pressure, had given rise to an organic acid which discliaiged 
the colour. 
Mr. Hurst described his experience ot mildew on printed 
cottons and upon dyed fustians, at Gibraltar and Calcutta. 
In most cases it appeared in spots and round patches, which 
affected the colours. On the fustians, he had no doubt it 
was caused by the growth of a fungus, as the surrace of the 
spots was sensibly raised. 
Mr. Mosley considered there might be several kinds of 
mildew ; that upon the fustians might be attributed to the 
bone size with which those goods were generally finished, 
and known by the characteristic smell. Mr. Mosley also 
exhibited a pattern of grey calico, which^ had become dis- 
coloured and quite rotten in irregular patches, from mildew ; 
it had lain for *Somc time in a damp place, under pressure; 
there was this peculiarity about it, that the coloured patches 
whilst damp were quite tender, but on exposure to the air 
and drying, the cloth had recovered its strength. 
Mr. Heys remarked that twenty years ago he was engaged 
in the manufacture of fine muslins; it was usual to soak the 
weft in soap suds to facilitate the weaving ; and it was found 
the cloth was most liable to mildew during hot, close, summer 
weather, and the greater the quantity of goods heaped together 
the more rapidly would mildew set in. The flour from which 
the size was made was always the best that could be purchased. 
Mr. Heys exhibited mounted specimens of the fibres of the 
Zostera Marina, and stated that, as the fibre is considerably 
finer than the finest Sea Island cotton, it might probably be 
of use in the manufacture of fine muslins for ladies’ dresses, 
if possible to obtain a supply, and separate the fibre from the 
plant by machinery. Mr. Heys also exhibited mounted 
specimens of Queensland cotton, lately sold at five shillings 
per pound ; the fibre is very regular in size and much more 
cylindrical than other cottons ; also several specimens from 
ripe and unripe pods, and Mr. Heys expressed the opinion 
that great advantage would arise from a regular and careful 
examination of cotton fibre taken fresh from the plant through 
every stage of growth. 
