October i, 1885,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



263 



M'hat I know is that the writer of a recent article on 

 American miufrals strongly supports Mr. Oltn-eland's view 

 as to the great superiority of plumliago as a lubricator. 

 I am not awiire that it is so used to any txtent in Ceylon, 

 either in fouutlries or on the railways, althoufjfh if all stated 

 regflrHing its value be correct, Ceylon plumbago ought to 

 he much mere largely used in Ceylon than it is at present, 

 as a lubricant and for other purposes. For ail uses it 

 would seem that grinding to extreme tiueness is essential. 



AVe now, said the reader, come to some miscellaneous 

 and curious uses to which plumbago is put, the mineral 

 being applied to articles so different as musical instruments, 

 hats ami boots, bottles, paint, boats and yachts. Listen: — 

 '* For pianos, plumbago is employed to coat the bridge 

 over which the wires are drawn, because of its perfect lubric- 

 ation ; it prevents the wire from adiiering to the wood, and 

 should be as free from impurity as that used by the electro- 

 typer, but need not be pulverized as finely. For organs, 

 it is used to lubricate the sides, and should be the same 

 as that used by piano-makers. The German black-lead 

 imparts a peculiar tone to the colours and a softness and 

 smoothness to the touch of felt hats. The very best lump 

 only should be accepted. As it has once been washed and 

 dried in lumps, they uill readily separate again in water, 

 and no pulverizing is needed. For colouring dark glass for 

 carboys, bottler, kc. the best German black-lead is used 

 in lumps, hut no inferior grade v/ill answer. For paint, 

 plambago has long been known as possessing great 

 .value. The elements do not exhaust it, water sheds 

 from it as from oil itself, and fire does not affect 

 it. The grade need not be the highest. For the bottoms 

 of boats and yachts' it has long been used, especially for 

 racing boats; but only the best Ceylon plumbago, very 

 finely pulverized, is valuable." 



A substance which, used as a paint, resists the action of 

 the atmosphere and is both waterproof and fireproof, is 

 surely of great economic value, and ought to be specially 

 useful as pamt for the numeroua tea factories erected or in 

 course of erection in Ceylon. 



To quote again : — 



Mr. Cleveland's very interesting and valuable notices of 

 the American Crucible Company, and their varied manu- 

 factures of plumbago, is supplemented and brought down 

 to so late a date as 1883 by the writer (.Mr John A. 

 "Walker) ot an article on Plumbago in a volume on the 

 "Mineral Resources of the United States," prepared by the 

 National (ieological Survey Department, and supplied to 

 our Library by the Smithsonian Institute, to which my 

 attention was attacted by our Honorary Secretary, when he 

 asked me to write ibis paper. In the summary prefixed to 

 this volume it is stated that the amount of graphite mined 

 in the States in In82 was 425,000 lb., wortli crude at the 

 point of production 34,00U dollars, equivalent to about 

 R70,0<-K). During the first six months of 18.^3 the production 

 was estimated at 262,500 lb., worth 21,000 dollars. From 

 Mr. Walker*s detailed account we learn that graphite is, as 

 a mineral, widely distributed in the United States ; as an ore 

 it is found in but few places in sufficient quantities and 

 purity to be profitably worked. 



The attention being paid to the mineral in America may 

 be judged from the fact that samples had been received and 

 reported on by the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company from 

 no fewer than 33 localities between October 1877 and 

 January 1882. 



The Joseph Dixon Company had laid themselves out to 

 produce 500,0001b.; altogether 52r,.00O lb., valued at 8 cents 

 per lb. Let us .say 18 cents of our rupee currency, and 

 we get the high value (founded on co^t .is uell as quality ?) 

 of K20 per cwt., or R40U per ton. 'Ilic local production, 

 however, w^is certainly not much to jdace ngaiust 1(1,000,000 

 of pounds imported from Ceylon in 18&2, with considerable 

 quantities in the two following years. 



Referring to analyses of Canadian and Ct ylon grajihites, 

 quo!ed froni the American Huthority, Mr. Kergvison said : — 

 l5otli are alni'>st absolutely jHire, a-'d tlid the (.'aiindian and 

 Uidied S'-ate-i mineral eceur in such a foi m in the enclos- 

 ing rocks thai it could be cheaply mined and prepare<l, there 

 wouhl of cour.^e be nil i Tid of tlie export of CeyliUi plumbafjo 

 to America. Hut i', in Afn* rica, plumbngo, huwevtrpure, 

 is only oistributed in the proportion of 8 to 15 per cent 

 mineral to Jt2t()85 rock, those connected with the Ceylon 

 enterprise need nt.t, it would seem, concern themselves 



greatly with the competition in America of indigenous ore 

 with that from our islaiid. 



