TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 65 
One hundred parts of the fibre dried at 212° yield— 
Wax and fatty matters soluble in ether.........:..00e005 0:235 
Tannic acid and colouring-matters soluble in alcohol...... 1:135 
Plates POCUING, GEC. - 2... .e 9» scree teeta Sooncatee Bye kes of avi 2°427 
Soluble Nitrovenized Matters, occ. ees ceeadeee cise das F 0-512 
Insoluble nitrogenized matters .............. Soe 2°433 
Inorganic matters united with the fibre ...... Mts aieeeass 1010 
Galivdar fibres! i os 'eole) lara, Peele. LUG Her Brie .. 92-248 
100-000 
Nitrogen in the original fibre .............. RIG. 0 4 : 0-291 
Nitrogen in the fibre after treatment with solvents........ 0-210 
The author had hoped to be able to give an analysis of the jute-plant in the 
condition in which it is remoyed from the field; but unfortunately a specimen 
which had been forwarded from Calcutta arrived only a few days ago, and he must 
therefore defer its investigation until some other opportunity, With respect to 
the magnitude of the jute manufacture, the author stated that in the present year 
one hundred thousand tons of the fibre were imported into Dundee alone, by direct 
shipment from Calcutta, while London, Liverpool, and Glasgow received probably 
half as much more. The rapidity with a Fos by means of improved machinery, 
it can be manufactured, may be judged from the fact, that since the opening of 
the Suez Canal the fibre has been delivered in Dundee, spun and woven, and the 
prods shipped back and paid for, within six months from the date of the bill of 
ading. At the present time jute is used for the manufacture of a great variety of 
fabrics. In fact it will serve for the production of every kind of coarse textile 
material. It is even used as a substitute for hair, and can be formed into admirable 
chignons. The dust from the mills is employed to make silk hats, and the waste 
fibre yields an excellent pulp for the manufacture of paper. Stair-carpets of jute, 
with bright colours, can be sold at three pence per yard; and woven into what are 
known as carpet bed-covers, a fabric is produced at not more than one third the 
price of wool. 
On an Improved Vacuum Filter-pump*. By W. Jessr Loverr. 
The advantages claimed for this pump are its practical efficiency and pertability, 
. and also its non-liability to get out of order. . 
Tt consists of a metallic cone provided with a convex metallic cover; to the apex 
of the cone is fitted a tube for carrying away waste water; and in the middle of 
the convex cover is fixed a tube which goes down nearly to the apex of the cone; 
and at this end is fixed a jet formed by soldering a square pyramid of brass in the 
end; the pyramid has a hole through its centre which points straight down the 
exit-tube. The square pyramid being fixed in a round tube leaves four orifices for 
the water to pass through, thus forming a rude rose-jet ; and the centre hole serves 
as a jet to drive the air caught by these four orifices straight down the waste-pipe, 
The upper tube being connected with a good force of water, the rose exhausts air 
from the cone and drives it down the waste-pipe. One of Professor Thorpe’s 
admirable valves is fitted to the convex cover, and a tube connected with this is 
fixed to the filter as required. 
The average results obtained with this as a filter-pump are :—" 
The time of filtration is reduced to about one sixth on the average. 
The pump supports, as a rule, 15 or 16 inches of mercury; this of course varies 
with the fall of water obtainable ; with a good fall of water results as high as 20 
inches have been attained. ; 
The apparatus may be used as an aspirator for drawing a current of air through 
the apparatus. It may also be used as a water-blowpipe, by attaching the waste- 
pipe to one of the holes of a three-bored cork; into the other holes are fixed a tube 
going to the blowpipe and a tube with adjustable orifice for carrying away waste 
‘water. The extreme length of the pump described is 63 inches, * - 
* Vide ‘Chemical News,’ May 15, 1874, 
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