering it. The 

 meal has the odour of fresh hay or tea. It has a sweetish taste, 

 and partially dissolves in the mouth. By analysis, 100 parts were 

 found to consist of — 



Water 12-33 



Starch 71-60 



Gum 4-42 



Sugar 2-40 



Cellulose. 5-99 



Plastic constituents — 



Albumen 2-01 



Oil 0-50 



Soluble Salts 0-64 



99-89 



4. " Analyses of Three Australian Wines," by Murray Thomson, 

 Esq. 



The author had analysed three samples of wine sent to Professor 

 G. Wilson from AustraUa. 



No. 1. "Miton:" resembled port wine in colour. The bouquet 

 was good. It was found to contain 11-30 per cent, of alcohol, also 

 sugar and tartrate of potash in small quantity, and traces of phosphate 

 of lime and magnesia, acetic and sulphuric acids, and chlorine. 



No. 2. " Frontignac :" resembled sherry in colour, also with a good 

 bouquet, but rather sweet. It contained 16-00 per cent, alcohol, 

 also sugar, tartrate of potash and soda, traces of lime and magnesia, 

 acetic acid, and chlorine. 



No. 3. " Casiquar :" had a port- wine colour, good bouquet, and 

 rather sweet taste. It contained 18 percent, of alcohol, also sugar, 

 tartrate of potash and soda, traces of lime and magnesia, and phos- 

 phates, acetic and sulphuric acids, and chlorine. 



These wines are pure and good, although not so showy or so full- 

 bodied as the wines supplied from Spain and the other wine countries. 

 Their poverty in bouquet may be accounted for by their comparative 

 youth, being at most only three years old. Their all being acid may 

 be explained by the circumstance that the sample bottles were not 

 tightly closed. On the whole these wines are beyond the average of 

 many wines sent to the British market, both as regards purity and 

 strength. The cultivation of the vine and the manufacture of wine 

 will no doubt be carried on extensively in Australia. 



5. " On the injurious effects of Urocerus gigas on Fir-trees," by 

 the Rev. A. Thomson. 



The author stated that last summer his forester had observed a 

 Scotch fir-tree about thirty-five years old die very suddenly. The 

 tree was cut down and taken to the saw-mill. During the preparation 

 of the wood a large fly was observed in a burrow in the wood. Sub- 

 sequently another fly, a grub, and the remains of a cocoon were seen. 

 The insect was examined, and found to be the Urocerus gigas. It 



