, 1874-11-28
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.
MA ron ILLUMINATING runroaya

| initiating purpoaeo, In England, In 1902 Tor
moro tllau century proytole tho Intention Of
scientific men Lad boon directed to tho atsesms
Of intlaminablo air that iaauc from wolls and
mines In coal districts, and communications on
tho subject Ind boon from tiulo 10 tlmo read be-
foro the ROYAL Society Of Louloa. In 1880, tho
Doan Of Kildare mado public somo experiments
by whicl, ho lad distilled gas from coal but 1t
mas not until nifty years nfter thst tho idea Of
uaug this gas for tho production Of artificial
| light lawned upon tho bunnn mind. ln 1909,
Mr. William Murdoch manufactured gss with
| which he lighted Ills house and Offices at Red
ruth. In Cornwall. Six yeAra after, hc
lleItod tho mauufac1ory Of ncasrs. Bolton l.
WATT q. Soho; !a'na, n 1906, the cotton
The journal q :. :rrayels IL England, Holland.
and Scotland" Tho author states that, OF, July
1905. ho stopped in PiccadilIy to 500 mn object
Of sonlo cnrloaity,' Which be describes as fol
lab contrivod Is light hia shop III yo,y bonu,i-
ful manner, BY mennB Of Tho iufsmtnable gas
obtained from fossil COAL II is tho eap,a thtng
With tho thorn,osamp, Of Which you havo heard
much III Amcrics: Every now thing by which
London, ts vel! as eyerywhera elso. took tie
| liberty, moreover, Of us}ilug Tho owunr Of tho
allop 10 permit mo TO aee luis apparatus. lie re-
fused III hrnt but. Oh my aaBt,rinG him WIS
HNk u VI tlAulIlH 4l1Al WAB RCtu-
utod solo'y by curiosity. ho consented. aud took
mo down collar"
In 1907. Pail Mall was ltehtaa by Ntr. wsudaor;
aud. IL 1910, tho Gas CompAux IT London Oh.
sa'ned their cl,arter. 1n 1Hts, Dayl Melville, OF
Newport, and 1FinaloN Lewis, Of boston, oh.
taingd a patons for tho United btatoa Of nti im-
| proved gas.la,np for lighting manufactures,
mills, u1inet: thoatrea. &C., With gsn produced
from coal. 1his nyetem Of Illumination, proba-
bly brought from England. WAS introduced by
$E1A ultanfNnA tllA into hui1t1fnY
In Na"port, Il. T.. Into tho cotton factury 1t
Setli Densis, at Watsstown. Mass. mud into tho
Wensoutt factory, mar Mill bridge. 6ubHc.
9uensly tho Askwsighs MIL wns lighted under
the gasolnetor exploded tho building vas de.
stfoyed, aud q night watchman killed. This nc
ctaent prevented tho euccoAa Of tho enterprise Of
1fesssa. Molyillo. anl Lewts, and gap wns no.
purposes until 1917, wlicn tho Providence Gns
Company procutod u charter for illuminating
that city.
THE AppLE.
The apple, which is Valued aboyo all other
fruits Of Northorn climates, Is the descendant of
tho wild crab-sree, which fs found very generally
In tho Temperate Zone Of both hemBphorcu. 1t
is mentioned 10 tho Bible, BY Horolotug, and By
pflhv, the lattor Of whom enunorates twenty W.
