28 



succeeded iu eliectiug his purpose iu the most complete mauuer by phic- 

 ing a mixture of arseuic aud sweetened water in a saucer at the foot of 

 the trees. For the hirger species he made use of honey instead of sugar, 

 and he found that in a few days time he could exterminate them com- 

 pletely. 



UTILIZATION OF COTTON riBER. 



A communication was presented to the British association at its late 

 meeting in regard to the utilization of the libers of the cotton seed. The 

 author exi)ressed his astonishment that a vegetable prodnctiou which 

 was capable of so many important applications, and could be supplied 

 by millions of pounds, was uow entirely wasted, the amount thus thrown 

 away in America alone being a million and a half tons.* According to 

 Mr. Eose's estimate, as the seed is composed of 50 per cent, of kernel, 

 yielding about one-third of oil, and 50 per cent, of husk, one-third of which 

 is fiber, the Avasted seed should produce 250,000 tons of pure cotton, 

 250,000 tons of oil, and 5,000 tons of cattle cake, representing the 

 value of 81,000,000. The husks could then betaken to a paper mill and 

 the cotton abstracted in such a state as to form most valuable material 

 for paper. By a process devised by the speaker, tbe cotton fiber could 

 be coujpletelj' separated from the shell. He stated that a very slight 

 alteration in the ordiimry machinery for manufacturing paper -will enable 

 this material to be utilized. 



NEW OIL- SEED. 



A new form of oil-seed has lately been exciting the attention of ex- 

 perts. These are supposed to have come from Mozambique, although 

 shipped from Lisbon, aud are said to be seeds derived from the Telfairia 

 pedata, a tall, climbing, cucurbitaceous plant, a native of the coast op- 

 posite Zanzibar. These seeds look somewhat like almonds, aud are flat, 

 nearly circular, and about oue and a half inches across. The keruel is 

 about the color and hardness of. the Brazil-nut, and contains a large 

 quantity of oil, said to be equal in many respects to olive oil in excel- 

 lence. The fruit is very large, and is stated to contain as many as 250 

 seeds. 



CULTURE OF IPECACUANHA. 



The governmeut authorities in India, stimulated by their success in 

 introducing and naturalizing the cinchona tree in various parts of the 

 country, are endeavoring to do the same in regard to the ipicacuanha 

 plant, and with every prospect of success. The plants in the gardens 

 at Nelamboor are said to be doing well, some of the fleshy leaves being 

 already four inches in length. 



IMPROVEMENT IN REFINING- SUGAR. 



A much-needed improvement has lately been made by Dr. Seyforth, 

 of the Brunswick sugar refinery, in regard to the purification of sirups 

 and molasses in the nmnufacture of sugar, especially that from the beet. 

 As is well known the juices and liquors employed in the first extraction 

 of beet sugar from the rawnuiterial, as well as the sirups resulting from 

 the sugar refining ])rocess, generally contain a certain quantity of alka- 

 line substances. By treating the saccharine juices with milk of lime, 

 several of the bases of the alkaline salts jiresentin the juices are sepa- 

 rated from the acids they were at first combined with, and by thus being 

 set free, and remaining mixed with the sugar, inii>ede crystallization. 



The crop of 1870 would yield at least two millions of tons. 



