204 ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTS BY SCHENCK’S PROCESS. 
Clarke's scale, 8 degrees. It was not considered necessary to deduct the 
ingredients supplied in it, as these would add but little to its fertilising value. 
An imperial gallon of the liquid of the vat was found to contain in grains 
and tenths— 
Organic matters 136-7 
Inorganic matters. . : 5 é s 131-4 
Total solid matters 5 . . . . . 268-1 grains. 
Composition of the Ash of the Flax Straw before and after Steeping, and 
of the Inorganic Matters of the Steep Water. 
100 parts of each respectively contained— ; 
Unsteeped Steeped Ash of the 
Flax. Flax. Steep-water. 
Potash : i . 3 é . 13°88 11°40 19°31 
Soda ‘ : ‘ , * - 5:33 4:17 —_ 
Chloride of Potassium . : Fi B —_ _ 3°83 
Chloride of Sodium 3 Z - 647 3:28 21:24 
Lime a . r 5 é » 1886 17-69 8:23 
Magnesia ‘ F : ‘ ~ 410 5°50 10°18 
Oxide of Iron 5 G ‘ 3 . 540 5°76 2-02 
Sulphuric Acid F ‘ » 11:16 4:07 6:10 
Phosphoric Acid . F : . - 9°63 11°87 3°77 
Carbonic Acid . r P : - 10°37 20:06 23°30 
Silica . : . . m ‘ ~ 153 15°78 Pg 
Sand A ‘ . ‘ ‘ Fi _ — 0:60 
100°43 99°58 99°77 ! 
Ash per cent. in the Straw . 7 . 38°89 2°59 _ 
100 grains of the dried extract of the steep-water contained 1°56 nitrogen, 
=1'89 grains of ammonia: therefore, an imperial gallon would be capable of 
supplying five grains, and a vat, containing 3000 gallons of water, 2 1-101b., 
worth about 1s. 2d. to the farmer ; while the same amount of liquid, placed 
on his field, would convey to them about the same amount of phosphoric 
acid. 
By the kindness of the proprietors of the Steeping Works, at Cregagh, 
who have liberally given me an opportunity of inspecting the books of their 
establishment, I am enabled to give the following statement of the changes 
which 100 tons of Flax undergo when treated by Schenck’s process. 
100 tons of air-dried Flax straw yield— 
Tons. 
1. By Seeding—33 tons of seed and husks, leaving of seeded Flax . 67-00 
2. By Steeping—67 tons of seeded Flax yield of steeped straw . 39°50 
3. By Scutching—39} tons of steeped straw yield of dressed Flax . 5°90 
” ” of tow and pluckings . 1°47 
Watt’s Patent Process.—The advantages of Schenck’s method 
of preparation, are sufficiently considerable to ensure its 
adoption at once in an uncertain climate like that of the 
British Isles. But it was yet to be proved whether the 
process of fermentation was essential to the separation of the 
fibre ; and whether, if it was got rid of, we might not obtain 
an equally good fibre, avoid the noxious exhalations, and even 
