'82 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



The above specimen Tvas received from Eaiiger & Co., Galveston, 

 Tex., and is said to fairly represent the whole deposit. If this be the 

 case the mine is a very valuable one, as the salt is of excellent quality. 



ANALYSIS OF SALTS FROM EVAPORATION OF LAKE WATER. 



From A. F. Lewis, Lakeview, Oreg. 



Moisture 7.60 



Organic matter 1. 88 



InsoluWe in water - 81 



Sodium cliloride, Na. CI. (common salt) 54.88 



Sodium sulphate, Na.j S0.4 (glauber Salts) 2.02 



Sodium carbonate, Na. 2 Co. 3 (sal soda) 32.86 



100. 05 



Another sample received from C. Moore, of Almota, Whitman County, 

 Washington Territory, had a very similar composition. These alkaline 

 ■waters are very valuable detergents, and are cheap sources of crystal- 

 lized carbonate of sodium (sal soda), which is one of the most useful of 

 chemicals. Three gallons of the Oregon sample are said to furnish one 

 pound of mixed salts upon evaporation. 



ORES AND MINERALS. 



A large number of specimens have been received. In most cases an 

 ■ inspection showed them to be of no value. A few analyses have been 

 made, but work of more strictly agricultural and general interest has 

 been given the preference. A siugle specimen received from jS'orthern 

 New York has been carefully analyzed, because it appears to be a new 

 mineral, containing the comparatively rare elements thorium and ura- 

 nium. It closely resembles the mineral described by Dana (System of 

 Slineralogy, p. 413), under the name Thorite; it differs chiefly in its 

 much larger content of uranium. The name If rano -thorite is proi)osed 

 as suitable. The following are its properties : 



UBAKO-THORITE. 



1. Color. — Dark-red brown. 



2. Luster. — Resinous or sub-vitreous. 



3. Streak. — Yellowish brown. 



4. Fracture. — Conchoidal. 



5. Hardness. — About 5. Scratches glass with diflSculty, but is easily scratched by 

 the knife. 



6. Specific gravitij. — 4.1265. 



7. Fusibility. — Infusible before the blow-pipe. 



8. Closed tube. — Considerable water ; residue red-brown. 



9. On charcoal. — Heated alone becomes brown ; no fumes or odor. With soda forms a 

 dark grayish-brown bead, not magnetic. 



10. Salt of 2)liosphor us, on platinum wire. — In both oxidizing and reducing flames, 

 yellowish while hot, light green when cold. Free silica undissolved. 



11. Borax, on platinum wire. — In both oxidizing and reducing flames, yellow while 

 hot, pale amber when cold. Silica not all dissolved. 



In all these preliminary tests the mineral closely resembled thorite, 

 except m the permanence of a yellow color in the cold borax bead. The 

 subsequent analysis showed that this was due to the larger amount of 

 uranium present. 



A partial preliminary, and a final analysis were made with the follow- 

 ing results : 



