he chooses to make, or what price he sells at, he is to be left a free hand.

There is no doubt the foregoing arrangement will work much better than any of the existing combinations have acted. In spite of the muriatic acid arrangement, sellers were easily found at prices under Association rates; bleaching powder continued to decline, notwithstanding the fact that some makers were only making two chambers a week when they possessed plant to make five. Directly chlorate was protected, its price fell to unremunerative rates, while with caustic soda, the more its production was restricted the smaller was the demand for it, and the lower the price obtain, able. These lessons should be worth something for the future.

Under the proposed new arrangement no man's hand would be tied, and the only weakness there is about such a convention is the fact that the principles of free trade are ignored, and that when an outside capitalist can see his way to a good return upon capital invested, he will have to be reckoned with sooner or later.

The restrictions of the past have not, however, been without effect. Bleach is to-day five shillings per ton higher, and there is a good demand for large parcels at the advanced price. Caustic is also quoted as much higher, because of a decided improvement in the demand; while salt-cake is very scarce, and twenty-five shillings may fairly be quoted as the spot price, so that at the present time the market can scarcely be styled over-stocked, and is in an exceedingly good position for ascertaining the effect of any new combinations.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

T would be a very instructive operation to place some of our readers in the editorial chair, for a time, in order to let them see the strange, varied, and numerous queries that find their way here relating to almost every question concerning the chemical and allied industries.

While we are extremely anxious to benefit the whole trade, as well as ourselves, we are obliged to be quite as circumspect with reference to the information we thus disseminate in such a gratuitous manner, and further than this, many of our readers will see that there is much that must ever remain a sealed book to all outside the editor's sanctum. But while we thus write in reference to many things that relate more intimately to the literary portion of the journal, the question becomes still more serious with reference to our advertising columns, and though we believe that many querists address us on important points, without thinking seriously of the issues at stake, yet it is only fair to ourselves to point out several bearings of the matter, when most of our querists will see at once in what a dilemma they often place us.

In the literary portion of the paper we endeavour to collect such a mass of commercial chemical information that no one has ever had the pluck to gather before. We have correspondents over the whole of the civilized world, each one ever ready to let us know the latest and most important news in his immediate neighbourhood, appertaining to the chemical industries. Our weekly list of chemical imports and chemical exports is compiled at a great deal of personal labour and expense and nothing whatever is allowed to interfere with its exactness or efficiency. Coupled with the foregoing we give a faithful reflection once a week of the principal markets, each written by men of high standing, and specialists in the particular line in which they write. Our reports may be absolutely relied upon; in them prophecy is as much as possible tabooed, the immediate past and present state of the markets being given to guide both buyers and sellers in their transactions for the near future. All these, and several other items, are written expressly for the Chemical Trade Journal, and we cannot comply with the wishes of our many correspondents who week after week desire to be put into communication with the writers of our trade reports. We publish as much information as we can obtain, which we think is useful to our readers, and we are always open to receive suggestions that will tend to make the journal more

attractive and more useful to our numerous readers. That our reports have in the past been useful to many, is amply attested by the letters we have from time to time received. Two letters of last year may be quoted, in which one writer said: "From the remarks made in page - we have saved enough to pay our subscription to your journal for many years to come," while another has said, "In remitting you our further subscription we would add that one item of information has saved us enough to pay several subscriptions to the Chemical Trade Journal for ever." We may add that the value of the information alluded to did not depend in any way upon its intrinsic merits. The value really lay in the application of it. We throw out the hints, the manufacturer must do the remainder if he desires to profit by them.

We shall endeavour by every means in our power, to make the information we give, early and reliable, and especially so with our market reports, so that before long every buyer of chemicals will find the Chemical Trade Journal one of the necessaries to his existence; but we cannot give earlier or fuller information to a favoured few.

During the past few months, the numerous enquiries upon purely trade and manufacturing matters have so steadily increased that we feel it has become necessary to say a few words from our point of view. We cannot allow our answers to correspondents to interfere in any way with our advertising columns. Sometimes we are asked which is the better of two pumps, or mills, or ice-machines, that may possibly be advertised in our columns; the querists do not see that they are placing us in a very awkward position as managers of a trade journal. Advertisements are for the purpose of bringing the manufacturer's wares before the notice of purchasers, it is the duty and privilege of the would-be buyer to examine the rival productions for himself, and to ascertain, if he is capable of so doing, which is the better of the two.

