1 Dec., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 589 
JADOO FIBRE. 
By J. C. BRUNNICH, 
Chemist to the Department of Agriculture. 
Severn articles have appeared in this Jowrnal on Jadoo fibre, an artificial 
fertilising product, which, so far, has hardly received in this colony the attention 
it seemingly deserves. 
The Department of Agriculture supplied a quantity of Jadoo fibre to the 
Agricultural College for experimental purposes, and the results of these experi- 
ments will be looked for with interest, although in our rich College soils the 
effects might not be so marked as in poorer soil. 
Tn order to see if what the inventor claims is really true, I made a complete 
analysis of the product with the following result :— 
I found Jadoo fibre to be a fine fibrous product, of brownish colour, which, 
umost like a sponge, has the power of absorbing an enormous quantity of water 
up to six to eight times its own weight. This fact alone will explain part of its 
practical value, when used for pot plants, in the orchard or vineyard. This 
fibrous raw material is saturated with plant foods, which, according to analysis, 
ure to a large extent soluble in water, any plant having thus a fair amount of 
plant foods at once available for its growth ; another portion of the plant foods 
are like some in the soil not soluble in water, but soluble in hydrochloric acid, 
and these will become available gradually, by the chemical dissolving action 
possessed by the roots of growing plants. As a matter of fact, Jadoo fibre must 
be considered a highly fertile artificial peaty soil. 
Analysis. 
Per cent. 
Organic matters ... ae oon Joa bes mf is 71:40 
Containing ‘812 per cent. of Nitrogen = ‘986 per cent. Ammonia. 
Mineral matters— 
Soluble in water (total, 4°36 per cent.) 
Per cent. 
Phosphorie acid, PO, cs a we 445 
Sulphurie acid, SO, ... ay mee ae fon SS 
Nitric acid, N,O, oy we do ar cee 520 
Alumina and iron, Al,O,, e,O, ... ia uy, 271 
Lime, CaQ AX ae 
tng a fe 303 
Magnesia, MeO a ce are oe cs MOY 
Potash, K,O aed x1 ax xg “Eb 
Soda, Na,O ae ae on af) 
Ammonia, NH, “ ee ees 020 
Soluble in hydrochloric acid, 1:1 sp. gr. 
Per cent. 
SiliGayaS1 © Fae wai eet on 0B 
Sulphurie acid, SO, ... “es 0 at tn 20 
Phosphoric acid, PO, ste oe ae ao UG 
Alumina, Al,O, te a3: a as ony YAR 
Iron, Fe,O,  .., aa ee a, 7 con “ANYAD) 
Lime, CaO eon WS A 
Magnesia, MeO “a 
Potash, KO... 
Soda, Na,O ... 
i cepts alt edie 
Mite ge te eta POD) 
oT ee AWE: ee te S71 
5'838 
Tnsoluble in HCl a m = ive ee «4012 
Totalash .., tr. : 9 e he 9°85 
Moisture ; Ar Aco ¥s, 1 18°75 
