371 



Arkansas Station, Bulletin No. 16, July, 1891 (pp. 16). 



KiNCxWoiiM, 11. E. Di.NWiDDJE, M. D., V. S. (H«i-.s. 2). — A poitular 

 account of the nature, syini)touis, cause, and treatincnt of a skin dis- 

 ease of young cattle caused by the fungus Trwhoiihyton tonsurauH wiul 

 commonly known as ringworm or "white scab." 



California Station, Bulletin No. 94, September 23, 1891 (pp. 8). 



Composition of the ramie plant, M. E. Jaffa, Ph. B. (pp. l-O). — 

 "The object of the present investigation is to shoAv the actual annnints of 

 mineral ingredients witlidrawn from the soil by the different ])arts of the 

 [ramie] plant, and to point out the great necessity of returning to the 

 soil the leaves and stalks after decortication." Reference is made to 

 experiments at Padua, Italy, by M. Goncet de Mas, and at tlie Uni- 

 A'crsity of California on a mucli smaller scale, whicli " have proved that 

 on good soils where from three to four cuts can be made aunuall}^, tlie 

 yield will be about 10 tons of dried stalks per acre. M. Goncet de Mas, 

 in the third year after planting, obtained from two cuts nearly 9 tons 

 of dried stalks. We are told by Mr. McAfee of Bakersfield that the 

 best fiber is produced when three instead of four cuts are made annu- 

 ally." Separate analyses were made of the whole plant, stalks (without 

 barli), bark (inchiding fiber and gum), and leaves. The results are 

 given in the following table: 



Composition of ramie plant. 



In fresh plant: 



Water 



Ash 



Nitrogen . . 



In 100 parts of ash : 



Potassium oxide 



Sodium oxide 



Calcium oxide 



Magnesinin (»xide 



Ferric oxide and alumina . 



Mcuoside mansanese 



Phosphoric acid 



Sulphuric arid 



Silica 



Chlorine 



Less excess'Of oxygen due to eliloriip 

 Total 



' Stalk without bark. 



t Including fil)er and gum. 



It is fouud that 5 tous of wet or fresh stalks are equivalent to 1 of dry. 



We find that the leaves constitute about 30 per cent of the dried plant, the decor- 

 ticated stalk 51 per cent, and the bark 19 per cent. Of the latter, nearly 15 per cent 

 is raw fiber, <'Outainiug 30 per cent of gum, thus nuxking- the percontage of pure 

 fiber in the plant as grown here about 11. * '"' * The proportion of pure fiber 

 referred to stalk alone [without loaves] is about 15 per cent. 