66

Another form of enquiry we are constantly receiving is the application for addresses of the sellers of some specific form or quality of chemical products. In the past we have not restricted either the quality or the quantities of our replies, but this must now come to an end for very obvious reasons. We have too often heard the argument, It is of no use our advertising, our firm is so well known." Ah! how useful to such firms as these would be the secrets of an editor's sanctum. We would not like to draw a hard and fast line, but we incline to the general opinion that the notoriety of any firm is in inverse ratio to the owner's idea of it.

FEEDING CATTLE FOR DAIRY PURPOSES.

By F. J. LLOYD, F.C.S.

Y purpose in opening the discussion on this primary and most

facts and theories more or less accepted by those who have studied the science of feeding, in the hope that they may serve as subjects for that exchange of views and experiences among practical farmers which is the chief object of these conferences.

Personally, I have neither kept nor fed cattle, and any statements as to practice have therefore been obtained either from practical farmers, by reading, or from experiments kindly carried out by others for me. If any such statements appear not to accord with your experience it will be for you to state so in the discussion which follows, and by subsequent conversation with others to find out wherein lay the causes of any conflicting experiences. Science attempts to arrive at a clear understanding of causes, the practical farmer is mainly interested in the results of those causes, but we invariably find upon close investigation that conflicting results have arisen from conflicting or dissimilar causes. A knowledge of these causes must therefore invariably assist the farmer. Hence the value of science. Unfortunately, investigators are few and far between, for few possess the necessary ability, time, and means; and since the experiments carried out for Government by Dr. Thomson, of Glasgow University, in 1845, which I shall subsequently refer to, the State has done little or nothing to assist agriculture by investigations into the science thereof.

The dairy farmer is well aware that cows vary considerably, according to their breed; that feed how one may a Jersey or Guernsey cow cannot be made to yield the quantity of milk given by an Ayrshire or shorthorn, nor an Ayrshire or shorthorn yield milk of the same quality as that given by the Jersey or Guernsey. As the feeding must greatly depend upon the quantity and quality of the milk yielded, it follows that different breeds require different feeds. Even among one and the

same breed there will be striking individual peculiarities, some animals converting their food into milk and remaining constant in weight, others converting the same food into meat and yielding far less milk, while some will neither make milk nor meat. Thus, three shorthorn cows belonging to Mr. A. Tisdall, of Kensington, who for some months past has been carefully experimenting on the feeding of dairy cattle, give the following results:

No. 10 yielded a daily average of 14'4 quarts of milk for 18 months -her weight on 3rd January was 11 cwt. 2 qrs. 14 lbs., at the end of March she had only gained 21 lbs. in weight.

No. 24, fed on exactly the same food, yielded only 76 quarts per diem for 6 months, her milk supply falling off rapidly each month as she had been making flesh, having gained between 3rd January and 20th May I cwt. and 7 lbs.

No 21 yielded 8.6 quarts daily for 10 months, yet her live weight had remained stationary from January to March.

In

These three examples show how great is the influence of individuality in the economical feeding of milch cows. Indeed, unless a farmer weighs his animals, and keeps an accurate record of their performances, his feeding can never be regulated to the best, and the produce of his cows will always be below what it might and ought to have been. addition to the variations due to breed and individuality-to modify which and so produce cows giving an article suitable to the purpose for which it is to be employed much can be done by crossing and selection we have, in feeding, also to consider whether the milk is to be sold or used for butter-making or cheese-making. Hence, while there are certain general principles to be always considered, there are special principles applicable to special purposes.

;

To satisfy the appetite of the animal is the first requisite; not to give it as much as it will eat-for of tasty food it will take more than it can profitably use-but to give sufficient bulky food to properly distend the organs of digestion. In summer grass supplies this bulky food, and in winter dry foods like hay and straw, supplemented by roots or grains. All dry bulky foods are mainly composed of material which in its passage through the organs of digestion is unacted upon, and hence is said to be indigestible, while the amount of digestible matter is small, and not easily procured by the animal, hence such substances require to be supplemented by concentrated foods, given usually in the form of meal. As the functions of an animal's body are carried on by means of the digested constituents of its food, bulk alone is not sufficient, and the absence of digestible matter will produce hunger as does a want of bulky food. Then, in its endeavour to obtain the digestible constituents, the animal will consume enough indigestible material to overtax the organs of digestion. Evil results ensue, one of especial importance is that, with cows in calf, it is liable to produce abortion. Excessive feeding on straw or poor hay is, therefore, dangerous, and it is unprofitable. One advantage of silage is, that while as a bulky food it compares with hay, and when properly made is more digestible, it has some of the properties of a succulent food, such as roots.