Lender th'^ heading " M.inufiictures " there is interesting 

 summarized information, winch 1 quote ; — 

 Proportionate Amounts of Uraphile used for Different 

 Purposes. 



Kinds of Grapliite Per 



Manufactures. used. cent. 



Crucible and refractory articles, 

 as stoppers and nozzles, cruci- 



bles, etc. 

 Stove polish 



Lubricating graphite 

 Foundry facing, etc. 



Graphite g'reases 

 Pencil leads 



Graphite packing 



Polishing shot and powder 



Faint 



Electrotyping 



Miscellaiu'ous — piano action, 

 photograpliers', gilders' and 

 hatters' use, electrical sup- 

 plies, etc. 



, .Ceylon, American .. 

 ..Ceylon, American, 



German 

 ..American, Ceylon ,., 

 ..Ceylon, American, 



German 

 ..American 

 ..American and 



German 

 ..Ceylon, American .., 

 ..Ceylon, American ;,, 

 ..AmeiicHu 

 ..American, Ceylon ... 



35 



32 

 10 



100 



A table like this will give many of the readers of this 

 paper a new view of the multifarious uses of the mineral 

 carbon called plumbago. It will be observed that, next 

 to the manufacture of crucible articles, the great use of 

 the mineral is for polishing and preserving from rust the 

 ranges of btovts and other cooking appliances, which 

 contribute so much to the neatness, cleanliness, health, and 

 comfort of modern abodes. Tiie proportion used for this 

 purpose in Europe — in Britain -it least— cannot certainly 

 be below that given for the United >5tates. There are 

 graphite greases as contradistinguished from lubricants, 

 and the mineral seems to be used for the packing of engines. 

 From the largest forges where tons of steel are manu- 

 factured in Pittsburg, down to the studio of the photo- 

 grapher and the shops of the gilder and hatter, plumbago 

 is of valuable use. And not only is it called into requis- 

 ition to produce the highest order of steel guns and 

 steel armour for war-ships, but it is good for polishing the 

 sportsman's powder and shot. Gunpowder used for blast- 

 ing operations is also greatly improved by receiving a 

 glaze or varnish of graphite, the philosophy of the oper- 

 ation bemg that thus the gra'ns are prevented from ah- 

 sorl)ing the moisture which exists in mines and quarries. 



Graphite enables the electrotyper to prepare and pre- 

 sent to the world, cheaply and at will, casts of coins, wood- 

 cuts, copperplate maps, A:c., equal in the most minute and 

 intricate detail to the most highly prized and costly ori- 

 ginals. But next to the boon which the real discovery of 

 anthracite or natural coke in Ceylun would be. is the 

 certainty, of whi( h we are assured, that in our teeming sup- 

 plies of plumbago the tea planters of Oeylon can get a 

 paint for their storrs, equnl in its lire-resisting properties 

 to asbestos paint. If this should prove to be correct, and 

 we see no reason to doubt the statement, the prospect ia 

 that Ceylon will l)e .'■peedily exporting, instead of importing, 

 fireproof pfiint. -Mr. Walker m..y well say in conclueiou : — 

 *'The growth of the giaphit<* industry has kept jiace with 

 the aire, each new development in metallurgy and engineer- 

 ing offering some new field of usefulness for graphite. 

 For instance, it fui tiishes the pois for the manufacture 

 of cast steel, and the nozzles and stoppers used in the 

 Bessemer process. It is used in the manufactur<' of elec- 

 trical supplies, &c. Fifiy years ago graphite was little 

 known and mis-nained. Now it is of constantly increasing 

 inipitrtiinec. From .in insigtuheant he;.'inning in the pre- 

 sent century The industry has gr wn to its present pro- 

 portions." 



A list is th'U given of twfnty-five Aiufritan firms en- 

 I gaged in the ]dumhngo indus ly. of " bh-Ii the Jo.^eph 

 I Dixon Conip:oiv ot JerM-y City. New Jersey, takes the lead, 

 emrh'iii'g <"iOO hands in the manufacture of everything for 

 j which griiphite is us(d. The same number of hands finds 

 I employment from the Eagle Pencil C ouipany ; while A. "W". 



