OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  SPECIES  OF  NICOTIANA. 
471 
line,  very  little  soluble  in  cold  water,  a  little  more  in  boiling 
water,  insoluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  very  soluble  in  acetic  acid, 
carbonized  by  heat  alone,  and  by  hot  sulphuric  acid. 
Anthemic  acid  is  prepared  from  the  alcoholic  liquid  obtained 
in  the  process  for  anthemin,  which  is  evaporated  to  an  extract ; 
this  treated  with  distilled  water,  and  the  aqueous  liquid  filtered 
and  saturated  with  caustic  baryta.  The  liquid  is  now  heated  to 
ebullition,  filtered,  and  diluted  sulphuric  acid  carefully  dropped 
in,  to  precipitate  the  baryta,  avoiding  an  excess.  The  liquid 
filtered  from  the  sulphate  of  baryta  is  evaporated  to  dryness  and 
exhausted  with  ether,  which  is  allowed  to  evaporate  spontane- 
ously, and  yields  prismatic  crystals,  contaminated  with  extract- 
ive matter.  These  crystals  have  a  decided  bitter  taste,  and  the 
odor  of  chamomile  ;  they  redden  strongly  litmus  paper,  are  sol- 
uble in  water,  alcohol  and  ether,  and  entirely  insoluble  in  ben- 
zin.  The  author  intends  extending  his  researches  to  the  Roman 
chamomile  Anthemis  nobilis. 
OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  SPECIES  OF  NICOTIANA. 
By  Dr.  John  Le  Conte. 
The  great  variety  of  tobacco  met  with  in  commerce,  differing 
in  color,  in  flavor,  and  in  strength,  does  not  depend  upon  a  dif- 
ference in  species  or  variety,  but  almost  entirely  on  the  soil  in 
which  it  has  grown,  in  the  method  of  curing  it,  and  the  adulter- 
ations which  it  undergoes  in  passing  through  the  hands  of  un- 
scrupulous dealers.  Thus  manured  land  never  produces  the 
plant  of  the  first  quality ;  for  this  purpose,  a  virgin  soil,  very 
rich  and  strong,  with  but  little  calcareous  matter,  is  required. 
This,  however,  will  not  endure  for  a  longer  space  than  six  years  : 
it  gradually  deteriorates,  until  at  last  it  is  entirely  worn  out, 
and  cannot  be  brought  back  to  its  original  state  by  the  applica- 
tion of  manure.  This  always  renders  it  disagreeably  strong,  and 
highly  impregnated  with  nitre.  Calcareous  soils  produce  these 
same  effects,  and  thus  the  tobacco  of  our  Western  States  is  in- 
ferior to  the  Virginian  and  may  easily  be  known  by  a  saline 
taste.  If  tobacco  bo  cured  without  the  use  of  artificial  heat, 
its  fine  flavor  is  better  preserved,  and  its  color  more  uniform. 
Again,  if  dried  with  little  exposure  to  the  air,  it  becomes  of  a 
