31 
Department that to prevent the bugs from injuring his vines he scat- 
tered oak-ashes (unleached) on them, while the dew was on, and with 
such success that a second application was unnecessary. 
INSECTS INJURIOUS TO PLUMS.—Mr. William R. Marine, of Green- 
castle, Missouri, writes to the Department that he has discovered a 
remedy for the ravages of insects or bugs upon plum-trees. He says: 
*“T have been successful in the use of road-dust and sulphur. To one 
bushel of road-dust I add five pounds of sulphur, and commence the use 
of this mixture about the time the petals fall off, dashing in handfuls 
‘among the young plums, morning and evening, two or three times a 
week, for the space of six weeks, or until the plums have attained to a 
sufficient growth for resistance to the operations of the bug.” 
CHEMICAL MEMORANDA. 
By WILLiAM McMurtrin, ACTING CHEMIST. 
> 
MINERAL FERTILIZER.—During the month of December last a pack- 
age of mineral fertilizer was sent to this Department for analysis, by 
Mr. James K. Gibson, of Abingdon, Virginia, who states that he used it 
during the past season upon his corn-crop, and until the beginning of 
the dry weather it produced a very fine effect. The substance submit- 
ted to analysis in the laboratory of the Department shows the following 
composition : 
WOM GREENEST O Co Gut che eck syd Shehs ws cee ACI WS ee yee 0. 100 
IVER 2 te cha St Soe EE ee nee ee <2 2, SR oe eee Pag he® Beth AL 34, 655 
eM NTe OPO EOMs ANC ala. Se hn 5... epee we w cis aininin Paminies) Aaiclom ole 14. 542 
aOR ELC CLO ete sce eerie ein cia Vo =o ea ein ct shares Ween aa be a igre 0. 563 
ie k, oll a IM et S08 Bs ba 98 Daa 28 Bea ee Sy Se 2, Rd ees Pease eee nee ee 22. 207 
“MI DSTRY ES eC ie AS PE ei tee a Ne SE ae CREE Ba eee Sy SERS Pars 9. 614 
SPR PRN ORF RRCIECHECL NEES chs nt ee cicero oS et ie Ak ak ak Sk Ny ee 17. 448 
errr tee ae eee eer BRO ee 8 Renda oa aisla ache = o.2 ate e oarea eis HL EAICOSs 
LDS neg eo SERS Sik ear A ee ARS | cS ice AS ip eS tS PA (Do 
100. 000 
Owing to the absence of notable quantities of phosphoric acid and 
potash, its value is evidently due to the amount of lime and magnesia 
which it contains. 
THE MESQUITE.—It seems that the mesquite-tree of the Southwest- 
- ern States, in addition to the many other uses to which it has been ap- 
plied, such as that of a food and gum producing material, has another 
valuable property which may bring it into greater popularity and more | 
frequent use in tie arts. It has for some time been considered by the 
inhabitants of Western Texas a valuable tanning material. Dr. J. Park, 
of Seguin, Texas, made some investigations with regard to its value in 
this respect, and found that the whole body of the tree was rich in tan- 
nin, and considered the leather produced with it of better quality than 
that tanned with oak-bark. It is stated that it is very abundant 
throughout Texas, Arizona, and Mexico, and may be cheaply reduced 
to a form convenient for tanning purposes. With a view to a deter- 
mination of its value in this respect some shavings of this kind of wood 
were sent to this Department for analysis by Mr. Daniel Ruggles, of 
Fredericksburgh, Virginia. The following resultsiwere obtained : 
