__________________________________________________ | | | | | Depth at which taken | C p.ct. | Furfural p.ct. | |_______________________|_________|________________| | _ | | | | | 20-100 cm. | 51.08 | 6.93 | | I. | 100-200 " | 53.52 | 5.30 | | |_ 200-300 " | 58.66 | 3.19 | | _ | | | | | Surface-20 " | 55.47 | 3.40 | | II. | 20-60 " | 55.06 | 3.48 | | | 60-100 " | 58.25 | 1.45 | | | 100-120 " | 58.23 | 1.19 | | |_ 180-200 " | 57.57 | 1.80 | |_______________________|_________|________________| _Cellulose_ was estimated by the Lange method. The yield from _Sphagnum_ was 21.1 p.ct. From specimen I. at { 20-100 cm. 15.20 { 100-200 " 6.87 From the peat of lower depths no cellulose could be obtained. _Hydrolysis_ (acid).--On heating with 1 p.ct. H_{2}SO_{4} at 130-135 deg., soluble carbohydrates were obtained, amongst which mannose was identified, and galactose shown to be present in some quantity. After fermenting away the hexoses, the residue was treated with phenylhydrazine and an osazone separated. It contained 17.3 p.ct. N, but melted at 130 deg.. The substance could not be identified as an osazone of any of the yet known pentoses. SECTION VIII. INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNICAL. GENERAL REVIEW ~The Industrial Uses of Cellulose.~ C. F. CROSS (Cantor Lectures, Soc. of Arts, 1897). (p. 273) A series of three lectures, in which the more important industries in cellulose and its derivatives are dealt with on their scientific foundations, and by means of a selection of typical problems. In reference to textiles, the small number of vegetable fibres actually available, out of the endless variety afforded by the plant world, is referred to the number of conditions required to be fulfilled by the individual fibre, thus: yield per cent. of harvested weight or per unit of field area, ease of extraction, the absolute dimensions of the spinning unit, and the proportion of variation from the mean dimensions; the relative facility with which the unit fibre can be isolated preparatory to the final twisting operation; the chemical constants of the fibre substance, especially the percentage of cellulose and degree of resistance to hydrolysis. It is suggested that any important addition to the very limited number fulfilling the conditions, or any great improvement in these, can only result from very elaborate artificial selection and cultural developments on this basis.