PRODUCTION  OF  AMBER  IN  THE  BALTIC. 
369 
PRODUCTION  OF  AMBER  IN  THE  BALTIC. 
The  prodigious  quantities  of  yellow  amber  collected  by  the 
explorers  of  Curischen  Haff  and  the  neighborhood  of  Memel, 
operating  with  12  steam  dredges  and  3  ordinary  dredge  boats, 
have  called  attention  anew  to  this  interesting  branch  of  com- 
merce, now  amounting  to  35000  kilograms  weight  in  a  single 
year. 
The  results  of  recent  researches  show  that  the  blue  earths  or 
ambraic  littoral  contains  this  precious  substance  in  quantities 
averaging  25  to  160  grains  per  cubic  foot. 
The  total  production  of  the  Baltic  coast  at  present  is  nearly 
100,000  kilograms,  of  which  50,000  are  collected  on  the  water 
courses  and  by  fishing,  35,000  by  dredging  and  15,000  by 
trenching  the  sandy  hillocks  near  the  sea. 
The  value  of  amber  varies  infinitely,  ranging  between  7  cents 
and  several  hundred  thalers  (70  cts.  each),  and  is  fixed  for  each 
piece  according  to  its  color,  size  and  form.  A  small  part  only 
can  be  employed  for  the  manufacture  of  cigar  cases,  brooches 
and  other  objects  of  art  and  luxury;  the  larger  quantity,  how- 
ever, is  used  for  beads  to  export  to  Africa,  the  south  sea  islands 
and  the  East  Indies,  where  these  articles  have  always  been  a 
favorite  article  of  commerce,  and  have  been  in  use  in  the  east 
since  the  days  of  Herodotus. 
About  forty  per  cent,  of  the  amber  collected  cannot  be  used 
for  this  purpose,  owing  to  opacity  or  imperfections  in  structure. 
This  quantity,  viz.,  40,000  kilos.,  is  used  for  aromatic  fumiga- 
tion and  for  conversion  into  oil  and  lac  of  amber. 
The  oil  and  acid  of  amber  are  chiefly  employed  in  the  labora- 
tories for  the  production  of  succinate  of  ammonia.  Succinic 
acid  is  also  used  in  dyeing  and  in  photography.  The  amber 
varnish  or  lac  is  used  for  iron  pipes,  gates,  machines  and  cast- 
iron,  to  which  it  is  desirable  to  give  an  elegant  deep  black  color. 
It  is  thought  that  this  article  will  become  much  in  vogue  when 
its  qualities  are  better  known,  and  it  is  made  already  in  large 
quantities  in  western  Prussia. — Annales  du  Commerce  Exterieur 
et  Jour,  de  Chim.  Med. 
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