Notice of Gas from Cotton Seed. 297 
proved quite successful. Very little oily vapour came 
over undecomposed ; the quality of the gas was fine ; and 
(neglecting sixty inches of the first and last portions) the 
product was 1018 cubic inches, and the ounce of cotton 
seed was found reduced as before to ninety grains. The 
receivers as they were filled, were successively emptied 
into a common recipient, and a specimen of the mixed 
products was subjected to the action of chlorine, as di- 
rected by Dr. Henry. This trial has been repeated a 
number of times on the entire product, and on specimens 
taken at different stages of the process, and the propor- 
tion condensible by chlorine has varied from thirty to 
forty per cent., indicating a very large portion of olefiant 
as. 
Making this experiment then the basis of calculation, it 
appears, that one pound of cotton seed is capable of afford- 
ing 16288 cubic inches, equal to 9.425 cubic feet of illu- 
minating gas. Indeed itis probable that a more perfect 
apparatus, which should decompose all the oily vapour, 
would afford a larger and better product. This amount 
multiplied by 300,000,000 pounds, which are estimated to 
result annually from our cotton crop, above what is neces- 
sary for planting the ensuing year, gives 2,827,500,000 
cubic feet—indicating an abundant resource for gas illumi- 
nation, in the United States, from this article alone. 
According to Sir William Congreve, (Annals of Philos- 
ophy for June, 1823,) the whole quantity of gas manufac- 
tured annually to supply the city of London, is upwards of 
397,000,000 cubic feet, and requires more than 33,000 
chaldrons of coal. Peculiar circumstances have preven- 
ted my taking the specific gravity of the cotton seed gas; 
but judging from the high proportion of olefiant gas which 
it contains, as well as from its splendid appearance, | 
should estimate its illuminating power at nearly double the 
average power Of coal gas. Its flame, like that of oil gas, is 
distinguished for purity and softness, and like that, this 
gas also admits of the greatest simplicity in its apparatus. 
In the earlier stages of the process for obtaining it,a portion 
of carbonic acid comes over, which amounted. in one in- 
stance to ten percent. ‘This materially impairs the illu- 
minating power, but it is readily washed out, Near the 
Voar.°VIT.—No. 2. 38 
