The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-07-05
FO r II Fl E CHILDR EN-.
From the Saturday Courier
FAMILY CONVERSATIONS
Or Science Simplifed and Education

Vt oc1eHce SmPIaJted ana EduCdt16n n
Made Easy.
Wilfam-Oh! | am so glad you
have come again, Uncle Farley, have
got such number of questions to ask
YOU. | have just been reading about
some goods catching fire by themselves
in wal lehouse; how can that be?
: Uncle Parley-Because, my neph-
ew all bodies which contain what chem
lists call carbon have tendency to in
crease their temperature when packed
into masses in moist state, or when
water rain or air gets to them, and
then a spontaneous combustion takes
place. Hay, corn, flax, cotton, turf,
flour, saffron, wool, oatmeal, roasted
coffee, rags, coal, charcoal, unslacked
lime, floor cloth, and bales of wooden
cloth and cotton goods, are all when
damp, likely TO become ignited.-.
Waste cotton, or rags that have been
used to clean oil lamps, have frequently
been the cause ofhouses being on fire;
and house-keepers cannot be too care
ful Of those things for this reason.
Caroline-Yes, now see that we
must not attribute all those fires to in
cendiaries. But how was it that man.
ma said the other evening the moon
beams had rendered the meat in the
pantry tainted?
Uncle--Why in bright moonlight
nights all substances, and animal food
especially, give out their heat freely,
and are thus covered with dew or
moisture, which produces decomposi-
ton. The moon, for the same reason,
iuckens the growth Of plants, and may
even in many climates have u great eff
feet upon the human frame.
Wlliam-Then is that the reason
why we feel better IN clear nights than
cloudy ones?
Uncle-Partly so; for in cloudy
nights the heat from the earth's sur
face is returned from the clouds again,
which then fora kind of concave mir
ror, producing hot sitting sensation,
and keeping the air warm. This we
do notfeel on clear, calm nights, when
there is no vapor to throw back the
heat.
Caroline But the sun and moon are
always apparently larger when they
rise and set, than when they are above
US. Why is that?
Uacle-Because their positions are
more obliqae, and, consequently, their
rays being more reflected, and dispers-
ed, they then appear larger than when
they are elevated above the horizon.
William--Then why don't we see
the sun reflected in a well during the
day time; have often seen the stars
there?
Uncle--For much the same reason.
The rays of the stars fall perpendIc-
nlarly, whereas the rays of the sun,
falling obiqueIy, cannot be seen there.
Carolne--l have been looking at
this beautiful bouquet of flowers for
some time, but cannot conceive why
the leaves of all trees, plants, and flow
ers should be green.
Unclc--It is wise provision ofprov-
idence that the colour which is most ;
refreshing to the eye, should be that
which is most generally difused over ;
the face Of nature. Now, the color Of
carbon, which is a constituent part :.
of plants, is dark blue, whilst the tissue
Of the cells and vessels is yellow, and
hence green colour is produced. In {
spring and autumn, when there is little
carbon, you must have noticed they
were more yellow than in summers?
Caroline----But how do flowers, as {
snme such variety ofcolours9 S