THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 1882. 
Trade in Fungus.— Auckland, August 16.— A 
steadily increasing trade in fungus is being carried on 
between the northern part of New Zealand and China, 
and last year 165 tons, valued at rather more than 
£6,000 were exported. During the nine yeas from 
1872 to 1880 inclusive, no less than 1,132 tons, valued 
at £47,651, were exported. Very little attention has 
been paid to this branch of industry until recently. 
The New Zealand fungus is found upon various kinds 
of decayed timber in the North Island. It mostly 
favours damp localities, and is very plentiful on the 
east coast south of the East Cape. Children aDd Maoris 
collect it, and after being sold to the dealers, it is 
packed in bales and forwarded to China by way of 
Sydney and San Francisco. The Chinese use it as 
an article of food. — Colonies and India. 
Deteemination of Potash in Agbicultubal Sub- 
stances by means of Pebchlobic Acid. — Armand Bar- 
trand. — In the first place it is necessary to examine 
if the substance in question contains an ammoniacal 
salt. If this is the case, the ammonia must be ex- 
pelled by boiling with a little caustic lime. It is 
necessary that the substance should be perfectly clear. 
The filtered solution of the sample is evaporated on 
the water-bath in a small procelain capsule with 
5 c c. of perchloric acid at 45° B. until the volume 
of the liquid is reduced to about 10 c,c. The cap- 
sule is taken off the water-bath, alcohol at 95 per 
cent is added ; it is let cool, and the potassium per- 
chlorate is collected upon a small filter. The preci- 
pitate is washed with alcohol at 95 per cent con- 
taining 10 per cent by volume of perchloric acid, 
until the liquid running through no longer shows 
the reactions of sulphuric and phosphoric acids. The 
washing is then completed with alcohol at 95 per 
cent without the admixture of perchloric acid. It is 
then dried in the stove. At the end of twenty to 
thirty minutes the precipitate is detached from the 
filter and spread out in a tared watch-glass. It is 
weighed twice, to be certain that the desiccation is 
complete, and the weight of the potassium perchlorate 
thus obtained is noted. On the other hand, as there 
always remains a little perchlorate adhering to the 
filter, instead of using a tared filter, the author 
considers it more expeditious to operate as follows : — 
During the desiccation of the perchlorate in the 
watch-glass the filter is burnt in a platinum capsule 
fitted with a lid. The potassium chloride resulting 
from the calcination is washed into a glass, and the 
chlorine is determined with a centinormal silver solu- 
tion. A multiplication indicates the perchlorate to be 
added to that which has been weighed. This pro- 
cess gives accurate results in presence of lime, mag- 
nesia, soda, baryta, iron, alumina, and sulphuric or 
phosphoric acids, free or combined. The author pre- 
pares his perchloric acid as follows : — He dissolves 
purified barium chlorate in hike-warm water, and 
precipitates with dilute suphuric acid. He lets settle, 
draws off the clear liquid with a syphon, and washes 
the precipitate of barium sulphate. The solution of 
chloric acid is evaporated in a porcelain capsule 
over a naked fire until the concentrated liquid be- 
comes yellow aud emits a peculiar sound if heated 
further. It is then divided in capsules of 19 centi- 
metres in diameter, each capable of containing about 
700 c.c, and the evaporation is continued until the 
liquid is completely colourless, and emits dense white 
fumes. In order to diminish the inevitable loss of 
perchloric acid, a little water may be added from 
time to time during the concentration. Four parts 
of barium chlorate yield in general 1 part of per- 
chloric acid at 45° B The colourless liquid is distilled 
in a retort heated on the sand-bath. A long-necked 
tubulated receiver is adapted to the retort without 
the use of a cork. — Chemical News. 
New Products at Avisawella, (Ceylon).— We are 
having remarkably fine growing weather now for our 
last year's clearings. The Liberian are beginning to 
throw out the large light yellowish leaves, which is 
a sure sign the roots are all right beneath. Cocoa 
is coming on very, well, but goes out mysteriously 
in small patches, although each month's growth 
enables it to fight through its various enemies 
with greater chance of success. Cardamoms are bearing 
well after eighteen months' growth, they grow to almost 
any height in that time. Para Rubber wont grow 
anywhere here, I heard of the last tree in the place 
having died lately. Ceara comes on wonderfully fast 
and is a healthy fine looking tree. Will it, or will 
it not ultimately, pay ? Ours is getting a large and 
a most interesting district to anyone wishing to see 
low growing products. There are also five large en- 
gines sawing timber. It is interesting to watch the 
elephants working at theee mills and the systematic 
way in which the great saws are worked and the 
timber transported through miles of jungle cart roads. 
— C. Times. 
New Zealand: Beet root.— Efforts are being made 
to secure the establishment of a beet-root sugar manu- 
factory in the Waikato, and to induce the settlers to 
cultivate the beet. At a meeting of settlers last week, 
it was announced that the Hamburg Company were 
willing to furnish seed of the best quality for the 
cultivation of 500 tons of beet, send out a plant 
capable of manufacturing 10,000 tons per annum, and 
skilled labour to work it, and to take about 6,000£ 
money interest in the undertaking, if the settlers would 
grow that quantity of beet and provide the remaining 
capital required — some 24,000L The nett profit for 
the working of a plant of this kind was expected to 
be not less than 30 per cent per annum on the paid- 
up capital. Notwithstanding the fact that the soil 
and climate in Waikato are very suitable for the growth 
of beet-root, the settlers appeared indisposed to under- 
take its cultivation ; but in order to prevent a failure 
of the scheme, Mr. J. C. Firth, a wealthy landowner, 
and the possessor of many thousands of fertile acres 
at Matamata, has undertaken to grow from 500 to 
700 acres of beet-root per annum for a long term of 
years. Should the necessary capital be found, therefore, 
sugar may form one of the principal articles of export 
from Auckland ere long. — Colonies and India. 
Useful Ants. — We are told that "many of the lead 
ing orchard proprietors in Northern Italy and Southern 
Germany are cultivators of the common black ant, 
which insect they hold in high esteem as the fruit- 
grower's best friend. They establish ant-hills in their 
orchards, and leave the police service of their fruit 
trees entirely to the tiny colonists, which pass all 
their time in climbing up the stems of the fruit trees, 
cleansing their boughs and leaves of malefactors, mature 
as well as embryotic, and descend laden with spoils 
to the ground, when they comfortably consume or 
prudently store away their booty. They never meddle 
with sound fruit, but only invade such apples, pears, 
and plums as have already been penetrated by the 
canker, which they remorselessly pursue to its fast- 
nesses within the very heart of the fruit. Nowhere 
are apple and pear trees so free from blight and 
destructive insects as in the immediate neighbourhood 
of a large ant-hill five or six years old. The favourite 
food of ants would be the larvse and pupae of those 
creatures which spend the whole of their brief ex- 
istence in devouring the tender shoots and juvenile 
leaves of fruit trees." We have a large variety of 
carnivorous ants in Australia, some of which, perhaps, 
might be turned to account as a military force against 
some of our insect plagues. Perhaps some entomolo- 
gist may find it worth while to give some attention 
to this matter. — Australasian. 
