THE ANALYST. 148 THE CHEMISTRY OF AN ORANGE. From the Boston Joiwnat of Clientistry. IT proved so difficult a matter to find a clear and reliable analysis of the orange in the literature of chemistry that, previous to leaving this city for Florida, we determined that the work of analysis should be undertaken, A medium-sized Florida orange, purchased in Faneuil Hill market, afforded dpon analysis the following results : The skin weighed 57.45 granimcs, which is 23.33 per cent, ,) seeds 9, 7.0 ,, 9 9 2.84 9 , 9 ) , I Pulp 9 3 182'0 I 1 73'88 $ 9 9 ) Water and volatile oil .. . . . . . . . . 78'00 Organic matter . . . . . . . . . . . . 21*3G Ash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *64 Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 Organic matter . . . . . . . . . . . . 48.64 Ash .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36 Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9099 Organic matter . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.68 Ash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *33 The pulp contained in 100 parts 4.3 grape sugar, 4.2 cane sugar, 1.0 free aoid. The skiti contained in 100 parts : The seeds contained in 100 parts : The p2iZp contained in 100 parts : The free acid consisted of about equal parts of malio and citric acid.160 THE ANALYST.The ash constituents of the orange were as follows : Potash . . . . Lime . . . . Magnesia . . Ferric phosphate Sulphur . . . . Silica . . . . Phosphoric acid Soda ., .. . . . . . . . . . . 38.7 . . . . . . . . . . 7% . . . . . . . . . . 23.0 . . . . . . . . . . 6.5 . . . . . . . . . . 1.7 . . . . . . . . . . 2.9 . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 .. . . . . . . . . 14.1 From these results it is seen that the orange is not a very great robber of tlie soil ; indeed, it would appear that the growth of fruit depends so slightly upon important inorganic constituents, that fertilization in good soils is hardly necessary. The food most largely drawn upon for the formation of skin, pulp, and seeds, is potash, and next come lime and phosphoric acid.In one hundred pounds of the fruit there are but two and one-third pounds of ash, and nearly one pound of this is potash. It is evident that ashes and phosphoric acid are the forms of food demandedin the growth of the orange, and on poor soils this may be supplied with advantage. It is found in Florida that in the cultivation of the orange great persistency in bearing is maintained, aiicl in the apparently pure white sand of the State it flourishes for many years, a d yields constant returns.This renders it a, valuable and remunerative crop, and upon it Florida must largely depend for its resources. WATER SUPPLY OF MONTREAL, CANADA. WE have received from Dr. Baker Edwards, of Montreal, two small pamphlets on the character of the different water supplies of that town, and of the shore and river ice taken from the river St, Lawrence.The analyses of the ice show rather more organic suspended matter than we should have expected to have found, the shore ice containing two grains per gallon and the river ice one grain per gallon. These figures are, however, according to Dr. Edwards’ analyses, considerably less than those which are frequently found in the unfiltered water supply of the city, and he takes the opportunity of pressing strongly upon the city authorities the necessity for eficiently filtering all tlic water before it is supplied to the town.The main feature in connection with the analyses of some twenty-five samples of the different river waters is their extreme softness, and the small quantity of animal matter which they contain ; and it certainly is very siiigular that the one sample of the town supply should, in both these respects, as well as in the amount of organic carbon which it contains, stand very greatly at blio head of the list as the most impure water. This would seem to indicate not only that filtration is neglected, but even storage of the water must be very inefficiently carried out at Montreal.SOCIETY OF PUBLIC ANALYSTS. THE Country Meeting of this Society will take place at Sheffield during the Meeting of t,he British Association, and will probably be fixed for the afternoon of Friday, 22nd August, in the Library of the Literary and Pliilosopliical Society, Arundel Street. The usual Notice mill be aeut to Members.