Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-03
CURRENT PARAGRAPHS.
industrial.

two-thirds as much cotton as is raised in
British India.
An orchard planted by Daniel Web
ster in Marshfeld, Mass, yields this year
/ 300 barrels OF apples.
-Chestnuts are bringing only one dol
lar bushel in Moodus, Conn, and the
boys say THAT don't pay"
A California man has raised sixty
tons of cabbages on three acres of land,
and got "a, 900 in gold for the crop.
An apple, said to be the largest ever
ripened in the United States, has been
picked in Nebraska. 1t weighs 29a
ounces. t-t
The total production of the mills at
Manchester, n. H., is 500, 900 yards of
cloth per week, and the number OF en-
ployes is about 5000.
"A Belgian has started an egg farm
near Marietta, Ga. He has 800 hens and
fifty cocks. The business now yields
81. 900 eggs and 2, 100 chickens per annum.
-Newport's once large West Indian
fleet has dwlhdled 10 two vessels-a brig
and schooner, and the former is the
only squarerigged craft owned in the
port at the present time.
The apple crop of California this
year is said to be the largest ever known.
A Santa Cruz County fruit-grower made
a shipment to San Francisco, and the re-
turns brought him SO in debt
Mr.. G. A. Keene, of Appleton, Me-,
last spring received business letter in
| which there happened to be a single
squash seed. He planted the seed, and
the result was a squash measuring six
feet and seven inches in circumference,
weighing 1874 pounds.
An appendix to recent report on
Paper-making as conducted in Western
Massachusetts" contains list of liz ma
terials for making paper, and from all OF
which fair quality OF paper has been
produced. The significance of these
facts becomes the more apparent when
it is remembered that the uses of paper
are increasing very rapidly, it being sub
sttuted for both wood and metal in sew
eral departments of manufacture. Paper
vessels for the holding of water are now
of very general use; then we have paper
boats, billiard balls, car-wheels and even
houses are built entirely of it, as in the
instance of a paper church upon the
Continent.
parchment paper, by immersion in dilute
sulphuric acid, is an operation requiring
extreme delicacy Of manipulation. A
German chemist announces the discovery
of less hazardous process, by which the
same result may be obtained and paper
impervious to moisture secured. The
sheets of paper to be acted upon are inn
mersed in an ammoniacal solution of
copper and then carefully dried. The
paper thus obtained is said to be SO thor
oughly waterproof as not to lose its con-
sistency even after continued boiling.
The ammoniacal solution is made by
treating plates of copper with concen-
trated solution of salammoniac while ex-
posed to the atmosphere.
An improved kind of steam car or
carriage, adapted to street locomotion,
has been brought forward in England, the
advantages claimed for it being that it is
free from the objections urged against
steam carriages in general. 1t is fifteen
feet in length, and consists of the three
necessary divisions, namely, the drivers
box in front, the boiler and engine in the
rear, with compartment for passengers
in the center. 1T is carried on four
wheels, two at each end. When filled
with passengers, and provided with
water, etc, for a journey, its weight is
only about four and half tons, and it
will travel at the rate of about eight
miles an hour, on an average, the opera
ton and movement being in all respects
satisfactory.