Not merely the actual amount digested, but also its nature, has to be considered. For while certain functions of animals are common to all, others vary as already pointed out-and the quantity and quality of the digested material must correspondingly vary. Like man, all animals require, firstly, to maintain the heat of the body, and, secondly to repair its natural waste. Only the digested food over and above that so utilised goes to make milk or meat. These facts explain some wellknown practical results. Thus, cooked food will generally produce more and better milk than uncooked food, because, being warmer and containing a large proportion of water warmer than the ordinary supply less heat has to be made by the animal. Those who keep milk records will also have noticed how the milk falls off after a night of hard frost, and increases in warm weather. Again, cows kept in a warm stall give more milk than when left exposed to a cold east wind. In all these cases less digested food has been required to maintain the heat of the body, and so more is left for milk production. Again, cows which are driven a long distance to water, especially in hot weather, give less milk than if the water had been close at hand; the walk exhausts tissue, which must be repaired out of the digested food before the residue can be utilised to make milk.

The amount of heat to be maintained and of tissue to be repaired will evidently be greater the larger and heavier the cow, and is said to vary as the weight of the animal; but this subject requires further investigation. However, experiments show that for mere sustenance a cow of 1,000 lbs. weight must digest about 8 lbs. of nutritive material from her food, to supply which the food must contain about 17 lbs. of dry organic matter. Moreover, the digested material must be so composed as to produce the requisite heat and repair the waste of tissue. Only those substances which contain nitrogen in the form of albumen (albuminoids, or flesh-formers) can repair the waste of tissue; those which produce heat need not, and mostly do not, contain nitrogen, but are chiefly carbonaceous substances like sugar, gum, starch (carbohydrates, or heat producers,) and fat. It is necessary to have in the 8 lbs. of digested food at least 91⁄2 ounces of nitrogenous matter, or albuminoids, the remainder being chiefly carbo-hydrates.. These facts

and we might assume that the addition stituents would be sufficient to produce th not. In the first place, by giving the cov butter fat. This point, fully considered most severely criticised by Scotch critics, yet, strange to say, it was to experimen Scotland that the fact, so far as I am awa Dr. Thomson wrote "The quantity of than with linseed. These facts are r (evidently it was held then as now) that by a cow is a test of the amount of oil co are not entitled to recommend oily food as of butter."

So far as fat is concerned, it is amply s one-third of the fat of the milk.

Dr. Thompson had discovered, witho ciating it, that the butter-fat of milk albuminoids of food. Numerous exper apparently forgotten but brilliant disco demonstrated that 21⁄2 parts of albumino which will make one part of fat.

Of carbo-hydrates, about five times as milk must be digested from the food. Hence from every 10 lbs. of milk of th be supplied in the food

With a little trouble, and after some expe culate for each cow, according to her w quality of her milk, the exact amount of stituents she ought to receive in her food thus feeding, and only thus, can the maxi cheese be obtained at the minimum expe above this quantity is simply converted int

The chief special points in connection are as follows:-For the production of h butter is the chief consideration, increase to avoid or supply immediately after milk duce injurious flavours. And if the acc certain foods, like rye, make hard butter, soft butter (which statements have yet to re it is well so to use them as to harmonise w of the seasons.

For the production of milk in quantity to the normal, and give succulent food possible, milking frequently.

For cheese-making, mainly the same co cannot, by feeding, perceptibly increase hence the greatest quantity is obtained by

ng down the fat. Where a rich cheese is made, giving albuminoids will increase the fat, but simultaneously the flow is diminished, and the manufacture of cheese from rich milk requires greater care than usual. Hence, in the best cheese dairies, the milk is daily tested for

cream.

In order to feed in the manner above indicated it is necessary to know the weight of the animal, the quantity and composition of her milk, and the composition of the food. The trouble at first sight appears great, but it is not really so. As few farmers know the exact composition of the food they employ, I have appended a table showing the average digestible components in each.

There are many considerations which time does not permit me to enter into, such as the necessity of a mixture of feeding stuffs, the advisability of an occasional change of food, and the well-known superiority of certain substances for milk production. In the table these latter have been marked with a b; and in changing one food for another it will be well to take one from the same column as contains the rejected food or has the same nutritive ratio. By such means the ratios are less liable to suffer, whereas by changing barley for beans, or oats for oil-cake, the ratio must of necessity be upset, and the results of the feeding spoiled.

