CHILI SALTPETRE. 313 



No. I. was obtained from a Boston dealer, and No. II. was 

 collected of Messrs. Arms & Co., Greenfield, Mass. Both 

 are fair specimens of their kind. 



Limekiln-Ashes. 



(Sent from Amherst, Mass.) _. 



v ' Per cent. 



Moisture at 100° C 95 



Calcium oxide . 36; 00 



Magnesium oxide 4.45 



Potassium oxide .86 



Phosphoric acid Mere trace. 



Insoluble matter 53.77 



This material is worth much less than a common air-slaked 

 lime, as it contains more than fifty per cent of insoluble, 

 worthless matter. 



Marl (Canada). 



(This sample was sent on for examination from Lee, Mass.) 



Per cent. 



Carbonate of lime 90.37 



Carbonate of magnesia 1.29 



Aluminium oxide and iron sesquichloride . . 1.00 



Phosphoric acid 07 



Clay, &c 3.07 



Moisture, with a trace of organic matter . . . 4.20 



The name of marl is not correctly applied, for the analyti- 

 cal results refer more properly to a crumbled limestone. 



Chili Saltpetre. 



Per cent. 



Moisture at 100° C 1.32 



Insoluble matter 90 



Sodium chloride 33 



Sodium sulphate .14 



Sodium nitrate 97.31 



The trade in Chili saltpetre (sodium nitrate) has been 

 seriously disturbed during the past year in consequence of 

 a war between the governments which are in possession of 

 the extensive mines of nitrates in South America. The 

 hostilities between Chili and Bolivia began towards the end 

 of February with a blockade of the Bolivian ports — Mexil- 

 lones, Caracotes, and Autofogasta — through which the prod- 

 ucts of the Chilian-nitrate mines find their way into the 



