and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society*— July, 1910. 85 



vessel, precipitation vessel, and circulating pump. 

 After being liquefied by moderate cooling in 

 the precipitation vessel, the ammonia can be 

 drawn off, the unused amounts of nitrogen and 

 hydrogen remaining in the cyclo. An apparatus 

 for laboratory purposes exhibited by Professor 

 Haber at a recent lecture can be continuously 

 worked at a pressure of 185 atmospheres, pro- 

 ducing 90 grams of liquid ammonia an hour. 



Extensive experiments on the efficiency of 

 various catalysing agents at pressures close to 

 '200 atmospheres have shown Osmium to be an 

 excellent substance for the purpose. With a 

 mixture of about three volumes of hydrogen to 

 one of nitrogen at a pressure of 175 atmos- 

 pheres and a temperature close to 550 deg. C, 

 an output of upwards of 8 per cent of ammonia 

 by volume was readily obtained by the aid of 

 finely divided osmium. The supply of this 

 element, however, is small, and accordingly 

 some more abundant catalyst was sought for. 

 Uranium, which, according to the periodic 

 system, bears a similar relation to the slightly 

 active chromium as osmium does not iron 

 (which has long been known to exert a certain 

 catalytic action), was found to be very suitable. 



The results attained seem to prove the com- 

 mercial possibilities of the process, and as it 

 is being developed by the JBadische Anilin and 

 Soda Fabrik at Ludwigshafen the synthesis 

 of ammonia from its elements at high preEsure 

 may be safely counted among the means on 

 which agriculture can depend for tho supply of 

 nitrogen products.— London Times Supplement, 

 May 18. 



ARTIFICIAL MILK. 



Mr. J Jarman contributes the following article 

 to the Scientific American: — We have heard so 

 much about the synthetic production of per- 

 fumes, syrups, dyes, and what not, from coal- 

 tar products, that we are not easily surprised 

 by the information that milk may be artificially 

 made. The method described below, however, 

 is not a chemical one, but consists merely in 

 the mechanical admixture of distilled water with 

 crushed and finely ground sweet almonds. Prac- 

 tically the ouly difference between cow's milk 

 and that made of almonds is that cow's milk 

 contains animal casein, while tho artificial milk 

 contains vegetable casein. The latter will pro- 

 duce a good supply of cream, and if allowed to 

 stand some time will become sour. It may also 

 be coagulated by the additionof vinegar or acetic 

 acid. When combined with grape sugar, it is 

 capable of generating some extraordinary orga- 

 nic substances. The artificial milk may be used 

 with tea and coffee in the way cow's milk is used. 



To make the milk, procure half a pound of 

 sweet almonds — the Valencia, which is cheaper 

 than the Jordan almond, will give just as good 

 results. The skin of the almonds may be re- 

 moved by scalding the nuts in boiling water, and 

 peeling them with a sharp knife. The almonds 

 should then be placed in a wooden chopping 

 bowl and chopped as finely as possible. Take 

 about two ounces of the chopped almonds, and 

 place them in a mortar with a small quantity of 

 distilled water. Then grind or levigato the 

 chopped almonds, adding water occasionally, 



until about twelve ounces of water have been 

 used. The longer the grinding is continued, the 

 thicker and richer will the milk b". Now take 

 a piece of cheese cloth about 12 inches wido 

 by 24 inches long and rinse it in clean water, 

 and after wringing it as dry as possible, fold it 

 double over the top of a pitcher, and pour the 

 contents of the mortar through the cloth into 

 pitcher. The milk may be squeezed through 

 the cloth by wringing it gently, but care 

 should be taken to prevent any of the larger 

 almond particles from being forced through the 

 meshes of the cloth. 



If some of the milk thus produced is sat aside 

 for three or four hours, a thick layer of creain 

 will be found on the surface. If too much 

 water has been used in forming the milk, it may 

 be necessary to add a little sugar of milk to 

 sweeten it. The artificial milk has a slight 

 almond flavour when taken clear, but this is 

 practically lost when it is used with tea, coffee, 

 or cocoa. The colour of the cieam produced 

 is quite pale, but it may be improved by using 

 some of the almonds without the skins removed 

 in the proportion of two ounces of whole 

 almonds to six ounces of the blanched almonds. 

 Care must be taken to prevent any bitter almonds 

 from finding their way into the mixture, but one 

 or two bitter almonds to half-a-pound would 

 not affect the flavour of the milk. 



Half-a-pound of almonds will make three pints 

 of milk. — Indian Trade Journal, June2. 



GROWTH AND COLOUR OF PARA 

 RUBBER. 



Periyar Rubber Co., Thattakaad P.O., May 26. 



Mr Vincent's deductions with reference to 

 the growth or girth of Para Rubber trees in 

 your issue of the 14th inst., appear to me most 

 interesting. The outcome of his observations 

 being that the difference between the basal and 

 foot measurement on nearly all trees will give 

 you the approximate girth that trees will put 

 on during the year. I confess I was sceptical 

 of his figures as applied to tree here, as he 

 gives his annual increase of girth as under 4in. 

 in all cases, and I already knew that my trees did 

 more than this. I have, however, now found that 

 his figures will apply to older trees with a greater 

 increase of girth than his trees. In our 1902 

 planting, twenty trees measured consecutively, 

 of which one has not been tapped, are as follows, 

 basal measurement followed by 3 foot measure- 

 ment. 36 to 28, 33 to 26, 31 to 24, 32 to 27, 20 

 to 16, 50 to 43, 46 to 38, 40 to 35, 40 to 32, 30 to 

 24, 26 to 21, 35 to 30, 32 to 26, 38 to 33, 38 to 34 

 29 to 24, 32 to 25, 32 to 27, 29 to 23, 30 to 25. 

 Here the girth varies between 4in. and Sin., 

 with an average increase of nearly 6in. This 

 is approximately what the trees are putting on 

 annually, and bears out Mr Vincent's theorv. 

 The following measurements of our younger 

 fields, planted June 1906 may also be of interest. 

 Three individual trees only. Measured at 3 foot 

 Juno 1908— 12iin. ; June 1909— 19in. ; May 1910 

 — 24in. A double-stemmed tree that had one 

 stem sawn off, has increased in girth Sin. dur- 

 ing last year, the two atoms having been below 