The subject is one which might well have occupied me longer, but I must now leave others to further discuss it, trusting that the discussing may lead the way to a better understanding of the economical feeding of dairy cattle.

Composition of the Principal Feeding Stuffs, showing the Constituents present in 10 lbs. of Food :

RAILWAY RATES AND CHARGES.

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE IN LONDON.

N Friday, the 28th ult., two important meetings were held in to consider present of under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act of last year. On the previous day a Conference had been held at the rooms of the London Chamber of Commerce, at which there were represented, in addition to the London Chamber, the Lancashire and Cheshire Conference, the Railway and Canal Traders' Association, the Devon and Cornwall Conference, the Association of Chambers of Commerce, the British Iron Trade Association, and the Central Chamber of Agriculture. At this Conference certain resolutions were adopted for proposal at the two meetings which had been called for the following day by the Railway and Canal Traders' Association and by the Lancashire and Cheshire Conference respectively, and a strong feeling was evoked in favour of united action on the part of traders, agriculturists, and others interested in all parts of the country in opposing before the Board of Trade the new tariff of rates and charges prepared by the railway companies under the Act of last year. The first meeting held on the 28th ult., was that called by the Railway and Canal Traders' Association, and took place at the Cannon-street Hotel, Mr. LAFONE, M. P., in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN gave an account of the steps that had led to the calling of the meeting, the date and hour of which had been arranged without any knowledge that the Lancashire and Cheshire Conference had called a meeting for the same day. It had, however, been arranged that identical resolutions should be submitted to the two meetings, and his Association attached the greatest importance to the securing of entire unanimity on the part of all traders on the subject to be discussed. Every effort would be needed to protect their interests against such a powerful and well-organised body as that which had been created by the joint action of all the railway companies. Separate traders or separate bodies of traders would have no chance if they acted alone, and he urged that no steps at all in the direction of negotiating with the railway companies should be taken by private persons. If they did that, "Divide and conquer" would be the motto of the railway companies. These meetings had been called for the purpose of discussion, and to decide what was the best course to pursue in order to approach the railway companies. Some 4,000 objections to the new tariff of maximum charges and classification of goods had been sent in to the Board of Trade, with the result of practically paralysing the action of that body, who had requested the two associations to do some of their work in the way of negotiating with the railway companies on matters of detail. In order that this could be done with advantage, it was necessary that some organisation of traders should be formed, and the resolutions that would be submitted to the meeting included one for the formation of a committee representing the traders throughout the whole country which should approach the railway companies on the subject of classification, which was one subject that would need to be first settled. The three resolutions, identical with those carried at the subsequent meeting, were then moved and seconded seriatim, and, after some discussion, were carried unanimously.

The second and larger meeting, called by the Lancashire and Cheshire Conference, was held at the Westminster Palace Hotel, and was presided over by Sir JOHN HARWOOD (Manchester). There was a very large attendance, the room being uncomfortably crowded.

The CHAIRMAN gave a short history of the agitation on the subject of railway rates and charges since the introduction of the bill of 1885 by the railway companies. By that bill it was found that the railway companies proposed a very serious increase of rates and charges. In Manchester alone it was found that the effects of the bill would be to increase the cost of carriage to the City Council and public authorities alone to the extent of £30,000. a year, and other Corporations in Lancashire and Cheshire would suffer in proportion. The Lancashire and Cheshire Conference, consisting of representatives of the Corporations, Local Boards, Chambers of Commerce, &c., was then formed for the protection of the interests of the public against the intentions of the railway companies. The bill of 1885 was withdrawn, and eventually the Act of last year was passed, the intention of the Legislature being to relieve the traders from the grievances which they suffered at the hands of the railway companies. The railway companies, however, by a new tariff of rates and charges and the new system of classification which they proposed, sought to make matters worse than ever, and to effect what was practically a larger increase in their rates than they attempted to get even by the bills of 1885. To this new proposal a large number of objections had been sent in to the Board of Trade, and had to be considered by that body. In a circular which the Board of Trade sent out on the 10th of June they divided the objections into two classes-first, the objections on questions of principle, such as the maximum rates, terminal charges, &c., and second, objections on matter of detail, such as those relating to classification, and those relating to the separate interests of each objector. The Board of Trade wished the Association to enter into negotiation with the railway companies to see if these matters of detail could not be settled, but his view of the question was that before

