Pbbruart, 1912.] 



151 



Miscellaneous. 



soluble alkaloid, as determined by the 

 method specified in the United States 

 Pharmacopoeia. Both these Ceylon 

 samples of leaves comply with this 

 standard, but No, 1 contains nearly twice 

 the amount of alkaloids found in sample 

 No. 2. This difference is further 

 emphasized if the actual amount of 

 cocaine in the two samples is compared, 

 for in this respect No. 1 is about 2£ times 

 a« rich as No. 2. 



The recorded amounts of total alkaloid 

 contained in coca leaves show great 

 variation, which may be accounted for in 

 part by the different methods employed 

 for the determination. 



South American leaves are said to con- 

 tain from 0-02 to T02 per cent., and good 

 specimens contain on the average about 

 0'8 per cent, of ether-soluble alkaloids. 

 Java leaves are stated by one authority 

 to contain 0'78 percent, of total alkaloids 

 in the old leaves and 2"08 per cent, in the 

 young leaves. Other authorities give 

 figures within these two limits. 



As pointed out in the Imperial Institute 

 report of November 11, 1909, on coca 

 leaves from Ceylon, South America coca 

 leaves contain cocaine as the chief 

 alkaloidal constituent, while the Java 

 leaves are stated to contain very little 

 cocaine, though they yield alkaloids 

 from which cocaine can be piepard. For 

 that reason the Java leaves are not 

 generally used for making medicinal 

 preparations of coca, but are employed 

 chiefly as raw materials by cocaine 

 manufacturers. 



General Remarks,— The results of this 

 examination show that these Ceylon 

 coca leaves, like those produced in 

 Bolivia and Peru, contain cocaine as 

 their principal alkaloidal constituent, 

 and are therefore quite suitable for use 

 in making medicinal preparations of 

 coca, as well as for the manufacture of 

 the alkaloid cocaine. 



Reporting under date November 4, 

 1911, Professor Dunstan gives the follow- 

 ing analysis of a sample of Dhall (Caja- 

 nus indicus) forwarded by me in May 

 last :— Moisture 1064, crude proteins 

 20'11 (true proteins 19"87, other nitro- 

 genous substances "24), fat 1M0, starch 

 57'88, fibre 6-9, ash 3"37. The nutrient 

 ratio is given as 1*3, and the food units 

 1100. 



Professor Dunstan adds : " The seeds 

 contained no alkaloid, saporium, or 

 Cyanogenetic glucoside. The Dhall was 

 submitted to brokers, who considered 

 it would be worth £6 10s. per ton in 

 London (October, 1911)." 



As Dhall thrives and bears well in 

 most parts of the Island, but parti- 

 cularly in the dry districts, it should 

 prove a useful catch crop, and being a 

 legume will not exhaust the nitrogen in 

 the soil. 



On July 15 last a sample of Abassi 

 cotton grown at the Experimental 

 Garden, Tissa, was forwarded to the 

 Imperial Institute. The report on this 

 (dated November 3) has just come to 

 hand, and is to the following effect : 

 The lint is soft, fine, rather dull white, 

 somewhat badly stained, and leafy. 

 Yield of lint on ginning 36'6 per cent,, 

 yield of lint per 100 seeds 5 3 grains, 

 strength good, length of fibre irregular, 

 from 1 to 1*8 in., mostly from 1*3 to 16. 

 in. Commercial value 8$d. to 8ft£. per 

 lb., with fully good fair Abassi at I2fd. 

 per lb. The cotton is said to be poor, 

 owing to stains and dirt. 



C. DRIEBERG, 



Secretary. 



Januarys, 1912. 



ROY.4L AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 SHOW AT NORWICH, 1911. 



[Read at the Meeting of the Board 

 of Agriculture on January 8, 1912. j 



Mr. W. A. de Silva, who, while in 

 England last year, visited the Royal 

 Agricultural Society Show at Norwich 

 as a representative of the Ceylon Agri- 

 cultural Society, furnishes the following 

 note on the Show : — 



The Royal Agricultural Society's 71st 

 Annual Show, was held this year from 

 June 26 to 30 at Norwich. The Society 

 was established in 1838, and one of its 

 chief functions consists in the holding of 

 this Annual Show, which is now known 

 as the Royal Show. 



The Show this year was held under 

 the Presidency of His Majesty the King. 



The total value of prizes offered 

 reached the sum of £10,000. 



The following were the number of 

 entries in the different departments of 

 1911 Show :— Horses 707, cattle 1,061, sheep 

 741, pigs 416, poultry 1,218, 



Exhibits of agricultural implements 

 and machinery, feeding stuffs, seeds, 

 manures, &c, were shown in 457 stands. 



There were 54 entries of new imple- 

 ments. In addition to these, there were 

 comprehensive exhibits of horticulture, 

 forestry, plantations and nurseries, and 

 an agricultural educational exhibit, 



Prizes were also awarded for exhibits 

 of honey and bees and preserved fruits. 



