PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 15 



speed on the level of 26 miles an hour, with other rates en 

 gradients. More experiments of the effect of electricity on 

 crops have been made, one on an oat crop, with the striking 

 effect of an increase of 30 per cent, in grain and 58 per cent, 

 in straw in the part electrified. It has been discovered that 

 there exists in the atmosphere, entering it from above, a 

 radiation which has several times the penetrating power of 

 that given off by radio-active substances. We shall, however, 

 doubtless hear more of this later on, after th<3 war, which 

 has at present prevented further investigation. 



CHEMISTRY. 



Chemistry has also played a great part in the war, from 

 the gas which was introduced by the Germans and its antidote 

 used in the gas helmets, to the materials used for explosives. 

 Also in the invention and manufacture of things hitherto 

 made and imported from abroad, such as certain dyes and 

 medical preparations, artificial silk made from cellulose, 

 synthetic or artificially made perfumes, camphor, rubber, 

 and many other substances in which Nature has been success- 

 fully imitated. Synthetic indigo, to take one instance, has 

 almost ousted the natural vegetable product from the market, 

 though I believe that the latter has some superior qualities. 

 Another industry rather specially called out by the scarcity 

 and high prices caused by the war, is the utilization of waste 

 products ; for instance, it is stated that 1,000 tons of glycerine, 

 which is in great demand for the manufacture of explosives, 

 are obtained from the fat in the food remains from military 

 camps, which used to be given away or wasted or sold for a 

 small sum. This amount would be sufficient for nc less than 

 12 J millions of 18-pounder shells. Some accurate experiments 

 to determine the freezing point of mercury gave the result 

 as 38.873 Cent. A process, which would if successful be 

 of considerable importance to Dorset, is a new method of 

 deodorising the oil obtained from Kimmeridge shale, by 

 getting rid of the suphur, but further experience is necessary. 



