5o8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICLLTURIST, 
[Jan. I, 1 S 98 . 
and Haputale ; iron used to be smelted in hole« 
and kilns on the patnas by villagers near Kaba- 
galla 'when I came in ’58. The rough lumps of iron 
were taken to RatTiapura and they came back to us 
in the sliapeof catties and axes tor felling our forests, 
and manioties for the villagers ploughing season, 
besides gun-barrels and many other kinds of im- 
plements. I think Dr. Gygax said the ironstone 
contained 90 percent of pure iron. NYhat we want 
is coal to melt it. — Yours truly, 
OLD HA^sD. 
It will be observed that the larger coconut, although 
grown on an inland estate, yielded the larger prc- 
portiou of chlorine ; and even supposing the iticine- 
ration of the husk of the iniand-growu nut to have 
been conducted with somewhat less loss of chlorides 
the legitimate inference from these two analyses if 
that a sufficient supply of common salt must exist 
in the soil or be supplied to the soil, for the suc- 
cessful cultivation of the coconut tree. 
M. COCHRAN. 
SALT IN THE ASH OF COCONUT 
HUSK. 
Kandy, Dee. 27. 
Dear Sir, — Some time ago I sent you the results 
of an analysis of the ash of the busk of a coco- 
nut grown near the sea. The analysis sliewed 
that the ashes contained a large proportion of 
chlorides, the total chlorine found being 2'1'80 per 
cent, equivalent to 40'87 per cent of common salt. 
The iuterence from the analysis was that common 
salt should be regarded as an essential ingredient 
of plant food of the coconut tree ; but to make 
certain that a large amount of chloride was nor- 
mally present in the ash of coconut husk, and 
that this was not simply an accidental circumstance 
due to the proximity of the tree to the sea, it 
seemed to be necessary to prove by experiment 
that salt was also present in large proportion in 
the ash of husks of nuts of good quality grown far 
from the sea. A short time ago 1 had the oppor- 
tunity of demonstrating this in the case of a well- 
grown coconut, much above the average size, received 
from Mr. Austin Fernando, of Veheralanda Watta, 
Kurunegala. I have not Mr. Fernando’s letter 
beside me, otherwise I should quote from 
it, but it was stated in the letter that the nut was 
grown on land that had never been manured, and 
that the nut had been allowed to mature on the tree. 
In the case of the sea-side nut, one third part of 
the husk, cut longitudinally, was reduced to ashes. 
If the husk be regarded as built up of three carpels 
. then one-third part corresponds to a complete carpel. 
In the case of the inland nut, with a view to 
minimise the loss of chloride that is liable to take 
place during incineration, as chlorides of the alkalies 
begin to volatilise at a red heat, I took only one-sixth 
part of the husk, corresponding to half a carpel. As- 
suming the two halves of a carpel or modified leaf 
cut longitudinally to have the same chemical com- 
position, a half carpel may be regarded as re- 
presentative of the whole husk, while a shorter time 
is required to reduce the smaller proportion of the 
husk to ashes, and the possible losS of chloride is 
therefore proportionally reduced. 
The chlorine was the only constituent of the ash 
that I considered it necessary to determine. This 
amounted to 2(j'498 per cent of the ash, w'hich is 
equivalent to 49 67 per cent of common salt. The 
following exhibits, in tabular form, a comparison of 
the results obtained with the sea-side and with the 
inland coconuts respectively 
Weight of coconut with husk . . 
Weight of nut . . 
Weight of husk.. 
Proportion of husk used for 
analysis . . • • 
Percentage of crude ash yielded 
by husk 
Percentage of chlorine in ash of 
hush 
Percentage of common salt 
equivalent to chlorine in 
ash of husk . . 
Weight of common salt equi- 
valent to chlorine in one 
husk .. •• -01417 lb. ■02152 1b. 
Ditto in I,00C husks same as 
those analysed .. 11T7 Ib. 21 52db- 
Seaside 
Coconut. 
3-482 lb. 
1-693 lb. 
1-789 ib. 
Inland 
Coconut. 
4-407 lb. 
1- 9i4 lb. 
