October 28, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



575 



127 less than the number reporting in 1902. 

 The springs not heard from number 167, and 

 these, with few exceptions, reported sales in 

 1902. In addition there are 36 springs which 

 report that no sales were made in 1903, thus 

 increasing the number of delinquents to 203. 

 The average price for a gallon of mineral 

 water is about 16 cents for 1903, as compared 

 with 13.7 cents for 1902. The total produc- 

 tion for 1903, including the figures estimated 

 for the delinquent springs, is 50,575,746 gal- 

 lons, at a valuation of $8,074,096. This is a 

 loss in quantity of 14,283,715 gallons and in 

 value of product of $719,655, as compared 

 with the production of 1902. When the 522 

 springs actually reporting are alone consid- 

 ered, the figures are 37,707,647 gallons, as 

 compared with 63,174,522 gallons in 1902, a 

 loss of 25,466,905 gallons; and a valuation for 

 1903 of $6,382,726, compared with $8,634,179 

 in 1902, a loss of $2,251,453. It is probable 

 that a loss would be shown even had all the 

 springs now delinquent sent in returns. The 

 survey report from which these figures are 

 taken is an extract from the forthcoming 

 volume ' Mineral Resources of the United 

 States, 1903,' and may be obtained, free of 

 charge, from the Director of the United States 

 Geological Survey, Washington, D. 0. 



The new number of the quarterly Bulletin 

 of the Imperial Institute contains, according 

 to the London Times, a number of valuable 

 reports by the scientific and technical depart- 

 ment on recent investigations of various 

 British products, undertaken with a view to 

 ascertain their present or potential applica- 

 bility to commercial needs. An examination 

 of sisal, banana and pineapple fibers from 

 southern Rhodesia, and their submission to 

 commercial experts, has led to the conclusion 

 that they would sell freely in the London 

 market, at remunerative prices, if imported 

 regularly in bulk. Another report shows that 

 Bermuda is capable of becoming a competitor 

 with the foreign countries, chiefly Syria and 

 Caucasian Russia, on which we now depend 

 almost exclusively for our imports of liquorice 

 root. The Bermuda product would occupy an 

 intermediate position Between the coarse 

 Syrian and the fine Caucasian root. Leathers 



from Pemba tanned with local mangTove barks 

 have been found to be suitable for the manu- 

 facture of cheap boots, and it is suggested that 

 a remunerative expert trade might be initiated 

 at Zanzibar, in competition with the lower 

 grades of American and Australian leather in 

 demand in this country. Cacao, cotton and 

 honey samples from Trinidad have been favor- 

 ably reported on, the cacao being quite equal 

 to the highest qualities in the English market. 

 Though found to be incompletely soluble in 

 70 per cent, alcohol, lemon-grass oil from 

 Montserrat would, it is stated by dealers in 

 essential oils, find a ready sale here and on the 

 continent. There would also be a continental 

 demand, though probably not a home demand, 

 for seeds of the ' physic-nut ' tree (Jatropha 

 C ureas) of Lagos, as the oil extracted could 

 be employed for soap making. Five of the 

 reports relate to the rubber production of the 

 Empire. One of them gives the results of 

 ana'lyses of rubbers and rubber vines received 

 from Takaunga, the Kamasia Hills and Rabal, 

 in the East Africa Protectorate, while another 

 deals with the Urceola esculenia of Burma. 

 The conclusion in respect to the plant is that 

 it will yield marketable rubber of good qual- 

 ity, and the shipment of a trial consignment 

 to this country is recommended. A sample 

 of ' pontianac ' obtained from the state forests 

 of Patiala was found to correspond closely 

 with the ' pontianac ' extensively used in the 

 United States, and to be equally suitable for 

 utilization in this country in the manufacture 

 of low-grade rubber goods. In addition to 

 the reports referred to, various general notices 

 are given respecting economic products and 

 their development, together with a detailed 

 description of the eucalyptus oils of ISTew 

 South Wales, as illustrated by an .extensive 

 exhibit now open to the public and presented 

 to the institute by the Technological Museum 

 of Sydney. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 

 The will of Mr. James Callanan, of Des 

 Moines, makes bequests for educational insti- 

 tutions as follows: Talladega College, Ala- 

 bama, $100,000 ; Casenovia College, New York, 

 $5,000; Penn College, Oskaloosa, Iowa, $10,- 



