would mention that, in America alone, 

 53,000,0001 b. of copper is the estimated 

 requirrtition for telephone extensioti by 

 the liell Telephone Company alone. For 

 three office buildings in New York 

 2,450,0001b. of copper are re<iuired this 

 year. Similar causes operate to keep up 

 the value of lead, zinc, tin, and other 

 metals. The very vigorous advance of 

 the Japanese adda to the demand for 

 metals. China is also really rubbing her 

 eyes, and is almost awake. Africa is 

 being civilised very rapidly. South Amer- 

 ica is more and more progressive, and 

 is moving towards a general adoption of 

 metallic currency, in place of a bank- 

 note circulation. Under these circum- 

 stances the prices of metala are likely 

 to continue on the upward grade, especi- 

 ally if wages do not alter appreciably. 



Tasmania has not got an agricultural 

 college, but we enjoy great indirect ad- 

 vantages from the training given to Tas- 

 manians at the Hawkesbury College, in 

 New South Wales, and in other similar 

 institutions on the mainland; the bene- 

 fits conferred by such institutions, which 

 are most scientifically and practically 

 managed, cannot be overrated. The 

 Hawkesbury College has already been re- 

 cognisied as deserving of imitation by 

 Japan and South Africa, and similar col- 

 leges are fast growing up all over th« 

 world. King Victor Emanuel has given 

 a private estate, worth <£12,0€0 a year, 

 for this work in Italy. Not only is 

 accurate knowledge thus disseminated, 

 but useful plants are discovered and im- 

 proved, and, what is more to the point, 

 these discoveries are ungrudgingly dis- 

 seminated and exchanged. 



The greatest recent scientific novelty 

 for the benefit of agriculture is the 

 successful extraction from the air of 

 nitrogen and nitric acid, at prices which 

 compete, commercially, with tlie nitrates 

 imported from Chili, as a basis of arti- 

 ficial fertilisers. In this connection we 

 may remembei- that Tasmania offers pro- 

 mising sources of water-power for the 

 extraction of these nitrates by electricity. 



It has often been a matter of dispute 

 whether birds do more harm tlian good, 

 from the agricultural point of view; to 

 solve this problem, and distinguish the 

 useful from the pernicious birds, system- 

 atic observations have been made of the 

 contents of the stomachs of various kinds 

 of birds. It has thus been ascertained 

 which species live on fruit and grain, 

 and which birds live o.n insect pests, at 

 different seasons, in America. In order 

 that such observations should be reli- 

 able, they should be repeated in Tas- 

 mania, for the protection of the friends 

 of the orchardiste, and to indicate 

 winged pilferers that deserve extermina.- 

 tion. 



The dimensions of the great transatlan- 

 tic bteamers of the Cunard Company 

 wore brought to your notice last year.; 

 these great vessels are to enter on regu- 

 Uir work thisi season, and there is reason 

 to believe the guaranteed sp^ed will be 

 largely exceeded. These gigantic steam- 

 ers interest Tasmania, inasmuch as they 

 hasten the day when large turbine vessels 

 will be coming south of the Line, and 

 when their owners will realise that Ho- 

 bart is the most suitable deep-water har- 

 bour to be their headquarters, a8 a 

 centre of distribution. 



Mr. Parsons has already proposed to 

 follow up his success with a turbine ves- 

 sel, for war purposes, of 80,000 horse- 

 power, to achieve 44 knots on a displace- 

 ment of 2,800 to.ns. A German company 

 has given an order to a Belfast firm to 

 build a steamer still larger than the 

 great Cunardera. 



The year under review has been re- 

 markable for wonderful progress with in- 

 ternal combustion engines operated by oil 

 or by gas made in producers attached 

 to the engines. The small manufac- 

 turer and the agriculturist finds these 

 handy prime motors to be of great assist- 

 ance in starting new industries. New 

 factories, making gas and oilengines have 

 been springing up all over Great Brita-ia; 

 nevertheless, they have been overcrowded 

 with orders. Traction engines have late- 

 ly been built, carrying enough oil and 

 cooling water for 34 hours' work. Port- 

 able gas producer plants, with engines 

 on the same frame, are making headway, 

 and traction engines on this principle 

 are in contemplation. 



The thermal efficiency of a recent gas 

 engine is reported to have reached 42 

 per cent., which contrasts most favour- 

 ably with the 10 per cent, efficiency of 

 the steam engine. 



A marine engine of 3,500 horse-power, 

 to be worked by producer gas, is under 

 consideration, and a battleship has been 

 designed to be propelled by gas engines, 

 so as to dispense with stokers, funnels, and 

 smoke. High authorities have expressed 

 the opinion that gas-driven turbines were 

 unworkable on account of the destruc- 

 tively high temperature of operation; 

 but M. Armengand and M. Lemale. in 

 France, and Dr. Stolze, in Germany, 

 have advanced the problem to a practical 

 stage. There is now near Paris a 500 

 horse-power gas-driven turbine running, 

 which promises developments likely to be 

 most welcome in the waters of the Der- 

 went and the Huon, where a supply of 

 anthracite is being opened out. and where 

 gentlemen are eager to run their own 

 yachtS; and where everything that sim- 

 plifies transit on the water gives added 

 life to trade, and greater resources to 

 settlers. The gas turbine would reduce 

 coal consumption by one-half at leaist. 



