August i, i88>J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



105 



that no water is .aide to get through at all ; this is 

 not good for plants. A Held with au under soil of 

 clay in this closely pressei condition would not allow 

 the water to pass downwards, but would cause tht^ top 

 to remain soaked with st de water, which is poison to 

 plants Such laud is very cold, and also very unlieajthy 

 both for pejple or imimals to live on or near." Suou 

 a plain illustration it n impossible not to understaud. 

 Equallyclear is the u xt paragraph quoted, wiiu-h is 

 intended to show the capacity of sods for nmuurial 

 mutter as the nbove is to show its capacity for water. 



"We took three fl >wer pots for our experiment in last 

 lesson ; we will now take two barrels with holes in their 

 bitt nis instoad this time. Let ihun be set up so 

 th it we may be able to catch the water which comes 

 through. \Vt> will fill the one with sand and the 

 other With powdered chiy soil well shaken down. We 

 will next take some ot the dark-brown or nearly blick 

 nasty smelling water that runs from a mauure heiip 

 and pour part of it into each barrel. We sliall find 

 that it comes through the sand Brs , but isnotsoilark 

 in colour as it was when poured in. Tiie part that 

 was poured on the clay soil takes much longer tosoak 

 throu<ih. but when at length it finds its way to the 

 bottom ot the barrel it is quite clear and free from 

 smell." Then the rea«on of this is explained and the 

 value ot clay in aoils made clear, also the rising of 

 water is explained. 



Space will hardly permit more quotations, but we 

 cannot help noticing the ciear way the action of drains 

 is explained. Driiuing is not a very well understood 

 part of either tntniing or gardening practice, we should 

 be inclined to think from the erratic way drains are 

 often laid. Imm-nse Slims have been thus misspent. 

 Yet here we have the whole matter in a nutshell. 

 After reading «hat is here said on the subject one 

 can hardly understand a drainer going wrong in ord- 

 inary oases, or, in extraordnary ones, proceeding at 

 all widiout proper iuformatiou, for like all really good 

 books this begets a d sire for more knowledge. 



The manufacture of superphoapliaie and its after 

 treatment is not well understood. The action of sulph- 

 uric acid is here explained in a way that has the 

 merit of simplicity a.^ well as some degree of novelty. 

 As we have frequent inquiries on this subject we will 

 give our readers the advuntage of one quotation more. 



"In this process"— J. e., themakiogof superphoshate — 



"the bones or mineral phosphates are treated with 



sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) and the change is produced 



in the way which is shown in the following table : — 



Base. Acid. Salt. 



S 6 Li-ne > K Phosphoric acid Tricalcic phosphate. 



g gj Lime ) 



° -S 1 Water ) .. SiUphuric acid I ^ / Oil of vitriol (true 

 B L Water j ' Sulphuric acid J ( sulphuric acid). 



(Lime 1 , . , , 1 



Water- « Phosphoric acid ■^Mouocalcic phosiJhate. 

 Water) 

