14 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



Zealand, Outside his laborious official duties lie has 

 found time to make about sixty original contributions 

 to chemical science, such as — an inquiry into the elec- 

 trical properties of metallic sulphides ; the discovery of 

 the ferro-nickel alloy awaruite in the ultra-basic rocks of 

 West Otago, which is highly interesting, as it is the first 

 recognition of this meteoric-like iron as native to our planet ; 

 the discovery that the hydrocarbon in torbanite and other 

 gas-shales is chemically and not merely mechanically com- 

 bined with the clay base ; the discovery of a remarkable 

 colour-test for the presence of magnesia ; and the isolation 

 of the poisonous principle in many of our native shrubs. 

 His recent discovery that the fatty oils treated with ani- 

 lines form alkaloids also hints at an important new 

 departure in organic chemistry. His suggestion of the 

 hot-air blow-pipe, and of the application of cyanide of potas- 

 sium to the saving of gold, and many other practical appli- 

 cations of his chemical knowledge, are distinguished services 

 to science, of which New Zealand should be proud. 



In connection with the subject of chemistry, there is a 

 point of vast importance to the future of the pastoral and 

 agricultural interests of Nev/ Zealand, to which attention 

 was directed some years ago by Professor Thomas, and Mr. 

 Pond, of Auckland — that is, the rapid deterioration which 

 the soil must be undergoing by the steady export of the 

 constituents on which plant and animal life must dej)end 

 for nourishment. Mr. Pond calculated that in 1883 the in- 

 trinsic value of the fixed nitrogen and phosphoric acid and 

 potash sent out annually was £592,000, taking into account 

 the wool and wheat alone. Now that we have to add to 

 that the exported carcases of beef and mutton, bones and 

 all, the annual loss must be immensely greater and probably 

 not less than £1,000,000. The proper cure would, of 

 course, be to bring back return cargoes of artificial manure, 

 but even then its application to most of our pastoral lands 

 would be out of the question. I sincerely hope that the 

 problem will be taken in hand by the Agricultural College 

 at Lincoln,* as a matter deserving of practical study and in- 

 vestigation. 



