186 



within the soil, especially of lime, potash and phosphoric acid, and also 

 of other ash constituents. { ^ ^ ) . 



In concluding, attention may be called to the paper relating 

 to the recent patent taken out by Professor Nobbe and Dr. 

 Hiltner for " Nitragin," ^) the object of which is to provide single legu 

 minous seeds with the appropriate nodule organisms, instead of inocu- 

 lating the land by means of cartloads of soil The question put by Sir 

 J. B. Lawes, (^'') more than a year ago. Will the day come when 

 seeds are sent out furnished with the appropriate organisms to supply 

 the deficiency in our fields ?" is thus already answered. 



TAMARINDS. 



The method of preparing tamarinds for the British market is the 

 subject of a note in a Madras contemporary, from which it appears 

 that the process is a very tedious one, requiring great care in packing. 

 The fruit is first of all allowed to ripen on the tree, the shell being 

 perfectly dry and coming away from the fruity part without any ad- 

 herence. In preserving, the longest and most developed pods are 

 chosen and shelled, the stalk, fibres, and seeds being allowed to remain 

 intact. A syrup of crystallised sugar and water is then made over a 

 slow fire, into which the tamarinds are carefully put piece by piece, and 

 allowed to simmer until the pulp of the fruit has absorbed the syrup, 

 care being taken not to allow the pulp to separate from the fibre. The 

 vessel it tnen removed from the fire, and on cooling, the tamarinds are 

 packed in earthenware pots glazed on the inside only. At the bottom 

 of the pot a layer of white sugar is placed, on the top of which a layer 

 of tamarinds is put^ the gaps being filled by bending the fruit ; over 

 this is poured more syrup and another layer of sugar, and go on, layer 

 after layer, until the jar is full. Circular paper saturated with brandy 

 is placed on the top, the pots securely corked and stored away until the 

 preserve becomes mellow, when they are ready for export. For this 

 purpose jars with names or initials burnt or blown in are not used, as 

 the contents may be removed before being passed through the Customs. 

 {Chemist and Druggist). 



15. See also concluding paragraph of Lawes and Gilbert's paper, already referred 

 to (Journal K. A. S. E., 1892, [b] Vol. 11.. p, 701). 



16. Deutsche landw. Zeitung, 1896, 40, JSo. 34. 



17. Agricultural Student's (iazette, April, 1895. New series, vol. 7, 72, 



