Miscellaneous. 



162 



[August, 1911. 



for agricultural purposes. The crude ash 

 will itself be useful as a manure, since 

 it contains a large proportion of lime, 

 together with some potash and phos- 

 phoric acid. 



" Bark.— The bark gave the following 

 results on analysis : — 



/ Per Cent. 



Moisture ... ... ... 11*6 



Ash ... ... ... 9-0 



Tannin (by Hide powder method) 316 

 Extractive matter (non-tannin) ... 5 8 



"The colour in a 1 cm. cell of a solution 

 containing 5 per cent, tannin was 12'3 

 red, 26"4 yellow. The infusion from the 

 bark deposited, on standing, a white 

 sediment, which was found to consist 

 principally of calcium oxalate. The bark 

 produced a pale pinkish brown leather 

 of stiff texture. 



" The above results show tbat the 

 bark of Terminaha glabra is a very 

 promising tanning material, and if it is 

 available in quantity, a representative 

 sample of about 1 cwt. should be sent to 

 the Imperial Institute for technical 

 trials." 



In this connection I may mention that 

 I brought with me a sample of the ash 

 of a burning kumbuk log I found near 

 Akkaraipattu Resthouse (Batticaloa Dis- 

 trict) in March last and submitted it to 

 the Government Agricultural Chemist, 

 who has favoured me with the follow- 

 ing analysis, which shows the percentage 

 of lime in the ash to be 95'2 per cent. : — 



Per Cent. 

 Insoluble ... ... 0-4 



Calcium Carbonate ... 95-2 

 Potash ... ... 3-1 



Magnesia ... ... 1*3 



Oxide of Iron ... ... Trace 



Sulphuric Anhydride ... Trace 



This is almost pure calcium carbonate, 

 with a small quantity of potash and 

 magnesia. 



In a sample of ash sent by me from 

 Dambulla in 1906, Mr. M. Kelway Bam- 

 ber found 15*20 per cent, calcium oxide, 

 80 80 per cent, calcium carbonate. As 

 the asb is easily burned to calcium oxide 

 or quicklime, the proportion of lime 

 would be about 97 per cent. It would 

 be of interest to examine a section of 

 the wood to see in what form the lime 

 is deposited in the cells, also to estimate 

 the actual amount of ash. 



An interesting series of experiments 

 with different crops has been begun at 

 the Government Stock Garden, to deter- 

 mine the action of Jeye's fluid and 

 toluene in the amelioration of soil con- 

 ditions. 



On referring the question ot prepar" 

 ing an absorbent material from the 

 beach moss of the Hambantota District, 

 previously reported on by the Director 

 of the Imperial Institute (vide Progress 

 Report LIV,), Professor Dunstan writes 

 under date July 8 that " the results of 

 experiments do not indicate that a 

 suitable material (a sample of which is 

 enclosed) can be obtained from the 

 moss." The report goes on to say that 

 "it is lifeless to the touch, exceedingly 

 weak and brittle, and does not appear 

 satisfactory for surgical purposes. Its 

 absorptive power is much less than that 

 of ordinary absorbent cotton wool ; it 

 was in fact found to absorb only 

 about three times its own weight of 

 water under conditions in which absor- 

 bent cotton absorbed fourteen times its 

 own weight." 



The promised further report on the 

 resin of' Gardenia latifolia (previously 

 referred to in Progress Report XLV.) is 

 given below : — 



" The sample of resin, which is the 

 subject of this report, was forwarded to 

 the Imperial Institute by the Secretary 

 of the Ceylon Agricultural Society with 

 letter No. 2,010 dated August 7, 1909. 



" The sample weighed 2 lb., and con- 

 sisted of irregular masses of greenish 

 yellow resin, which was transparent in 

 thin pieces. The resin had a very un- 

 pleasant odour. Many pieces of leaves 

 and twigs were in the sample. 



"The resin yielded on steam distil- 

 lation 0'07 per cent, of volatile consti- 

 tuents, the nature of which could not 

 be determined owing to the small quan- 

 tity of material available. The resin, 

 after having been submitted to steam 

 distillation, was extracted with hot 

 alcohol, and the resulting resin, now 

 free from vegetable debris, was examin- 

 ed with the following results : — 



Per Cent. 

 Moisture ... ... Nil 



Ash ... ... 01 



Melting point ... ... 70°C. 



Acid number ... ... 92 



Saponification number ... 167 

 Solubility in — 



Alcohpl ...Completely soluble 



in hot alcohol, but 

 gives a slight de- 

 posit on cooling 



Ether ... ...Partly soluble 



Alcohol and ether.. .Completely soluble 



Benzene ... ...Partly soluble 



Alcohol and 

 benzene ... ...Completely soluble 



Turpentine oil ...Partly soluble 



Alcohol and Tur- 

 pentine oil ...Completely soluble 



Turpentine oil and 

 benzene ...Partly soluble 



