New-York tribune., 1873-06-28


5000 tons have been made in a few months past, all
Of which has been employed in building aud drain
age works and il has also been used rs tOp-dreSS
ing for roads over which there Is heavy trathc by
. special process the Stag is converted into sand
from which bricks and cement OF an excellent quail
atty are made.
ACTION or DYNAMITE series Of experiments,
By Mn Roux and SeErn. recently conducted for the
French Government, upon the effects of dynamite,
have led them to conclude that this substance acc-
deutally inhamed tas when in the midst of a fire.
will not detonate but that may produce an expo-
sion Of the second order similar 10 that of gunpow-
der. The maximum intensity Of the explosion OBJ
Iancd when the sides of the present great re-
Instance would be such that one Of nitro glyceTlne
represents two of powder. They state. also that II
Is only by a percussion Of sufficient intensity that
det0natiOn explosion of the first order can nc
produced. Dynamite is more powerful IN proper
tiOn than nitro gyccrlne, as II Is more eaSAy m
Ganed by a shock. Where thus takes place readily
thc effect of the percussion IS transmitted iumed-
stslv through the whole mass This is the with
guartzy sands. Whenever the dynamite Is prepared
with plastic matter. ochre. etc. only part of the
detonates the rest acting by simple explosion
SENsrTryENEss IN PLANTS A MEANS or SECURING
CKOSS-FERTHIzAuoN.--FE +. Kitchener, in The Jour
pal Of BotaRg adds another 10 the many curious
methods by which crossfertilzation Is secured in
flowers. In the musk plant tAi,auias mOschdtas the
80 opened flower l. horizontal the stigma close against
N the upper part Of the throat with two broad eX-
~ banded lobes, the vsid stigmac surfaces looking
downward and two pairs Of unequal stamens'
shorter than the style. with the anthers opening
downward and an such position as 20 make II i'm
probable that any of the pollen should without IN
reference reach the stigma. Any insect however,
having entered aud covered his back or probOscis
with pollen; would Of Deoessty leave portion upon
the stigma iu his retreat not TINS also eiiectu
ally prevented by the senstiveness of the lObeS.
which shut closely together Immediately after being
touched by the insect in entering. Only IN case OF
his having previously visited some other l0wer and
bringing contribution Of ITS pollen win Lm is IN
ETeeHatlOn probable
APrARATUs RoR DRYING GBAN-M Coignet has
re.eBlIy devised an apparatus for the purpose OF
driving grain aud other substances at cheap rate,
bnd withoHt destroying the terminating power OF
the seeds at the same time. For this purpose the
articles 10 be dried are placed upon perforated
stages and Tay orsed by current Of air from above
downwards heated 10 The proper temperature from
IO4 N 1872 Fghrenheit, which he finds best TO
snsver his purposes. still higher temperature
inamely, from 30 70 3U-, applied IN the same
apparatus enables him TO dry certain animal mat
tor intended as maDures, without causing the loss
al their nitrOgCNOus m3teral; but, as such tenn
peratnre OF dry sir would lie apt to cause conbus-
ton he replaces this by superhC steam In this
nay he has succeeded III preparing ~ cubic peteIs
OF manure pei day and he IS Of the opinion that In
tbis way We can best make use OF animals winch IN
frrtain countries. BuenOs Ayres Australia, DC,
killed for their hide- and tallow and the decom
position u Slis5 "a great quantities Is 50 liable 10
pT0IiGe paEI,lsIIc.
NATURE OF LOEsS-Iu an inaugural address hy
Jontlsoh discussing the "quaternary strata IN the
vicinity of Dresden, aud the formation Of loess IN
general he concludes from careful examination of
and eyperiuants with loess that all It's essential
characteristics are simply consequences OF the de-
gree of oomIuiuution, and sufficient to separate
II geoogicaly from loan and clay. lts particles
are chiefly from about .OGS to .O0l6 Of an inch IA
diameter aud thoSe Of plastic clay and loan about
.oO2 to Oo0I Of inch. The cohesion of the loess
e. consequently less than that Of clay, and Vt falls to
1,ieces IN water on this account, well because
ibe angle of friction is leSsened 10y water. Absence
al stratfCatiOn II explained as resulting TOm the
ObteratOn Of sharply defined narginsof the earlier
seDOelte nv this effect Of water; and strata are con-
eequently only recognizable when the layers are IN
different states of comninulion' The properties as
well as the lUc Il"n ana cOnteutS indicate That 81 a.
a luyiatie deposit IN OverlOWed portions oil
valleys.
COMPARISON or ANCIENT MoRrARs--Dr, Wallace
Of Glasgow. has been paying some attention to the
character of the mOrtars used u ancient buildings
and among Others refers to specimens lrom the Great
Yvramid from the Island of Cyprus from the RUNS
Of Athens aud also from ancient RUNS III Rome and
elsewhere in Italy In a recent communication 10
fhe Philosophical Society OF Glasgow, be mentions
tbe remarkable differences between them. In some
eiifcos a.s al Baalbec, and some ruined cities IN
Turkey, buildings are met with constructed Of IN
1nens blocks Of stone jODted with such nicety that
even the blade of a pen -kuife could not be pushed
brtween them. but without any mortar whatever
On the other hand. the Egyptians usedmortar freely
~ In the Great Pyramid. This, however consisted
almost wholly OF gypsum sulphate OF lime.
fpeclnen Of mortar FROM an ancient PhGInclah Jch,
pie yas like that found IN the barOnla castles oi
England having been made Of burned lime, me
sand, coarse sand. and gravel 1be Lime ia ~ had
teeOiDe completely carbOnated converting the mass
into solid rock. The ancient Greek moftafS, nom
rnins in the vicinity Of Athens, contained more llne
than that from Cyprus. and no gravel. That from
Herculaneum, Rome. and its neRhb0rhOOd, appeared
to have been made from burned lime and volcanic
ash or pozzuOlana. The mortar OF the Great Pyr-
amid consisted principally Of bydrated sulphate OF
lime, TO which added traces OF carbonate OF
lime. carbonate Of nagUesia, anmina, silica, aud
very small per cent Of water.
COJORISG KID GLOvEs.-Acoording TO Remnants
Journal Of Dseing, the gloves to be smoothly hit
ted OIL a wooden form, and the colOriDg solution is
10 be brushed on the diferentl cOlors lbeng pro-
dueed a. follows: Black: The glove is washed or
brushed with alcohol, dried aud then brushed with
q detection Of logwoOd, and after 10 minutes the
Iogwood liquid again applied after 10 minutes more
duped into q solution of green yitriol, aud then
brushed of with warm water. IL the color is not
dark as desired some deoOctlon Of fustic qner-
eitron may be added 10 the lOgwood liquid Nitrate
of iron may also be substituted with advantage for
the green yitrOl. When the glove begins TO dry 1t
is rubbed with some fine olive Oifand French chalk,
and then placed between flannel, and then pressed,