well-defined region of the Andes has it own prevalent and characteristic Cinchona, which are incapable of being reduced to any one typical form; he believes that no species has been clearly proved to prevail unchanged from end to end of the cinchonaceous region, and thinks that forms which resemble each other in distant parts will be found analogous rather than identical.

REVIEW S.

Toledo Blade's Eighth Annual Statement of the Trade and Commerce of Toledo for the Year ending December, 31st, 1865. London: Stevens, Brothers, Henrietta street, Covent Garden,

The growth and development of the second grain receiving and shipping port on the chain of lakes which divides the Canadas from the States, has occupied less than fifteen years, and the report now before us gives, in as concise a manner as possible, the trade statistics of this rising Western town. All in this little book proves the energetic character of the founders of the same, who may aptly be called "pioneers of civilization."

The prosperity of this place is mainly owing to the advances made, more especially during the year 1865, by the railway. But, while experiencing some of the effects of the late war as regards its trade, Toledo has suffered very little, as we find that the receipts of flour and grain at this lake port have steadily, though gradually, increased since 1861, in which year the receipts of wheat were 2,450,320 bushels, and which have risen to 2,680,188 in 1865, not a very rapid increase, true, but one which says much for the future stability of the town of Toledo. In conclusion, we advise all who are interested in statistical information to at once procure a copy of this Report, wherein they will find a rich fund of statistics drawn up in a manner which reflects credit upon the compiler. Toledo bids fair to become, and shortly too, one of those emporiums which are only to be found in the Eastern portion of the United States. At page 30 we have given an extract from this report upon the lumber trade of the town.

46

COLONIAL NOTES.

ABOUT WOOL-The farmers of Canada are now busy clipping their sheep, and the wool season will be at its height by the middle of next week. In some localities new wool has already been brought into market, and the shearing is pretty generally over. But the farmers in these districts seem in no hurry to rush their wool into market. The prices offered by dealers up to the present period have not been very high; and there is a very general belief among farmers that present rates will be improved upon as the season advances. Whether these hopes will be realized or not, depends very much upon circumstances. At present, the season is not sufficiently forward to speak with much certainty, and mere predictions are unsafe. Previous experience, however, has been such as would indicate some advance on the opening prices, and we dare say the present year will not prove an exception, although we think no great rise may be looked for. The prospect is that the wool crop this year will be unusually large. In consequence of the good prices obtained of late years, farmers have been increasing the number of their sheep, and the clip of 1866, therefore, promises to be the largest we have ever sheared, Had it not been for the American duties, it is quite likely we would have got higher prices from the Americans this season than ever before for our long wools. As matters are, we have no reason to alter the opinion we expressed in an article some time ago, that the United States demand for our long wools is such that good prices will still be realized by our wool-growers. -"Trade Review."

THE FUR TRADE.—The prices of fur have this spring ranged higher than ever we knew them before, on account of the brisk competition which arose from the presence of large St. Paul buyers. There has been a very fair yield of all kinds of fur, with an excessive catch of one kind-the lynx. Of prairie fur especially there have been good returns, owing to the fact the Sioux traded principally with us, and not with the forts on the Missouri as formerly." Nor-Wester."

VOYAGING COMMENCED.-All is now bustle and excitement in the neighbourhood of the town of Winnipeg, training horses, choosing oxen, mending. carts, repairing canoes, everything and everybody getting ready for a trip somewhere-some for the Saskatchewan mines-some for the Rainy Lake mines, other for St. Paul. Boats, too, are being launched for their far-off trips to York, to the Long Portage, and to various places on Lake Winnipeg. Horses, oxen, and boats are in good demand, showing that transportation will be as great, if not greater, this year than ever." Nor-Wester."

SCARCITY OF SEED GRAIN. We regret to learn that in several parts of the Island oats are not to be had, and that unless Government comes to the aid of the poorer people much land will be left unsown. This is a very important matter, and we would suggest to the Executive, which will meet in a few days, the propriety of at once instituting inquiries, and, if necessary, procuring a few thousand bushels of oats and supplying them to poor persons destitute of seed. If this be not done, we fear that the applications to the Executive for means to prevent destitute persons from starvation will be very many.-" Islander," P. E. I.

KEROSENE OIL IN NEW SOUTH WALES.-A Sydney paper says that energetic steps are being taken to develop this branch of commercial enterprise in this colony, and every step in advance only tends to confirm the great value of its oil-bearing minerals. It could scarcely be expected that in a colony like this, where few could have been acquainted with what is comparatively a new manufacture—the process of kerosene oil production not being many years old-the necessary works could be completed without the delay which prudent inquiry would necessitate. Whatever inducements there might be for prompt action in putting these mineral treasures into a marketable shape, no very large amount of the shales of Hartley, Wollongong, and Stoney Creek have yet been submitted for distillation, but the Australasian Mineral Oil Company has operated upon a considerable quantity of cannel from the Hunter district. The shales are well known to yield an oil of an excellent quality, though small in quantity, but this inferiority is to some extent qualified by the valuable coke that is left from the cannel, the shale leaving only a pale coloured ash. This company has constructed near Sydney extensive works replete with the appliances for an immense production. They have had the services of an engineer, who, added to his qualifications for superintendence in construction where so much machinery is required, has the not less important acquaintance with the modus operandi adopted in the largest and most successful oil-producing establishments in the United States." Journal of the Society of Arts."

