The paper concluded with some particulars of the soda industry. The well-known sulphuric acid process of Leblanc had stood its ground for three-quarters of a century in spite of several disadvantages, and various modes of utilizing the by-products having been from time to time introduced, it had until recent years seemed too firmly established to fear any rivals. About seven years ago, however, Mr. Solvay, of Brussels, revived in a practical form the ammonia process, patented forty years ago by Messrs. Hemming & Dyar, but using brine instead of salt, and thus avoiding the cost of evaporation. This process consisted of forcing into the brine currents of carbonic acid and ammoniacal gases in such proportions as to generate bicarbonate of ammonia, which, reacting on the salt of the brine, gave bicarbonate of soda and chloride of ammonium. The bicarbonate was placed in a reverberatory furnace, where the heat drove off the water and one equivalent of carbonic acid, leaving the alkali as monocarbonate. Near Middlesbrough, the only branch of industry established in connection with its salt trade was the manufacture of soda by an ammonia process, invented by Mr. Schloesing, of Paris. The works were carried on in connection with the Clarence salt works. It was believed that the total quantity of dry soda produced by the two ammonia processes, Solvay's and Schloesing's, in this country was something under 100,000 tons per annum, but this make was considerably exceeded on the Continent. * * * * * COTTON INDUSTRIES OF JAPAN.