BY J. H. MAIDEN. 461 



planting is very small compared to the returns when once they 

 begin to come in. It has been calculated that a plantation of 2000 

 acres would give a profit of <£15,5G0 a-year. Since this calculation 

 was made the price of sago has declined, but there is no chance of 

 its not yielding a good profit to the grower. It is also to be 

 remembered that the sale value of a newly planted sago plantation 

 would rise heavily yearly." 



The soil and climate of Borneo are very similar to that of New 

 Guinea. Does not everything point to New Guinea as suitable for 

 sago planting ? The systematic culture of sago and tobacco in this 

 new colony is worth trying, I would suggest ; and at present 

 this seems to be the most feasible method of utilizing; its resources. 



*o 



Hygroscopic Moisture. 



The mean of my experiments gives 13-29 as the percentage of 

 moisture which can be driven off at a temperature of 100^ C. 



Starch. 

 It contains 91 "03 per cent of starch. 



The method adopted has been that of Siegert, and consists in 

 the conversion of the sago-starch into Dextrose (Dextro-glucose) 

 by ti-eatment with dilute sulphuric acid, and the estimation of this 

 sugar by means of Fehling's Solution in the usual manner. 



Another method adopted was that of Bungener and Fries, which 

 consists in boiling the sago with 1 ° solution of salicylic acid ; in this 

 way all the starch is dissolved out. This gave 95-16 of starch, 

 there being left 4-84: per cent, of a brownish flocculent 

 insoluble substance which was not further examined. This 

 method cannot be considered so satisfactory as the dextrose 

 jn-ocess, and to ensure absolute accuracy the salicylic solu- 

 tion should be treated with dilute acid and the dissolved starch 

 converted into dextrose. Its simplicity however recommends it. 



The above experiments were determined upon the sago dried at 

 100° C. 



