No. 144.] 173 



New Zeland. Irish. 



Water, 6U.39 56.64 



Organic matters, 37.88 41.97 



Ash, 1.73 1.39 



100.00 100.00 

 Ash per cent in plants dried at 212° 



Fahrenheit, 4.36 3.20 



One hundred parts of the dried leaves of the New Zealand 

 flax gave 1.64 of nitrogen, while same amount of the Irish gave 

 0.53 of nitrogen. The ashes of the New Zeland and Irish flax 

 contain respectively — 



New Zeland Flax. Irish. 



Potash, 14.93 20 32 



Soda, 5.38 2.07 



Chloride of sodium, 8.75 9.27 



Lime, 28.53 19 88 



Magnesia, 1.41 4.05 



Oxide of iron, 1.21 2.83 



Sulphuric acid, 4.64 7.13 



Phosphoric acid, 18.-96 10.24 



Carbonic acid...... 13.16 10.72 



Silica, 3.12 12.80 



100.78 99.31 



(Signed,) JOHN F. HODGES, M. D., 



Chemist to the Society, 



I deprecate the use of much alkali to soften the plant, or the 

 use of tire heat in drying it, having found that both add greatly 

 to the brittleness of the fibre in the green state. 



[From the same.] 



MUDDAR. 



In the August number of the Journal is an important commu- 

 nication from Dr. Riddell, of the Nizams service. On the elastic 

 gum obtained from the sap of the muddar, which he conceives 

 might be employed as a substitute for gutta percha, experiment 