they could negotiate with any prospect of success those objections on matters of principle must be decided. The railway companies had so arranged the classification that the rates on 99 out of 100 articles were increased. They said that the principle upon which they had acted was to look at each separate interest or trade, and put the charges on that interest at the amount which, in their opinion, it was able to bear. But he would ask what had the railway companies to do with the amount that a trade or interest was able to bear? His view was that they ought to be paid for the service they rendered and the risk they ran, and if they rendered no more service and ran no more risk for A than for B, then the charges made to A and B ought to be identical.(Applause.) It should be remembered that the present was the first occasion in the whole history of railway rates and charges on which the traders were having a voice in the matter, and the question ought to be settled in a manner that would endure for a long time to come. If this country was to prosper-if the land which would not pay with corn was to be kept under cultivation at all,-its productions must be encouraged, and that could not be done unless the charges for transit on our railways and canals bore some relation to the charges for the same kind of produce in other countries. (Hear, hear.) Instead of this being done by the proposed new scale, the opposite effect would be brought about, and rates increased by the operation of the new system of classification in a very large number of instances. He urged that it should not be put in the power of the railway companies to utterly annihilate any industry which they did not think worth their attention or cultivation. The country had given the railway companies a monopoly, but it should take care that it was not used for the advantage of the few and to the serious disadvantage of the great mass of the trading community. (Applause.)

The Hon. A. EGERTON moved the first resolution, as follows:

That this meeting is of opinion that the classifications now proposed by the railway companies are unsatisfactory, and cannot be accepted by the agricultural and trading community, and that any conference with the railway authorities must proceed upon the basis that the classification to be adopted is to be an actual working classification.

He had looked through a great many of the proposed changes in classification, and he found that in almost every case the alterations were in favour of the railway companies and against the interests of the traders. The changes would bear with especial injustice on the agricultural interest, which was already as depressed as any other interest in the country, and it was because he was concerned more particularly with that important industry that he urged that every effort should be made to prevent the railway companies accomplishing their object.

Mr. JAMES SHANKS (Dublin Railway and Canal Rates Association)

seconded.

Mr. GANE (town clerk of Blackburn) pointed out, in supporting the resolution, that by passing it they did not in any way abandon or prejudice their right to object to the new rates on matters of principle, to the maximum charges or to the terminal rates. Although he did not think the course of procedure suggested by the Board of Trade was the best that could be adopted, he wished to fall in with their suggestions, because it was most necessary that the traders should not put themselves in antagonism to the Board of Trade, who would in fact be the final umpires between them and the railway companies.

An amendment to leave out the last clause of the resolution dealing with the basis of classification was moved by Mr. A. IMPEY (Birmingham) and seconded, but on being put was defeated, and the original resolution was carried by a large majority.

Sir V. BARRINGTON (London Chamber of Commerce) movedThat, subject to the foregoing resolution, this meeting recommends that the objectors should, as provided by section 24, sub-section 3, be ready to meet the railway companies in reference to the differences which have arisen in the presence of representatives of the Board of Trade.

Mr. BROOK (Devon and Cornwall Conference) seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. After a short discussion, an amendment providing that no negotiations should be opened with the railway company, until they had replied in writing to the objections that had been sent in being withdrawn.

Mr. HENRY LEE (Manchester) moved, and Mr. Alderman DICKINS (Mayor of Salford) seconded, the third resolution, as follows:

That a representative committee of objectors be appointed for the purpose of negotiating with the representatives of the companies, as suggested by the Board of Trade circular of the 1oth inst., and that the committee consist of the following gentlemen, with power to add to their number:-The Executive Committee of the Lancashire and Cheshire Conference, Sir Vincent Barrington (London Chamber of Commerce), Mr. James Duncan (Railway and Canal Traders' Association), Mr. A. Hickman (Wolverhampton), Mr. H. Coke (Liverpool Chamber of Commerce), Mr. J. Shanks (Dublin Railway and Canal Rates Association), Mr. M. W. Peace (Wigan, South Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Association), Mr. Lockwood (Sheffield Chamber of Commerce), Mr. W. Dove Wilcox (Bristol Chamber of Commerce), Mr. W. A. Nicholls (Smithfield Market Tenants, Manchester), Mr. K. B. Murray (London Chamber of Commerce), Mr. Thomas Brook (Plymouth Chamber of Commerce), Mr. E. Hide (Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce), the Chairman of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Sir James Marwick; Mr. G. P. Goldney, (City Remembrancer), Lord Thurlow (Salt Union), Mr. G. Baylis (Berks Chamber of Agriculture), Mr. M'Caul (Paper Makers' Association), Mr. Connor (Co-operative Wholesale Society), Mr. Barber (National Fisheries), Mr. A. Barnes, M P. (Derbyshire Coal Trade), Mr. A Mayhew (East Sussex Chamber of Commerce), Mr. Hutchinson (Nottingham and Midland Merchants, and Traders' Association), Mr. F. Impey (Birmingham Freighters' Association), Mr. W. A. Temperley, jun. (Newcastle Chamber of Com

merce), Mr. A. Brown, (Galashiels), Mr. Atkinson Council), Mr. Lowe (Alberstone), Mr. A. E. Willian Major Cragie (Associated Chamber of Agriculture) Traders' Association, Sheffield).

