fI e T a aR ae s E 2 Mur. eM NELLE d 220 AR M T ME V RAE S RE AM S 
So ese =" ; ete a ARS cu t 
2 4 (CES AUNT pee 
dE MER 
145 
Mr. Jurivs P, Jameson to ROYAL GARDENS, Kew, 
10 Austin Friars, E.C., 
Dear SIR, 21 November 879. 
Ar the suggestion o of J. Simpson, Esq., manager for Donald 
Currie & Co., I take the liberty of addressing you or a subject of great 
interest in South Africa,—the preservation of grain, p, principally maize. 
In King William’s Town last year it was wort 40s. per and [ 
shipped : some cee of bags by mail steamer, and sold diem at that. 
It is now worth 10s. ber bag. It will probably next year be worth 5s. 
per bag. It may he 30s. again in a few years, I wish to learn how to 
preserve it from weevil. We do not fear damp or spoiling, but this 
insect is almost certain to swarm in it if kept a year in an ordinary 
way. Could you recommend me a work to read on kiln-drying grain, 
though that would be expensive in our country without coals and very 
little wood. Would I learn much about it if I went to Algiers or per: 
or even Egypt? ‘The climate in North Afiicn must be much the sam 
as South: soil and product also much alike. They ele have means 
of preserving years of plenty till years of famine as Joseph did as 
related in the Bible. I shall ERES return to South Africa next 
year, and as I have to buy grain largely from some natives and to sell it 
again to natives and Europeans, I am anxious to tr y some metho l of 
or md : free from weevil. I doubt if kiln-drying would de i 
Tf you could put me in the way of learning py on this ps I 
shall De, grosty obliged. My partner is a a ve s ;pe Parliament, 
4 
(Signed) - Ad ipe P. JAMESON, 
Mr. Chureh, Professor of Chemistry to the Royal Academy, very 
kindly supplied the following memorandum, a copy of which was 
furnished to Mr. Jameson. 
MEMORANDUM by Prof. A. H. CHURCH, "bee on the PRESERVATION 
AND DRYING or GRAI 
P only effective instrument for drying grain is that invented by 
; . A. Gibbs, of Gillwell Park, Chingford, Essex. It is called 
“Gibby Patent Tea Dr yer," Misa is "suitable for drying corn, coffee, 
vy in elosed vessels, is very mintite— not more t tan 14 lb. to each ton 
grain—so that 8d. is the cost of preserving a ton "of wheat. Tho 
: bistlphide leaves no disagreeable taste or smell bebind, oe the quality 
.. Of the grain remains unimpaired. When bags are used i th 
iron cylinders specially Rica for use in the bisulphide- process, the 
protective influence of this chemical soon ceases, and a fresh application 
of the bisulphide must be sade Tu either case the liquid is applied as 
follows. A ballof tow is tied to a stick of such a length that it can 
just be plunged into the middle of the vessel containing the grain. The 
tow receives the charge of bisulphide like a sponge and is then a£ once 
Pd into the sack or cylinder and left there, the mouth being 