2- 493 lb. 
one-third 
one-sixth 
1-938 
1-977 
21-80 
26-498 
40-87 
43-665 
The “ AoRicui.TUR.tL Gazette" of New South 
Wales, Vol. VIII. Part 11. Edited by W. II. 
Clarke. Contents for November, 1897 Further 
Notes on the Milling Qualities of the Differ- 
ent Varieties of Wheat, F. R. Guthrie and E. H. 
Gurney; Fruit-drying, W. .J, Allen; The Culture cf 
Tobacco, A. M. Hi-well ; Sumriier Pruning of the 
Vine, M. Rlunno ; Piunn g Ornamental Trees. H. 
V. .Jackson ; Profit,: ble Poultry. breeding for the Local 
and English Markets iContlusion), Geo. Ilradshawa 
the Curing of Meats, Reprint; Infiuence of Rees on 
Crops, Albert Gale ; Ree Calendar for December, 
Albert Gale; Oichard Notes for December, Geo. 
Waters; Practical \igetable and Flower Growing 
for December, V . S. Campbell ; General Notes ; 
Replies to Correspondents; Agricultuial Societies’ 
Shows ; Label for Specimens. 
MINOR PRODUCTS :-DRUG REPORT. 
(From Ihe Chemist and Jhufjcjist.) 
London, Dec. 9. 
Coca-leaves.- Privately the market i.s very firm Sd pet- 
lb. for f. ir ftreen sh TiuxiPo leaves. Of 54 Lale.s Truxillo 
ottered at auction, G soUl ,td per ib. for fair greenish 
and .‘■(I per lb. for ordinaiy damaged. Nine casM of good 
IIuucoco character leave.s uom Ceylon sold rather ehe-iplv 
at 6d per lb. ‘ 
Croton 8eeds tern in neglected. At auciion ten bags 
of orilinary part small at.d dull from bhai ghai sold 
very cheaply at 13s per cwi. Another tot of two ba"s 
rather dark mixed Ceylon, was bought in at4ts per cwt’ 
nominally. 
KOLA.--Four Miiall consigmneiits, totalling 27 packtin-es 
of West Indian kola were oftered at rale today, amP a 
portion sold at 5d fur souml, and from 3d to Vd per lb 
for damaged quality. Another lot of nice washed West 
Indian kolas is held for 7d to 7Rl per lb., and fair natural 
at 6d per lb. 
Oils (Essential).— Sandalwocd oil firmer on account of 
the advance in the price of wood in lucli . A fair quan* 
tity of eucalyptus oil was offered at auction today. At 
aucti- n there was a rather large supply of Cinnamon oil 
One case of this oil was bouglit in nominally at 4s per 
oz. ; others aie limited at fiom 1s 7d down to Is peroz 
Two cases of very pour rank quality acre knocked down 
at 5d per cz. There is plenty more of this same lot on 
hand. Ltmoiigrass is extrtmely firm, and noihing can be 
had on the spot below £d per oz., but it seems doubtful 
whether more than (id per oz. lias yet been p.id. There 
is practically nothing offering to arrive. At auction 10 
cases, *■ land carriage," were bought in. Another lot of 
25 cases imported via Hamburg is 1 mited at Sd per oz 
At auction it was bought in nc minally at Is per oz. One 
case distilled W.I. Oil t f limes sold at 3s 3d per lb 
which sh ws no alteratiui compared with the last sale 
at auction. For three cases Nutmeg oil ottered ‘without 
reserve,’ and sold at lower prices, viz. IFl to 2d per cz. For 
Citronella oil, November shipment Is Id per Ib. oif 
terms, in drums, has been paid, and on the spot, ne.'iiVst 
quotation is Is 3d ; er lb. for drums, and Is 4d’ per lb 
for tins. 
DEAFNlSS. 
All essay (tescnbing- a really 
geiuniie Cure for Deafness. 
Ringing in Ears Ac., no matter how severe or long 
standing, will he sent post free. —Artificial Ear- 
drums and similar ajjpliances entirely superseded. 
Address THOMAH KEMPE, ViCTOltiA Cham- 
UERS, 19, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, 
London. ’ 