A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed

Our Book

THE CHEMISTRY OF THE COAL TAR ( the German of Dr. R. Benedikt, and edit Knecht, F.I.C. Second edition, pp. 325. Sons. 1889.

This usual treatise on the Coal-Tar Colo Messrs. Bell and Sons' technological hand the well-known and successful master of th Bradford Technical College, which is a practical character of the work. For many without a cheap and reliable handbook of chemistry, and for a long period its cultiva ignored by those who should have expound second edition of such a work as this come and a perusal of its contents shows us tha been culled and incorporated. On page 2 of Rhodamine, the comparatively new colo by the Badische Aniline and Soda Fabr et seq the complete chain of colours now be

This is a handbook that few students c superfluous; while those interested in the or as well as those whose daily work lies bleaching, and paper making, should consi GASEOUS FUEL.-By B. H. Thwaite,

and Co. 1889

This brochure of 40 pages, is the substan March of the present year at the Associati chester, under the auspices of the Manc Vapours Abatement Association.

The efforts of this Association to educate a better order of things sanitary, has result mass of useful information, and if but little Association can truly say, "We have piped danced."

Mr. Thwaite pleads for the entire use of he has argued, there seems to be a disting tion; but it is well known that coal can be solid form, without producing a particle of cally, if not even more so, than gaseous fu generator and an attendant to look after it.

The appendix furnishes some useful infor to study the subject more closely, especiall but for further information on this point we the brochure itself.

Corresponde

ANSWERS TO CORRES

D. R. P-There is but very little chance of you seems to us a waste of time and money to attemp J. J, G. E. S., R. B., E C.-Thanks for your receive attention

H. H.-London. 2, Five pounds.

R. J. S.-It is not expected to pass into law in its p ALKALI.-There is no truth whatever in such a rum C. D.-Not longer than twelve months.

F. S.-Your enquiry is only suitable for our advert L. M. P.-Thanks for your letter.

W. W. We believe it was in 1874; but we date by.

CARBO There is no doubt that carbolic acid has p a disinfectant, and is making way for less dan just beginning to dawn upon sanitarians that fectant.

B. H. J.-If you think that agriculture is not a bra very sorry for you.

Q.C.-Quite a trade matter; we cannot reply to su should apply to a consulting chemist.

R. C.-The process is so hemmed in with paten proach it.

W. H. H.-We do not believe in the ultimate succ C. R. W.-The matter is scarcely suitable for the H O. S.-We intend giving the original articles, and afterwards,

Trade Notes.

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW, WINDSOR.-At an hour on Saturday when everyone appeared to consider the exhibition practically at an end, the Pulsometer Engineering Company had a special intimation that the Queen was coming and intended to visit their stand on her way to the Grand Stand and march past of ponies, and at 7 p.m. they had the honour of showing Her Majesty the various machines exhibited by them, including the Pulsometer "Deane" and other steam pumps, and also the Champion Hand Ice Making Machines, by which ice can be produced in three minutes. The exhibits appeared to afford consider

able interest.

ARSENIC.-The Maybrick poisoning case makes this clear, not for the first time, that in spite of the Sale of Poisons Act cases of accidental poisoning with arsenic may not be uncommon. Very many fly and vermin destroyers contain the powerful poison, arsenic trioxide; and traces of arsenic in one form or another are to be found almost any. where. Besides the steel-grey kidney-shaped masses of free arsenic found in the Harz, in Bohemia, and at New Haven in the United States, arsenic occurs in many ores and minerals in a state of combination. It is in all mineral waters, and also in sea water. It is used largely in the manufacture of Scheele's green and Emerald green, while many light fabrics are coloured with insoluble arsenical green. Off these as off wall papers the colour is easily rubbed.

