The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-12-05
POPLAR SCIENCE.

It 1SA ILUE.-A species OF SAhTk, COu-
mon to Puget sound, the only use of
which has heretofore been in manufac-
turing oil for the fabrication of saw
mills, is, according to the Puget Sound
Express, available for the manufacture
of glue. Millions of iog-fsh have
been annually taken from the waters of
the sound, bringing thousands of dol
lars to their captors. But not until re-
Gently, at the Castlenook fishery estab
hshment on the bay, has 1T been demon
strated that the heads and fins of the
dog-fish are as remunerative as other
parts of the body. Excellent glue can
be made from these parts of the fish,
and the Castlebrook establishment now
exports to France kegs and barrels filled
and nicely packed with the heads, fms
and tails of the Puget sound dog-fsh,
which abroad is considered a great
luxury.
Inn UNCHANGEABLENEss OF CLIMATE
IN THE ATLANTIC STATEs.-The old peo-
pies theory that the climate of the At
lantlc states. is gradually growing warm
er, from year to year, meets stout con-
testant in Mr. Daniel Draper, director
of the meteorological observatory at
Central park. This year, Mr.. Draper
of June, July and August in groups of
five years at various points on the coast,
and the general results are thus summed
up: For New York the mean of four
groups of five years each for the months
given is 71.S3 degrees, and the mean
of the same months for thirty-three
successive years is 1900. The Phila-
delphia records for four groups of five
years each show q mean of 1857 de-
grees, and the mean of the same months
for fifty-six years is 70. 70. The Boston
observations date back,eighty-four years,
and the mean for the three months is
69.43 and that for the four groups, ETC.,
is $3.50. The registrations for New
Haven cover a period of eighty-six years
and the mean is 69.76 degrees, and
that for the group selections 69.77. At
Charleston, the mean of four groups,
selected from observations between 1870
and 1854, is SO12, and there is no vari-
alton worth mentioning from one end
of the scale to the other.
BORAx AND CLEANSING BLANKETS. -
The Boston Journal of Chemistry gives
the following method of cleansing
blankets: Put two large teaspoonfUls
of bOrax and a pint bowl of soft soap
into a tub of cold water. When dis
solved, put in a pair of blankets, and
let them remain over night. Next day
rub and let them out, and rinse thor
Oughly in two waters, and hang them to
dry. Do not wiring them. But this is
not the only domestic use to which
borax may be put. Says the same jour
nal Borax is the best cockroach ex-
exterminatOr yet discovered. This
IL.
sion to it, and will never return where
it has once been scattered. AS the salt
is perfectly harmless to human beings,
it is much to be preferred for this pur-
pose to the poisonous substances COM
monty used. Borax is valuable for the
laundry use l ID. to about ten gallons
of boiling water, and you need only
One-half the ordinary allowance of soap.
For laces, cambrics, ETC., use an ex-
ira quality of this powder. It will not
IMPURE the texture of the cloth in the
least. For cleansing the hair, nothing
Is better than a solution of bOrax water.
Wash afterwards with pure water if it
leaves the hair too stiff. Borax dis
solved in water is also an excellent den
trifee, or tooth wash.
How SHEPHERD Docs ARE TRAINED.
You may go over the plains and hills of
southern California for miles and see
thousands of sheep but not a man to
watch them. Around each flock or
band of, say, thousand of sheep, are
half dozen dogs, of a peculiar breed;
dogs whose progenitors were imported
from the sheep pastures of the old
world. These dogs take the entire care
of the sheep, drive them out to pasture
in the morning, keep them from stray
ing during the day, and bring them
home at night. They have inherited
talent for keeping sheep; but the
shepherds do not depend wholly on
that. They cultivate it in this way, so
at least the old shepherds say When
a lamb is born it is taken away from the
mother sheep before she has seen it,
and a puppy put in its place. The
sheep suckles the puppy and learns to
love it. When the puppy grows old
enough to eat meat, it is fed in the
morning and sent out with the sheep.
1t stays with them because it is accus-
toned f be with its mother, but it can
not feed With them. As they get full
the dog G, s hungry. At length, impa
tient to J, urn where it hopes to get
another piecH of meat, it begins to tease
and worry it mother, and finally starts
her toward home, the other sheep
follow, and thus the whole flock is
brought in. If The dog brings the sheep
home too soon, CT comes without them,
he gets no supper, or is punished in
some way. HenCa he soon learns when
to come, and to see to it that none of his
charge are left behind. These animals
are trained by taking advantage of their
instincts and appetiteS.
RANCID BUTTER.-It is owing to a
lack of information, OF to the careless
ness on the part of butter makers, that
so much of a rancid or inferior charac-
ter of butter finds its way to market
A good article is as easily made as a
poor one, and the former Will be found
more profitable to the manufacturer, in
the long run, than the latter. The but
ter maker should reflect that to make or
prepare good butter is one thing, and
only a portion of the business. II re-
uuires care in the preservation after it
is made. If it is to be kept any con-
siderable time, it should be packed
down with great care, in order that the
AIR may be excluded from the mass as
much as possible. Cracked crooks or
imperfect butter tubs should not be
used, because they will not hold brine
or exclude the atmosphere as perfectly
tight ones will do. Work the butter
clear of milk, but do not tear the grain
more than absolutely necessary for this
purpose. Salt literally and evenly, but
not for the purpose of selling salt in
stead of butter. Pack closely, exclud-
ing all the air possible. If not intended
for immediate use, cover the surface
with strong brine or profuse coating
of salt Over all put a tight cover, and
the necessary precaution has been taken.
When portion of tub or crock is re-
moved for use, see that the surface is
kept intact, else the action of the at
mosphere will soon impart a rancid
flavor to what is left, rendering it unfit
for table use. 1t is owing solely to
carelessness in these respects, that so
much poor butter finds its way to mar
ket, entailing an unnecessary loss to the
manufacturers, and thereby impairing
their reputation in the market.
TIE GEORGIA LUMBER TRADE.-The
shipments of yellow pine timber and