THE SUGAR REFINERY.-The community will be gratified to learn that Mr. Dustan has commenced operations for the erection of the sugar refinery at Woodside. Workmen are now engaged in preparing the granite, large quantities of which are being brought over daily. Next week, the work of levelling the hill where the buildings are to be situated will be proceeded with. The establishment is to be on a very grand scale, and when completed will not be surpassed by any other refinery on this continent, and certainly not equalled in British North America. The work will be carried on under the superintendence of a Scotch engineer of large experience; all the machinery will be

brought from Glasgow, and will be of the most improved character. The manufactory, when finished, will be able to operate with half the number of men employed by Mr. Redpath, at Montreal, and yet be capable of turning out a far greater quantity of sugar, on account of the superior character of the machinery. The manufactory will be able to turn out from thirty-five to forty hogsheads a day of sugar. The buildings, when erected, will present an exceedingly fine appearance from the harbour, in consequence of their large, and actually elegant proportions. The total cost of the establishment is expected to be upwards of a quarter of a million of dollars at least. It will take some months yet before it can be definitely stated when the establishment will be in actual working order, but we have no doubt now that operations have commenced, the enterprizing men at the head of the undertaking will not allow the grass to grow under their feet. The benefits that Halifax must derive from the establishment of

such manufactories cannot be exaggerated. The expenditure connected with their construction alone brings a large amount of money into the country, whilst they create trade and stimulate industry. And we may add that this sugar refinery is an evidence of the advantages that a union with the Provinces will bring with it. No one can fail to see that men of capital would hesitate to invest their money in such an enterprise unless they expected to have a market of four millions of people. It is with a view of supplying not simply Nova Scotia, but all British North America, that the manufactory in question is projected on so large a scale. "Halifax Reporter."

THE SPONGE FISHERY OF RHODES.-The total number of boats employed in this fishery last year was 618, of which 35 fished at Bengazi, 156 at Mandruha, three at Syria, 157 at Caramania, 25 at Cyprus, 71 at Crete, the same number in the Ottoman Archipelago, and 100 off Greece. The total value of the take was 13,890,000 piastres. The boats were visited with unusual casualties, eleven were wrecked on the coast of Barbary during a gale of wind on the 28th August. About one-third more boats than usual went to Mandruha, where the fishing was plentiful. With the exception of three Symi boats, no other sponge fishing craft belonging to those islands remained on the coast of Syria, in consequence of a new tax of 18 per cent. custom dues and tithe, lately established on sponges fished in that locality. The boats which had sailed there proceeded to Caramania, which circumstance increased about one-third the number of those which originally intended to fish on that coast. Common and coarse sponges being principally imported to France, several sponge merchants of that country send annually agents to make their purchases direct from the divers, while not a single British merchant has as yet followed the same course for the purchase of fine sponges, which are chiefly forwarded to Great Britain. The

higher prices paid by French merchants, in consequence of competition, are not only amply compensated by the difference between these prices and those of second-hand purchases, but, being themselves on the spot, they can make a choice of the qualities best suited for their markets, thus deriving more profits thereby. The average prices per oke (2 lb.) ranged for fine sponges from 28s. 4d. to £2 15s., for common from 10s. to 26s. 8d., and for coarse from 4s. 2d. to 11s. 8d.

The

LUCIFER MATCHES.-It appears that M. Gaillard has lately presented to the Academy of Sciences what he calls a new process of manufacturing common phosphorus matches. method consists in reversing the ordinary mode of preparation. Instead of steeping the wooden slips first into sulphur, and then into phosphorus, he plunges the matches into the phosphorus in the first place, and afterwards into the sulphur. This process is attended with several advantages. One of these is that sulphur is insoluble in water, and that, not being fusible under a temperature of about 128 Fahrenheit, there is no risk of accidental or intentional poisonings of food by these matches, since the sulphur forms an insoluble covering for the phosphorus. Another advantage depends on the hardness of the sulphur coating, which requires more friction than is ordinarily applied for its removal, and the laying bare of a portion of the phosphorus. This is calculated to decrease the risk of fires occurring accidentally from the too-ready inflammability of phosphorus as an outer covering for the lucifer match. How far this process is really new will be seen from the following extract from the " Transactions" of the Society of Arts, referring to a meeting held on May 21, 1846 :"The thanks of the Society were voted to Mr. C. M. Barker, for his improved congreve-match. Mr. Barker's improvement consists in putting a layer of sulphur over the combustible composition, instead of (as formerly) putting the composition on over the sulphur; so that it requires a temperature of nearly 300° to ignite the match by heat, and a greater quantity of friction than with those formerly used. Moreover, the match is not affected by damp." INSECT WAX.-The trade in this article in China is large. In 1864, from the single port of Hankow alone, 5,100 cwt. were exported. It is taken by the Chinese as medicine, but is principally used as stearine in the manufacture of candles. It is one of the most valuable of the many products of Sze-Chuen, being worth 60 and 70 taels per picul (133 lbs.). The wax is deposited, for the protection of its eggs, by an insect which inhabits the trees on which the wax is secreted. The formation of the wax was a subject which occupied the especial attention of M. Simon, a French savant, who, a year or two ago, passed a considerable time in the interior, during which he is said to have traversed the greater portion of Sze-Chuen, and to have reached the eastern confines of Thibet. It is hoped the result of his researches into NEW SERIES.-VOL. I.

E