128 
standard of birch and oak. A distillation test by Messrs. Davis 
Bros. (Manchester), showed the production as :— 
Value (in England). 
Charcoal, 33°2 per cent. ; 6°64 ewts. per ton 
of wood ... ER ue “a ies Bo0:.0-per ton 
82 per cent. Acetate of Lime 9:05 per cent. ; 
2°03 lbs. per ton of wood nat “a 
Methyl! Alcohol, 0°81 per cent. ; 2°15 gals. 
er ton of wood .., ine oak .. 0 2 6 per gal. 
The tree is a native of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. 
Introduced to Natal. It grows freely in comparatively poor soil 
and comes to maturity for the production of bark in from 5-10 
ears. 
Sawdust. A method of treating sawdust with gaseous sulphurous 
acid to develop the sugar, afterwards fermenting and distilling in 
the usual way, has recently been devised by Prof. Alex. Classen, 
Technical High School, Aix-la-Chapelle.’ This invention has been 
employed at St. Marcel in the Dept. of Ardeche, France, 
where one metric ton (2204 pounds) of sawdust yields 100 litres or 
27°47 gallons of alcohol, and 20 kilos (42 lb.) of acetic acid. The 
residue or spent sawdust is: pressed into briquettes and used as fuel. 
It is further stated that the wood alcohol produced by this process 
can be drunk or used for any other purpose to which pure alcohol is 
usually put.? A factory for the dry distillation of alcohol from 
sawdust was established at Fredrikstad, Norway, in 1897, the 
plant erected being capable of dealing with 10,000 tons a year.’ 
alas 
(8.) Prat. 
In both of these countries the peat-lands are very extensive. 
Methyl Alcohol is largely used to denature ethyl alcohol, though 
other substances such as benzol, shellac, camphor, castor oil, 
turpentine, &c,, are sometimes used. e denaturing process 
varies according to the prescribed regulations and the use to which 
the mixture is to be put. In France a standard denaturant is 
15 litres of wood alcohol, } litre of benzine, and 1 gram of malachite 
green to 100 litres of potable alcohol® ; in Germany 24 litres of a 
“standard denaturizer” made of 4 parts of wood alcohol, 1 part 
pyridin, with the addition of oil of lavender or rosemary in the pro- 
portion of 50 grams to each litre, for every 100 litres of potable 
' Mon. Cons. & Tr. Rep. Washington. No. 300 
* Le. No. 352, 1910, p. Be ey he OO TI, Di 8, 
Dip. & Cons. Rep. No. 2013, Ann., 1899, p. 38. 
: Mon. Cons. & Tr. Rep. Washington, No. Bir, 1907, p. 213. 
: Dip. & Cons. Rep. No. 3567, Ann., 1906, p. 34. 
Mon. Cons. & Trade Rep. Washington, No. 312, 1906, p. 11. 
