udis cakes LA found to contain only 6:7 pet cent of proteids, with 
- . 8:4 per cent. of a The large amount of dextrin is due to the high 
. temperature eee the chestnuts are subjected in the process of drying. 
: Professor Church thinks that chestnut flour ought to be of easy digesti- 
-  ility, and a suitable children's food, considering PM it contains over 
: 40 = cent, of nutritious inatters soluble i in pure water 
CLIX.—WINE PRODUCTION IN FRANCE. 
The following note respecting ihe wine production of France was 
recently published in “Annales de ia Société d’ Horticulture et d Histoire 
naturelle de UV Herault,’ 1889, p. 252. The figures themselves are 
— from t the Sete de de Statistique du Minisiere des —' — 
Nombre | Production 
Années. d'heetares plantés, en _hectolitres 
en vigne. de vin récolté, 
1880 a : 2,204,459 29,667,000 
1881 ` 2,699,923 34,139,000 
1882 - 9,135,349 30,886,000 
1883 2 i ,095,927 36,029,000 
1884 s $ 2,040,759 34,781,060 
1855 : 1,990,586 28,536,000 
1886 : 1,959,102 25,063,000 
1887 : : 1,944,150 $4,333,000 
1888 ` 1,843,580 | 80,102,000 — | 
1889 - . . 1,817,787 ^ | 93,224,900 | 
CLX.—RAMIE AS FOOD FOR SILKWORMS. 
(Boehmeria nivea, H. K.) 
"The Ramie or Rhea plant (Beehmeria nivea) is being experimentally 
cultivated in numerous parts of the world as a fibre plant. Particulars 
in regard to the numerous attempts that have been made to prepare the 
fibre of the Ramie on a commercial scale have already been given in the 
Kew Bulletin (June, November, and December 1888; and November 
and December 1889). It now appears that the pute of the Ramie 
plant may be used as a food for silkworms, in the same way as those of 
the mulberry and Osage orange (Maclura aui cnsitien). All three 
plants belong to the same natural order Urticacee, and there should be 
no reason why they ae not be found equally suitable. ‘The follow- 
ing account of the use of Ramie leaves for feeding silkworms in the 
United States was communicated to the Foreign Office by Mr. A. de G. 
de Fonblanque, H.B.M 's Consul at New Orleans :— 
* A discovery has beu made by a lady in Columbia, S. C., that may 
pU a marke effect upon 1 two I "industries For a number o 
cdm em of cocoons to the Women’s Gactety or the Encouragement 
of the Silk Industry in Philadelphia. The extraordinary warmth of this 
— "winter caused the eges to hateh far in savas of the — and as Prt 
