450 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March £ 
Total number 
of cuttings to 
which collo¬ 
dion was ap¬ 
plied. 
Number of 
cuttings 
which took 
root. 
Total number 
of cuttings 
without the 
application of 
collodion. 
Number of 
cuttings 
which took 
root. 
First batch 
Second 
59 
40 
59 
tc 
CO 
batch .. 
72 
40 
72 
19 
“ The experiment, the author considers, speaks for itself. 
Notwithstanding the season being too far advanced for the 
full benefit of the process to be thoroughly observed, still 
twice as many cuttings took root treated by the new method 
as had rooted by the old. The mortality in the open ground 
was increased by slugs having eaten off above the soil some 
of the cuttings; those thus damaged were examined after 
they had been in the ground a month, and it was found that 
the collodion was quite as sound as when first applied. It 
would therefore appeal- that the collodion seals the wound 
of the cutting, and protects it from the fatal effects of damp, 
until roots are prepared to force through the covering of 
gun-cotton. It is further stated, that the application of this 
solution has been found to be exceedingly beneficial in the 
pruning of such plants as Euphorbia speciosa, Impatiens lati 
folia, Impatiens latifolia-alba. Hoy a bella, Hoy a imperialis, 
&c., the cut branches being prevented from bleeding. 
“ It is the author’s intention next spring to follow out this 
experiment, in budding and grafting, as he considers that it 
will also be useful in this branch of horticulture. 
“ Gutta-percha, dissolved in oether, was in some instances 
substituted to heal the wounds caused by pruning; yet 
owing to this solution not drying as rapidly as collodion, the 
first, and sometimes the second application was not suffi¬ 
cient. 
“ The effect of these solutions upon cut flowers was very 
marked. Two branches were gathered as nearly alike as 
possible ; to the flower-stalks of the one, collodion was ap¬ 
plied. These flowers were placed in vases filled with water; 
those coated over with collodion began to fade in thirty-six 
hours, and many were quite dead in three days ; whilst the 
flowers merely placed in water in the ordinary manner re¬ 
mained fresh and healthy. Those that faded soonest were 
Reseda odorata and Trap toolum majus, and those which were 
least affected were Tagetes erecta and Senecio erubescens." 
“ ON THE ACIDITY, SWEETNESS, AND 
STRENGTH OF WINE, BEER, AND SPIRITS.” 
BY H. BENCE JONES, M.D., E.R.S. 
(I) “ The acidity of the different liquids was determined 
by means of a standard solution of caustic soda. The quan¬ 
tity of liquid neutralized was always equal in bulk to 1000 
grs. of water at 60° F. 
“ The aciditv in different— 
Sherries varied from 1-95 ; 
grs.to 
2-85 grs. of caustic soda. 
Madeira 
CC 
2-70 
1C 
3-00 
CC 
Port 
it 
2-10 
CC 
2-55 
CC 
Claret 
CC 
2-55 
tc 
3-45 
cc 
Burgundy 
Cl 
2-55 
11 
4-05 
Cl 
Champagne 
Cl 
2-40 
It 
3-15 
it 
Rhine wine 
tc 
3-15 
tc 
3-00 
Cl 
Moselle 
It 
2-85 
1C 
4-50 
tc 
Brandy 
Cl 
0-15 
Cl 
0-00 
cc 
Rum 
ll 
0-15 
1C 
0-30 
It 
Geneva 
cc 
0-07 
<c 
Whisky 
1C 
0-07 
cc 
Bitter Ale 
tl 
0-90 
cc 
1-05 
Cl 
Porter 
Cl 
1-80 
cc 
2-10 
Ct 
Stout 
ct 
1-35 
1C 
2-25 
cc 
Cider 
Cl 
1-85 
It 
3-00 
cc 
Hence the order 
in which 
these 
wines 
may be arranged, 
beginning with the least acid, is Sherry, Port, Champagne, 
Claret, Madeira, Burgundy, Rhine, Moselle. 
“ (2.) The sugar was determined by means of Soleil’s sac- 
eharometer, which at least gives the lowest limit to th 
amount of sugar. 
“ The sweetness in different— 
Sherries varied from 4 grs. to 18 grs. in the ounce. 
Madeira 
• U 
6 
CC 
20 
Ct 
Champagne 
CC 
6 
tc 
28 
Cl 
Port 
it 
16 
it 
34 
cc 
Malmsy 
Cl 
56 
cc 
66 
Cl 
Tokay 
tc 
74 
tc 
Samos 
Ct 
88 
Ct 
Paxarette 
It 
94 
1C 
“ Claret, Burgundy, Rhine, and Moselle contained n< 
sugar. 
“ Hence the order in which these wines may be arranged 
beginning with the driest, is— 
Claret 
Burgundy 
Rhine 
Moselle 
Sherry 
Madeira 
Champagne 
Port 
Malmsy 
Tokay 
Samos 
Paxarette. 
“In a dietetic view, assuming that the sugar becomes acid 
then the mean results as to the acidity of the different fluid? 
examined, beginning with the least acid, is— 
Geneva 
Champagne 
Whisky 
Cider 
Rum 
Port 
Brandy 
Porter 
Claret 
Stout 
Burgundy 
Malmsy 
Rhine wine 
Madeira 
Moselle 
Ale 
Sherry 
Tokay 
Madeira 
“(3.) The alcohol was determined by means of the alco- 
bolometer of M. Geisler of Bonn 
“ The strength of different samples of— 
Port varied from 
20-7 per cent, to 23-2 
per cent, by measure. 
Sherry 
<C 
15-4 
Cl 
24-7 
Ct 
Madeira 
CC 
190 
Cl 
19-7 
tc 
Marsala 
It 
19-9 
Ct 
21-1 
tf 
Claret 
tc 
9-1 
it 
11-1 
tl 
Burgundy 
tc 
10-1 
tc 
13-2 
cc 
Rhine wine 
Cl 
9-5 
tc 
130 
It 
Moselle 
1C 
8-7 
cc 
9-4 
u 
Champagne 
It 
14-1 
a 
14-8 
ct 
Brandy 
tc 
50-4 
cc 
53-8 
ct 
Rum 
It 
72-0 
tc 
77-1 
cc 
Geneva 
tc 
49-4 
It 
Whisky 
cc 
59-3 
cc 
Cider 
cc 
5-4 
ct 
7-5 
cc 
Bitter ale 
cc 
6-6 
cc 
12-3 
cc 
Porter 
It 
6-5 
cc 
7-0 
cc 
Stout 
cc 
6-5 
ct 
7-9 
tc 
“ The Burgundy and Claret have less alcohol than was 
found by Mr. Brande forty years ago in the wines he exa¬ 
mined. The Sherry is now stronger, the Port is not so strong, 
the Marsala is weaker, the Rhine wine is the same strength, 
the Brandy is as strong as formerly; the Rum is nearly hall’ 
as strong again; the Porter is stronger, and the Stout rather 
stronger than formerly. 
“ Lastly, the specific gravity of each liquid was taken. As 
this however chiefly depends on the amount of alcohol and 
sugar present, and as these were directly determined, the 
specific gravity may be taken as a distant control on the 
amount of sugar present. 
“ Thus, in those wines in which the amount of alcohol 
was the same, the specific gravity was found to vary with the 
amount of sugar found by the saceharometer.” 
[Proceedings of Royal Society, YI. No. 101.] 
RICE MEAL AS PIG FOOD.—COST 
POULTRY FEEDING. 
OF 
One of your Correspondents, who signs himself T. I., asks 
for information respecting rice meal as food for pigs. At the 
