The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-24
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL. TUESDAY; NOVEMBER "a 1874

| waste on a useless cOmDOuuUt anu 0OW llbbAC
nourishment he is resolved to take. To I'M
derstand this, let us consider that the skin
o fanimals may be boiled down so as to be-
come an eatable substance; but that the
same skins taken to the lanyard will be
converted into an imputrescible article,
juice to extract any matter there
from. Now, all p~roteine sub
stances, brought into contact with %tanDin,
will behave in the same way a. the skin;
they will combine with the tannin, and re-
sist digestion rs well 40 putref.ction: The
infusion of coffee intended for ingestion is
extremely rich in tsnrin; consequently,
when brought into contact with the albumen
and csseine contained in milk, IL will in
stantly transform thcae Ingredients into an
insoluble leather; the only difference being
that this coriaceous substance will be In b
shape Of an impalpablo powder instead OF
forming q continuous sheet. This inert
precpitate will remain in the stomach until
carried off by other food, producing no
other effect ave that of impeding the full
action Of the gastric juice"
FRUIT ~SxLECrIoN.-A writer in the New
York Tribune says; The besetting sin
ponologically speaking, Of oil fruit-growsrs
is in the wrong selection OF varieties, end it
Is Q fault not easily remedisd, for who can
Withstand the glowing descriptions and the
beeuiling but exaggerated prints constantly
in cnculation7 When the novice makes up
hi. mind to plant syoung orchard his first
thought is to study some nurssrymsn's cata-
logus (lst US hope, in all charity,
he will find truthful d~escriptions) and then
his list is prepared from those mostly highly
praised. He is not likely to ask himself.
Will the Baldwin apple, or the Duchesse
pear, or the Delaware grape arrive at per-
lection on my grounds? No, he simply
ascertains that these varieties are of first
quality when we'll grown, and so with full
faith he plants them-and reaps in the end a
crop of disappointment. Better would it
have been had he sscertained from q near
~neighbor, possessing the same situation and
character of soil, what succeeded. Suppose
he has 10 near neighbor. What then?
POISONING THE Som.-Scientifc men are
quite in earnest about the danger of using
so much Paris green to kill potato bugs:
John L. lie Conte, NJ. D., at the meeting last
week in Philadelphia of the National
Academy of Natural Sciences, presented
vigorous objection to the use of Paris green
for destroying insects injurious to agricul-
ture. After remarking that it is ''the duty
of the members of the academy to give
to their felloW-c citizens such salutary warn
ings as seem to be necessary to protect them
against Injurious practices introduced under
the garb of SCIENCE" DIR. l.. Le Conte con-
tinued:
Paris or Schweinfurth green isa mixture Of
a~rsenite and acetate of copper, and in the re-
suit of certain empirical experiments has
been recommended as destructive to the
Colorado potato beetle, and, in fact, as a uni.
versal remedy against all injurious insects
arsenic and copperare poisons
which act with equal energy
plants and animals. The material, though
difused upon the leaves of the plants to be
protected, which are incapable of absorbing
il, is carried speedily into the soil, and il
used annually il is merely q matter of time
how many years will elapse before the soil
is poisoned so as to prevent the growth OF
all vegetation. The chemical POSSIBLE
tiles which may result in the poison
ing of the vegetation raised from the
soil / will leave to be developed by my col
leagues. 1 solemnly protest against the
loose manner in which, on the recommends
ton of persons who have observed only the
effects of these poisons upon the insect nests
to which their attention has been directed,
a most dangerous material has been placed
in the hands of a large mass of uneducated
men. The manufacture of this poison has
increased to a fearful extent. A friend re-
siding in one of the great agricultural GEN.
tiers of the West writes that the druggists of
his town order it by the ton. The ravages
of the Colorado potato beetle, which has
been the chief cause of the use of Paris
green in agriculture, commenced in the
!, West many years ago, and its extern
ION at a regular rate was predicted by ento-
mologists. The prediction has been verified
9 almost to a year. Now it was within the
power of the Government, through a pro
perly organized Scientific Bureau for the
r Protection of Agriculture, to have the sub
ject investigated by a commission, and re-
commend proper measures to be adopted
: The use of metallic poisons would not be
| one of them, but human labor, properly
, compensated and intslligently employed
/ might have been one of the agents employed
} to avert a natiC nal calamity such as ha:
come upon US.
) An interesting discussion followed the
: reading of this paper. All the members whC
! took part in it approved DIR. LIE Conte's views
f as to the danger of using Paris green. Prof
; Silliman had heard Of several instances o
loss of human life from carelessness in it
use for killing cockroaches. Prof. Alexan
der said that there were well-establisheC
! matter for wall paper had re
0 suited in poisoning persons, whI
were affected after only BALI al
hour spent in the rooms hung with such pa
! per. DIR. Mitchell referred to a number o
! cases OF poisoning by this substance. L
, might be that the soil in which il was strewl
impaired a poisoning influence to plants be.
/, fore refusing to yield its product. and tina
I the plant so affected acted inJuriously upol
the human system. DIR. LIE Conte sharpl,
, criticised theiagricultural bureau at Washing
ton for failing to investigate this subject. Tn
use of s%trychninei in corn-fields to kill crow
was referred to by anothe
= member, who thought that thi
most indestructible of poison
might affect the vegetation. Prof. Sillimal
3 cited a case in Massachusetts where tn
fumes from a copper works injured tn
l. surrounding forests and grass lands. TIL
discussion finally took q wider range, an
d embraced the rise of analyne dyes for color
b ing jellies and confectionery. 1t close
with the adoption Of the following resolu
ton, on motion OF Prof. Alexander:
Resolved, That a committee be appointe