THE DEMAND FOR ARTIFICIAL MANURE INCREASES IN MAURITIUS. From Mauritius we hear that the soil is becoming rapidly exhausted by the cultivation of the sugar cane, and that as a consequence the demand for artificial manure is on the increase. Of late years some of the sugar planters have alternated the cane crops with those of a leguminous plant which has no commercial value, but serves to produce a large quantity of humus, which is still in request for the manufacture of manure, and consists principally of sulphate of ammonia and superphosphates of lime, which are shipped from Great Britain, France, and Australia. The importation of pharmaceutical preparations and drugs amounted in 1887 to 262,873 rupees, and this branch of the trade is pretty evenly divided between Great Britain and France.

THE PROPOSED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EXHIBITION IN EDINBURGH.—The first public meeting of the promoters of the Electrical Engineering and Inventors' Exhibition, which it is proposed to hold in Edinburgh next year, took place in Dowell's Rooms, Edinburgh, the other day. Sir Thomas Clark, Bart, presided. The chairman moved a resolution remitting the matter to an Executive Committee to carry out the scheme, and to report progress to a future meeting of the promoters, which was adopted. The chairman said he hoped they would succeed in getting the project into proper shape. There could be no doubt that such an exhibition would be very useful, for they could not conceal from themselves the fact that electricity was to be a very important force in the future as it had to an extent been in the past. Mr. Hall Blyth, in seconding, said he thought a much nearer site than that proposed at Gorgie should be obtained. Mr. A. R. Bennett expressed the view that the proposed site possessed exceptional advantages. It was centrally situated for the railways and tramways, while the Union Canal would afford a means of illustrating water-power. Mr. Hall Blyth said the site would be the life or death of the exhibition, and the question should be remitted to the Executive Committee to be considered very carefully. This was agreed to, and the proceedings terminated.

Market Reports.

THE LIVERPOOL MINERAL MARKET.

OUR market has ruled very steady during the week. Manganese : There are still no arrivals to report this week; stocks are very much reduced, and prices are very firm, with an upward tendency. Magnesite Raw lump is easier, stocks having increased- -raw ground, £6. 10s., and calcined ground, £10. to £11. Bauxite (Irish Hill brand) continues in strong demand, at full prices; 20s. for lump; seconds, 15s.; thirds, 12s.; ground, 35s. Dolomite, 7s. 6d. per ton at the mine. French Chalk: Arrivals have been small, but a fair business has been doing, whilst prices are well maintained for G.G.B. "AngelWhite brand; 90s. to 95s. medium, 100s. to 105s. superfine G.G.B. Barytes (carbonate) remains easy; selected crystal lump scarce at £6. ; No. I lumps, 90s.; best, 80s. ; seconds and good nuts, 70s.; smalls, 50s.; best ground, £6. ; and selected crystal ground, £8. Sulphate is unaltered: best lump, 35s. 6d. ; good medium, 30s.; medium, 25s. 6d. to 27s. 6d. ; common, 18s. 6d. to 20s.; ground, best white, G. G.B. brand, 60s. ; common, 45s.; grey, 32s. 6d. to 40s.

Pumicestone Best qualities in demand, ground being quoted at £10.; and specially selected lump, finest quality, £13. Iron ore steady; Bilbao and Santander firmer at 9s. to Ios. 6d. f.o.b.; Irish, 105. 6d. to 11S.; Cumberland, 12s. Purple ore improved at 7s. to 8s. Spanish manganiferous ore quiet at 22s. to 23s. for 20 per cent. Emerystone: Best quality in fair demand, and brings full prices; No. 1 lump is quoted at £5. 10s. to £6.; and smalls, £5. to £5. 10s. Fullers' earth steady: 45s. to 50s. for best blue and yellow; fine impalpable ground, £7. Wolfram and tungstate of soda, unaltered, and tungstate metal easier. Chrome metal 5s. 6d. per lb. Tungsten alloys, 2s. per lb. Chrome ore enquired for, especially high percentages. Antimony ore continues firm: £16. to £18. for fair quality. Antimony metal is again unchanged. Uranium, 245. to 26s. Ásbestos: best rock, £17. to £18.; brown grades, £14. to £15. Potter's lead: smalls, £13.; selected lump, £14. to £15. Calamine steady, 60s. to 80s. Strontia, steady: sulphate (celestine) steady, 16s. 6d. to 175. Carbonate (native) £15. to £16.; powdered (manufactured), £11. to £12. Limespar: English manufactured, old G.G. B. brand, brings full prices; 45s. for ground English; German, 50s. Plumbago: Best Ceylon lump, £25. to £35.; good, £20. to £21. ; chips, £8. to £16.; best ground, £20., £25., and £30.; Italian and Bohemian, £4. to £12. per ton. French sand, in cargoes, 16s. to 175. Ferro-manganese, 70%, £10. Bitumen, finest picked, £35. ; original prime, £18. to £23.; and good, £8. Ground mica, £50. China clay: Fair business doing; common, 18s. 6d. ; good medium, 22s. 6d. to 25s. ; best, 30s. to 35s. (at Runcorn).

