430 Utilization of the Maize Plant. 



to forty-eight hours. This salt being collected and dried, is 

 submitted to a careful calcination in an open crucible, the tem- 

 perature being kept moderate. The vanadic acid thus pro- 

 duced has clear chocolate colour, and is nearly chemically pure. 



In thus preparing vanadic acid on a large scale, care should 

 be taken to employ chloride of ammonium as pure as possible. If 

 this salt contains chloride of iron (as is frequently the case) , the 

 vanadic acid obtained will have a reddish colour, which is not 

 observed in the pure acid. 



In conclusion, I will add that Berzelius discovered that 

 when vanadate of ammonia or vanadate of potash is added to a 

 decoction of gall-nuts, a very good writing ink is produced, 

 which may be said to be almost indelible ; also, that I have 

 found that vanadic acid cannot be detected in mineral sub- 

 stances by the ordinary blow-pipe test when a certain quantity 

 of titanic acid is present. 



UTILIZATION OF THE MAIZE PLANT. 



At the Great Exhibition of 1862 specimens of paper manufac- 

 tured from the Indian corn or maize plant were exhibited, and 

 in our number for July, 1861, we mentioned that paper of this 

 description was used in Austria for the books required in the 

 primary schools. The present price of cotton is most likely 

 destined before long to experience a great fall ; but it is still 

 for the good of society that fibres of other kinds hitherto 

 neglected should be made available' for the multifarious maim- 

 factures which civilization requires. It is also highly important, 

 in this as in other directions, to utilize waste products, as the 

 average condition of mankind cannot be materially improved so 

 long as considerable sources of wealth and comfort are thrown 

 away. Applied science is continually engaged in obtaining 

 beautiful and valuable results from materials which ignorance 

 pronounced to be good for nothing, or positively mischievous ; 

 and as necessity sharpens the inventive faculties, the dearth of 

 cotton may, in the end, give rise to so many new manufactures 

 and proo 8 to take its place amongst those numerous in- 



stances of a temporary evil evolving a large amount of per- 

 manent good. 



Dr. Korbes I'oyle long ago pointed out a vast quantity of 

 Indian fibre producing plants which were not utilized; but 

 neither lie v,ar any other seient ific inquirers ever directed atten- 

 tion to the capacities of a vegetable body which appears better 

 worth attention, than what is called, the refuse of the maize. 

 Over large tracts of country in America, in Italy, in Hungary, 



