SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
On the other hand, Sir J. Cadman, Professor of Mining at Birming- 
ham University, in a lecture at the Royal Institution on “ Petroleum 
and the War,” said that only 2 to 4 per cent. of the world’s oil supply 
is in the hands of this country. “One cannot overlook the fact,” he 
remarked, “that the United States, with 66 to 70 per cent. of the 
world’s oil supply, is in a very strong position, but at the same time 
we must not forget that they are developing at such a rate that they 
are absorbing oil at a greater rate than ever. There are 6,000,000 
motor cars flying about in the United States, besides a great fleet of 
steamers, and when their shipping scheme is completed they will have 
1,730 ships burning oil. With our own limited oil supplies it is essential 
that the keenest activity should be shown in stimulating every supply 
of petroleum and its substitutes. I believe that we shall be able to 
secure supplies, although our present source in the West may only 
be able to provide us with diminishing quantities.’ The lecturer 
further said that the output of the United States was 60,000,000 tons, 
compared with the 70,000,000 tons of the rest of the world, towards 
which Europe contributed only 5,500,000 tons. 
Speaking at a luncheon held in connexion with the exhibition of 
motor-boat, &c., engines at Olympia, Sir Hamar Greenwood said that 
one of the tragedies of the war was the shortage of fuel, which kept 
many warships inactive. The Admiralty were the pioneers in con- 
sidering the use of oil as fuel, and at this moment we were the most 
advanced country in the use of oil-fuel fox ships and vehicles, except, 
perhaps, America for land vehicles. The tragedy was that only 2 per 
cent. of the oil that came into this country was produced under the 
British flag, and 80 per cent. came from the United States and Mexico. 
He wished he had the power to make the wells in which they were now 
experimenting in England gush out millions of gallons a month. He 
‘could assure them that the Government and the Department over which 
he presided were fully alive to the vital necessity of oil and more oil 
under the control of the British flag. There was not a single part of 
the world which was open to prospectors where oil was not being sought, 
and great efforts were being made to secure oil-fields where the oil 
could be controlled from the source to the consumer by the British 
Government. The possibility of producing oil from coal and all the 
other suggestions were being examined by eminent men. One great 
system was held up by the fact that we had not enough coal. We were 
not yet in a position to use coal for making fuel, but he hoped that 
- before the year was out a commercial plan would be submitted for 
doing this, for the demand for oil must grow from day to day. 
FUMIGATION WITH LIQUID HYDROCYANIC ACID. 
Liquid hydrocyanic acid, which was first used as a fumigant on a 
commercial basis in 1917, has rapidly come into favour as an insecticide 
in California. In the January issue of Science and Industry results 
were published showing that under a test the most marked killing 
effect with the liquid form is at the bottom of the tree, while with 
the pot or portable generator the greatest toxicity is at the top. Investi~ 
gation has found that the greatest possible yield is 108 Ibs., or 18.56 
U.S. gallons of anhydrous liquid hydrocyanic acid from 200. Ibs. sodium 
cyanide (51.52 per cent. cyanogen). The amount of liquid hydrocyanic 
339 
