The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-03
SCIENTIFIC NEWS.

CoRK.-It may not be generally known
shst cork y not Indigenous, but IS the soft,
elastic bark off, species OF oak that grows
aoundantly 10 She southern part of France,
Spain and Italy. When the tree is fifteen
wears ola, the barking is commenced, and is
repeated at intervals Of eight years, the
bark improving vita every operation. I he
cork Is stripped from the tree in July and
August; y j. then piled up il water under
heavy stones to httten 1t, after which II is
tire -dred and packed Ia bales for exporta
tioo. The cOIk-cutters divide the sheets Of
cork 10 narrow STRIPS, and after cutting
them the proper length, round them with a
thin, saarp-5sded knife into cylindrical
torn. Spanish black is prepared from the
burned parings Of cork; aud suberic acid
= obtained from il by the lung-contlnued
action Of nitric acid. The cork tree anu the
uses Of its bark wer- known 20 the Greeks
auu Romans. -Haryer's BIzadr
THERE are now recogn I'd in the solar
system one hundred aud fourteen primary
planets, Of which one hundred and eight
nave been discovered since the wear 1870.
10 1871, Sir William Hersche broke through
the flaming va +" Of the astronOmic unt-
verse as they were known to antiquity, and
brought Uranus within the lines Of our pan-
etary household. Since that tune, sstrono-
mers have pushed their explorations WITH
Onwearied industry over tae bOundless spa
ces, and nave been constantly re warusd for
their eKertIOns b. new discoveries. Accord
lng 10 the latest a -On0mical authorities,
twentJ-three Of the one hundred and seven
planets have been discovered by Americans
aud nine Of them by Prof. Watson, at Ann
Arbor, Mich.
4 CAR COUPLING, it il reported, has been
fnventeG, IN operating which 1t is not nee
essary 10 pass between the cars, and thus
run The risk " being crushed The other
advantages Of the invention are, that BY ito
use the dissgreeeble jerk in the starting Of
train is avoided, spring being 50 arran e.
cd as 60 play on 70 40 adjustable bead and
and take W the lost motion Of the LINK.
ENVELOPES are now made 10 England with
the mueilago on the lower part Of she en-
veope instead Of the lap. On moistening
The edge OF the flap, usual, and pressing
it down upon the gun med surface below,
very thorough adhesion takes place, with-
out the objection u getting the taste Of the
gum IN the mouth, OF rem0Fing a part Of 1t
By the tOnsue.
fHB ELECTRIC TELsGRAPH.-A new $ys-
TEN Of teiegTaphy, inveated BY Bonelli, has !
recently been brought into public notice at
Paris. The Emperor NAPOLEON Ut d., to whum !
it was submitted, it is said, has expressed
bis complete satisfaction with the new pro-
advantages Of which consists 10 |
the perfect and authentic exactn ess of the |
messages sent, as well as the increased
rspidlty Of transmission. The government /
Director OF the French TelegrAphs has
been authorized to offer every facility neces-
sary for the general adoption Of the new
apparatus.
CURIOUS ExPERIEENr.-A curious phvsiol-
Ogical experiment was recently made Nv
Dlacincss few grains Of barley before hun
Try pigeon. While pecking at he barley
the brain OF the pigeon was frozen by means
Of spray of other. The bird, being ih Us
deprived Of consciousness, ceased pecking,
and remained as If dead. The barley was
then removed, and the Other spray having
leased, the brain was allowed to thaw. The
bird soon returned to life, and It's frst act
vas TO renew the peeklng for . time, al
b 1ugh no food was before t.
DUlca engineers have long been challeng-
ed to try their power Ia draining the Zuyder
See, which, before the inundations OF the
twelfth and tbIrteentl centuries, was pas
aired By foeks aud herds, but the colossal
nature of The works required has discour-
Aged them. Last year the undertaking
assumed a definite shape, and is now adopt
ID in principle DT the government and PEG
pie. If it succeeds, the Dutch will convert
some S90UeQ acres Of stormy sea into rich
aliuvial soil The cost has been roughly
put at ten raiIl Hons Of pounds (English.) A
cons deTable portion Of the capital required
will be subscribed abroad, and the power
fal engine, the centrifugal pumps, the man
material employed, 90 well m
he fuel, viii be supplied BY England and
france.