326 
the principal variety cultivated. When ripe, the 
canes are carried to the sugar-mill, which consists 
of two stone rollers, about 3 feet by 2 feet usually 
of granite, set up vertically side by side. The prin- 
ciple is the same as in the Chica Ballapura engine, 
except that the rollers are not themselves grooved 
to form screws. The canes are passed three times 
between the rollers, and from 100 lb. weight of the 
raw material an average of 50 lb. of juice is ex- 
pressed. Clay or mud of the consistency of cream, 
and without any regard of cleanliness, is poured to 
the depth of an inch or two on the top of the brown 
drained sugar. The moisture from the clay, which 
soon hardens and does not contaminate the sugar, 
descends through the crystals, carrying with it the 
dirty coloured treacle enveloping the crystals, Iwhich 
are not affected or diminished, but simply washed 
white. It has been proved, by experiments con- 
ducted in the presence of the sugar growers of South 
Formosa, that there is a great waste of juice as at 
present extracted by the native mill. Two small 
mills from England were set to work, and from 
100 lb. weight of cane each produced not 50 lb. but 
68 lb. of juice, and, to prove that, there was no 
mistake as to the amount, the refuse of 100 lb. of 
cane, which had passed three times through the 
native was passed once through the foreign mill, 
and yielded 18 lb. of juice, that is, a gain of 18 
per cent. 
Camphoh. 
The manufacture of camphor itself is a most im- 
portant industry in Formosa, and the difficulties 
connected with it are by no means light. In the 
first place, the camphor laurel grows in savage 
territory only, and the hillmen of Hakkas, who bor- 
der on that territory, have to make monetary or 
other arrangements with the savage Chiefs to pro- 
tect, or refrain from destroying, the stoves or stills 
which the former set up in their country. These 
arrangements are, as a rule, very unsatisfactory, 
for, as soon as trouble arises, no matter what may 
have been the cause, they proceed without delay 
to vent their resentment on the stills, which are 
promptly destroyed. Several foreign firms are en- 
gaged in the trade, and their method of conduct- 
ing the business is worthy of notice. Advances are 
made to the hillmen on conditon that they set up 
a certain number of stoves, supply monthly a fixed 
amount of camphor at a price agreed upon, and 
repay the advances by instalments at certain stated 
periods. Bonds are entered into, and securities are 
given by the hillmen for the due performance of 
their contracts; but there is an agreement between 
the Chinese and foreign Consular authorities that 
Consular assistance cannot be invoked for the re- 
covery of advances made in the camphor business. 
In spite, therefore, of the securites given, foreign 
merchants make advances at their own risk. 
As soon as the hillmen have settled all their pre- 
liminaries with the savage Chiefs, and a suitable 
spot has been fixed among the camphor trees for 
the erection of a still, the former proceed to run 
up a shed or rough building, the size of which de- 
pends on the number of stoves it is intended to 
contain. If ten are to be erected, the building would 
be about '.20 feet long by 13 feet broad. In the 
centre of the floor an oblong structure some 4 feet 
high, 10 feet long, and 6 feet broad, is built of sun- 
dried mud bricks, having five fire-places or holes at 
each side raised a foot or so above the floor of 
the room. The two ends of the structure are solid, 
and without flre-placea. The latter are so built that 
an earthenware pot can easily be inserted above 
the fire in each hole. An earthenware cylinder con- 
nects the mouth of each pot with the service of 
the structure, or still, aa it may more conveniently 
be called. Between the pot and the lower end of 
the cylinder there is a round thin piece of wood 
fitting both the mouth of the pot and the lower 
end of the cylinder, and perforated so as to allow 
the steam from the water in the pot to pass into 
the ; cylinder during distillation. The top of each 
cylinder is usually about a foot in diameter, and 
is level witb tlid surface of the still. 
The camphor laurel attains an enormous height 
and girth in Formosa. I have seen a horieontal 
section of a stem which was at least 6 feet iu 
diameter, and which at one time formed the en- 
trance to the house of a savage chief. The door- 
way is cut out of the section. It is now a trophy 
belonging to a missionary, and has to be accommo- 
dated on the verandah of his house. M ucJi difficulty 
is experienced by the hillmen in felling their forcBt 
giants, and reiourse is frequently had to firing au 
as to expedite their work. Quantities of valuable 
timber are thus consumed, and, as no trouble is 
taken to plant young trees, the day will come when 
such waste will be regretted. The tree once felled, 
the branches are removed, and the trunk sawu into 
planks. Branches and planks are then set upon by 
a number of men, each armed with a Bmall scoop- 
shaped adze, every stroke of which removes a chip 
about an inch long. The extract remains a greyish 
white powder, which unlike the camphor produced 
in Japan, does not solidify under pressure. A ready 
market is found for Formosan camphor, which is 
an important ingredient in smokeless powder. — 
London and China A'x/iirse. 
MORE POTASH XEKDED. 
1. Fodder crops, pasture grasses, com stover and 
hay all remove large auiounts of potash from the 
soil, and these crops occupy a large proportion of 
our improved lands. 
2. The urine of our domestic animals contains 
about four-fifths of the total potash of their excre- 
ments. 
3. When urine is alio we J to waste, the manure 
is poor in potash. 
4. When mantires are exposed to rains, much of 
the potash being soluble, is washed away. 
5. Nearly all the special fertilizers are especially 
rich in phosphoric acid, and do not contain enoogh 
potash. 
6. Superphosphates were the first fertilizers to 
come into general use among onr farmers. 
7. When the farmer buys a fertilizer, be still, 
nine times out of ten, calls" for a phosphate. 
8. As a result of the above conditions our soils 
seem to be quite generally in need of more liberal 
applications of potash. 
9. In the case of corn the need of potash appears 
to be particularly prominent. 
10. For a good crop of corn the fertilizer used 
should supply 100 to 1251b. of actual potash per 
acre ; 200 to 250 lb. of muriate of potash or one 
ton (50 Bu) of good wood ashes will do this. 
11. With ordinary f.irm and stable manure it will 
generally pay to use some potash for com ; 125 to 
150 lb. of muriate of potash has given profitable re- 
sults, 
12. The liberal use of the • potash meane more 
clover in our fields, more nitrogen taken from the 
air, more mUk in the pail, a richer manure heap, 
and store-houses and barns fuU to overflowing It 
means also a sod which when turned will help every 
other crop. 
1.3. For the potato crop the sulphate appears to 
be much superior to the muriate of potash, promoting 
both yield and quality in much higher degree ; 300 
to 400 lb. of high grade sulphate of potash fur- 
nishes enough of this element. 
14. For oats, rye and grass, nitrate of soda ap- 
plied just as the growth begins in spring has proved 
very beneficial ; 3O0 to 400 lb. per acre should be 
applied. Prof. W. P. Brooks, Massachusetts Agri- 
cultural College. — Indian Agriculturist. 
Inoculating Fobbst-pests. — The Society of 
Friends of Natural Science in Danzig off-re, says 
Clienmt and Druggist, a prize of 501. foi the most 
praotioal method of d6Btro>ing the ioBeots which 
ravage the forests of Western Prussia, by meana of 
the introduction among them of an epidemical 
disea!:r. Treatiaea on the subject must be written 
in Geiman or French, and reach ths Secretary of 
the Society in the ooarse of the present year. 
