25 



Ash composition of Canaigre root. 



Silica (S x O a ) ... 



Potash (K 2 O) ... 



Soda (Na, 0) ... 



Lime (Cat)) ... 



Magnesia (Mg. 0) 



Br. ox. manganese (Mn 3 4 ) 



Per-oxide of iron and alumina 



Phosphoric acid (P 2 5 ) 



Sulphuric acid (S.0 3 ) ... 



Chlorine 



Canaigre, 



Sugar Beet 



... 3.89 



3.50 



... 26.04. 



46.40 



2.27 



9.60 



... 8.16 



6.30 



... 16.73 



8.80 



.98 ... 





... 2.45 



1.10 



... 18.19 



14.30 



... 13.16 



4.70 



... 6.43 



2.60 



101.40 100.40 



Excess of oxygen due to chlorine ... 1.40 .57 



100.00 99 83 



Percentage of pure ash in dry root... 4.48 4.35 



„ ' „ crude ,, „ • „ ... 4.79 5.44 

 ,, ,, carbonic acid in crude 



ash ... ... 5.20 20.00 



,, ,, total nitrogen in dry 



root ... ... 1.93 .87 



A partial analysis reported from the Arizona station, while 

 confirming the greater demand for phosphoric acid by canaigre 

 as compared with the sugar beet, assgns to the former twice as 

 much potash as to the latter, and doeB not mention either soda 

 or magnesia. While such differences are not unexampled, these 

 data can hardly be accepted as proving them in this case. 

 Roughly speaking, we are probably justified in assuming that 

 for equal weights of crop the cost of replacing the mineral soil 

 ingredients by the purchase of fertilisers when necessary, will 

 be about the same for both crops ; while as regards nitrogen, 

 our determination shows that the canaigre draws nearly twice 

 as heavily as the beet, so that a crop of ten tons of fresh roots 

 will take out of the soil nearly lOOlbs of nitrogen per acre. In 

 regular culture, it should, therefore, prooably be alternated 

 with leguminous crops, that enrich the soil in nitrogen. 



Sericulture. — In August last a letter reached me on this 

 subject from Mr. W. H. Crowley of which the following is a 

 copy ;— 



J. M. Wood, Esq. 



Sir, — Any product that may be new or novel to Durban I 

 think would claim a little of your attention. Sericulture gives 

 unlimited employment to the working classes of Italy and 