WEST OF SCOTLAND CHEMICALS

GLASGOW, TUESDAY.

Sul

The seafaring and port labour strike came to a close on Thursday by the surrender of the strikers, and trade matters as a whole have shown very perceptible improvement since. In general chemicals there has been a fair bulk of transactions for forward delivery, accompanied by some slight recuperation in values. Caustic quotations show an upward turn for the first time over the past three months very nearly; and saltcake, soda crystals, bleaching powder, sulphate of copper, and nitrate of soda are also slightly dearer than they were a week ago, while chlorate of potash has continued its late habitual descent by another fraction. Paraffin products are all strong, and Scotch mineral oil share quotations exceptionally healthy, as the result of a well vouched for report last week that the American petroleum supply showed signs of chronic scarcity, as compared with former plethoric abundance. phate of ammonia was towards the end of the week sold by two of the makers down at 11. 15s., rather to the surprise of the market, for the situation, it was thought, although far from robust scarcely warranted so much of a dip. These sales were not repeated, and value since and to-day rests at about £11. 16s. 3d., with, however, almost nothing passing. Bichromates have been very little asked after. General prices current are -Soda crystals, 43s. 6d. net Tyne; alum in lump, £4. 15s., less 22% Glasgow; borax, English refined, £30., and boracic acid, £37. Ios., net Glasgow; soda ash, 48/52°, Id., less 5% Tyne; caustic soda, white, 76°, £8; 70/72°, £6. 5s. to £6. 7s. 6d. ; 60/62°, £5. 12s. 6d. ; and cream, 60/62°, £5. 5s. to £5. 7s. 6d., all less 21⁄2% Liverpool; bicarbonate of soda, 5 cwt. casks, £4. 15s., and I cwt. casks, 5., net Tyne; refined alkali, 48/52°, 14 d., less 14% Tyne; saltcake, 21s. 6d. to 23s. 6d; bleaching powder, £6. 15s. to £7, f.o.r. Glasgow; bichromate of potash, 41⁄2d., and of soda 32d., less 5 and 6% to Scotch and English buyers respectively; chlorate of potash, 4d., less 5% any port; nitrate of soda, 8/6d. to 8/9d. ; sulphate of ammonia, £11. 16s. 3d., f.o.b. Leith; salammoniac, first and second white, £36. and £34., less 22% any port; sulphate of copper, £25. 5s. ; paraffin scale, hard, 24 d., soft, 2d. ; paraffin wax, 120°, semi-refined, 211d. ; paraffin spirit (naphtha), 41⁄2d.; paraffin oil (burning), 534 d. to 6d. at works; ditto (lubricating), 865°, 4. 5s. to £4. 10s. ; 885°, £5. 15s. to £6., and 890/895°, £6. 15s. to £7. 5s. Week's imports of sugar at Greenock were 13,038 bags.

THE LIVERPOOL COLOUR MARKET.

COLOURS are quiet. Ochres: Oxfordshire quoted at £10., £12., £14.,and £16.; Derbyshire, 50s. to 55s.; Welsh, best, 50s. to 55s.; seconds, 47s. 6d. ; and common, 18s.; Irish, Devonshire, 40s. to 45s.; French J.C., 55s., 45s. to 60s.; M. C., 65s. to 67s. 6d. Umber: Turkish, cargoe to arrive, 40s. to 50s.; Devonshire, 50s. to 55s. White lead, £21. IOS. to £22. Red lead, 19. to £20. Oxide of zinc : V.M. No. 1, 22.; V.M. No. 2, £21. Venetian red, £6. 10s. Cobalt Prepared oxide, 10s. 6d.; black, 9s. 9d.; blue, 6s. 6d. Zaffres: No. 1, 3s. 6d. ; No. 2, 2s. 6d. Terra Alba: Finest white, 60s. ; good, 40s. to 50s. Rouge: Best, 24. ; ditto for jewellers, Is. per lb. Drop black, 25s. to 28s. 6d. Oxide of iron, prime quality, £10. to £15. Paris white, 60s. Emerald green, rod. per lb. Derbyshire red. 60s. Vermilionette, 5d. to 7d. per lb.