 Lime j K Sulphuric acid »>^,,l,.^lgo, li„,e_ 

 Lime j Suliiliuric acid ) '■ 



"The change is siuiply this : The phosphoric acid 

 has given up two-tbirds of its lime to the sulphuric 

 acid and reC' ived water in return, and the result 13 

 a mixture of monocalcic phosphate and sulphate of 

 lime." To this we may add that this monocalcic 

 phoephate is only soluble so long as it remains mono- 

 calcic, and becomes insolulile the moment it meets with 

 lime, as it always dues in any ordinary soil. When 

 this happens it becomes plain tricalcic phosphate agaiu, 

 but it is none the worse, but in all respects the better 

 of the change by ihe time it has become by reason 

 of Its solubility well diffused through the soil. But 

 it it quite different when Ihis reversion takes place 

 before application, for then the value of its solubility 

 is gone ; then it fails to diffuse itself through the 

 soil, and is then very little, if indeed anything, su- 

 14 



periorto an impalpable powder, while it is considerably 

 dearer. For this reason neither lime, nor ashes cm- 

 taining lime or other base, should be used to dilute 

 superphosphate. Only sulphate of lime is suitable 

 for this. S ilphuric acid displaces phosphoric acid 

 wheu in combination, but the reverse action never can 

 ooonr. In conclusion we advise all who are interested 

 in the .'u'lject— and all cultivators of the soil should 



to secure the book for themselves. We venture to 



advise the author to prepare a good index for future 

 editions. Ttie ta'ile of contents is insufficient for 

 quick and ready reference to the various parts of the 

 work. — Journal of Horticulture and Cot'age Gardener. 



Ceylon Plums equal in siza and flavour to the 

 best grown in ICngland— and not unworthy ot i-how 

 at C ivent Garden— have been grown this season on 

 Mr. Cotton's trees on Wirwick estate. New Galivay. 

 Some we have been faverad with were beauties and 

 fud-flivored. 



SMirH & Ellwodd's Fibre Machine was tried on the 

 3rd July, at ihe establ s imcut of .Messrs. J Walker 

 V Co. and did faiily good work in pr -paring aloe 

 fi ire at the rate, it was calculated, of about 4 to 6 

 lb. of clean dry fiore per hour. That would scarcely 

 be prohtahle however even at £40 a ton in the Loudon 

 market. 



PHT..LOXEBA Laws. — It is stated that the Princess 

 Imperial of Germany, travelling from Austria to 

 Venice, had to submit to the gratuitous annoyance 

 (jf seeing her liouquets and flowers, that had been 

 presented by sympathizing Austrians, 'destroyed at 

 the Italian frontier. Zealous douaniers carrying out 

 the Phylloxera laws, properly enough made no dif- 

 ference for a Princess, and perhaps the exalted rank 

 of tbe insulted lady may ultimately have weight in 

 procuring the abrogation of these stupid enactments. — 

 Gardeners' Chronicle. 



Chicory Beer !— This is the newest thing out 

 We quote from the Indigo Planlers' Oazettc : — Con- 

 s derable interest it seems has been taken in a new 

 application of chicory, which has been discovered by 

 the researches of Herr Battels. On account of the 

 amount of bitter principles it contains, it is stiid to 

 be applicable to the manufacttiro of a description of 

 beer. Should the technical reaeirches in progress con- 

 firm this supposition, it is rcmaked that the growth 

 of chicory would acquire coubiderably augmented 

 importaneeas a branch of German .igricultural industry. 

 GUATTERIA LoNGlFOLiA. — An important discovery, 

 was made by Col. McLeod, R. A , Superintendent of 

 the Gun Carriage Factory, with regard to this tree. 

 Its timber generally supposed to be valueless, and 

 stated to be so by most of the authorities, is of 

 very great value. It is workable, perhaps best worked, 

 green, does not warp, and having been bent into a 

 required shape retains the bend. For such things as 

 sieves and drum-hoops it is unrivalled. It is closely 

 allied to Otiatlerid, lanceokita, known as Jamaica 

 Lancewood, and to Ihe Lanoewood of Cuba and 

 Guiimi, Duguclia quitarmsis, used by Coach-builders 

 where they require lightness and elasticity. Ouaileria 

 virgata is .als-) said to ueld some of the light wood 

 used by Coach-builders under the name of Lancewood. 

 Quaiter a louyifulia though one of our best avenue 

 trees, is not so common as it should be in Madras. 

 It is exceedingly handsome, and gives an unequalled 

 shade. Beino m^ireover an upright grower, it is a 

 perfect tree for the sid-s of narrow roads. It is not 

 so liab e as most ttess to suffer from the attacks of 

 animals, and ;ifter the tir^t four or five year' of its 

 life is not so slow a grower as is generally believed. 

 There are some promi-^ing young avenues of it in the 

 neighbourhood of tbe 1 autouments ot P.iliverain and St. 

 Thomas' Mount. — Madras Agrl-FIorlivultural Hociety's 

 Proceedings. 