iioties that wore cultivated iu hia time. It Mas
III extenslvo nae by tho Romano. and was proba-
bly, Introduced by them into England. After the
establishment Of Christinnity. ne t1ud that the
monks planted largo orchards, and rendered tho
fruit common throughout the island. It WAS
brought to Now Engiaud by the early settlers,
and orchards worc set out by the colonists and
tho Ind. ans IN oil tho orglnal StateB. Tho apple
is now QUO Of tue most .wldoy-diffusad Of
frnit-trccs, but 1t succeeds bat in cooler
rarta Of tho Temperate Zoaa. It accura In
Aratia, Persia, tho West Indies, and on tia
Meditefranean; but IN these countries, the
f.ui. ID small aid infoior. Il toac1eB lts great
est perfection in tho United States. whore moro
tiian million or acres arc occupied with or
ciard8. Tue value OF tho crop In 1870 WAS over
s47,0u0,000. Largo quantities Of apploa arc OK
ported from this county to England, China, aud
lLo atp.o.trco s hardy and long igod. The
best artificial varieties ren,a1a in good bearing
condition from fifty 10 oighty yours. In Now
England many Bpocsmens still yield fruit whlchare
ii ia grown either rs standard t1ee. m espnllor
Or II vail tleo. ma is variuuB!y trained, It IL
usually grated on crab-stoeks, or sometimes Oil
hnwthoril-htLcis aud introduced into ledgos.
Tfeea ara frequently dwarfed by using a low VA
riely called tho Paradise apFlo for stock. When
reduced to tho size nf cnrrnut or gooaeborry
buah, these dwarfed troos Will otton bear abuDd-
autly. Tho wood OF tho apple~treo is hard.
uurnblo, tpd iine-grainad. 1he fruit yielts
malio acid, winch IL used for medicinal pur-
pesos.
1nAZrLrSucs.
This vell.liuowu fruit ls the product Of tho
Re,khollclia excelsa, majestic tree growing In
tho forests OIL the Upper Amazons and III tho
northern parts Of Brazil Tho nnts are ino'osesl
in round. woody capsule, or ecoa-case, almost
as largo as mans head. This capsulc is very
hea7y aud hnrd, requiring atout blow from a
slcdse-hammor 10 b oak 1t, It mill bo anen that,
wheu auch enormous fruits arc rlpening and fall
ing to tho ground, it becomes dangerous to walk
unaor t1o trees that bear them. Tile nuts, or
moro properly the scedB, aro packed closely to-
gether III the capsule,--from Bixtcon to twenty
bcing contGiuol in ench ono. They ere exported
from Para uul French Guiana. On account Of
the abundance Of oil IN them, they arc paiatablo
onIy shen fresh, tho oil growing raucd win age.
The natives express this oil 1hich IL yielded il
Noasly allssd to tho BerlAoistia Il tho L.
cythss oltaris. u tree Of sill g4eator height.-ln-
ueed, one OF tho most gigantic IN the brazilian
tree, and tho capeutcs In which it's Eecds arc l1u
priaonod nre named monkeys prinking-Cups.
These capanleB ate OF russet color, and have 4
circulat hole ~ tho to:, into much . natural I'D
Its perfectly. When tile nuts are ripe, tho iid
loosene, and the heavy cup falIs crashing 10 tho
ground. end tts Recds ar6 scatiorod IL esery d.
rcction; to be for tie most pnrt consumed bY
slid animals. From this causa tho nuts Of ths
Afcyah3S nfe lbsa nl0IuhQt N mRrHot thah tnose
Of tlle Bertholie!ia, although t4ey afo deened
1n,,cn muro delicate. Iha amply cups. Of tho
Ltcytais are used liEo tllo calabarh, for domestic
purposes. The laryeat OF tAs uuts Of tho Be5-
Hoftctid occurs III June.
THE A1LASTHuB
Tbs ai!anthus is treo possessing many valu-
ablo qualities, II is beautiful In form, nobo iu
attaining hoigllt In its native country.
China, Of sometimns 900 faat, rapid Of growth.
hardy Of constitution, and yollins nno-grsined,
patiny mood, admirably aa,tca for cabinot.1nak-
ing. In addition to those advantageous proper
ties, tho tsse las atrong medicinal virtues. The
powdered bark Of tho root Ia III efficient remedy
In oasos Of dysontery, mud Is In high ehteem for
this use in China and japan. Notwithstanding
lhis unusual combination Of desirable cl1aractas-
istics, the allauthus ia In dlsgraca throughout
the country On account Of tho diaaeroeable
odor OF ass male blossoms. Tho senso Of
smell ~, above all the rost. fastidioun
antoctat, mud will not tolerate otfopaes. 1'he
Atlanthus is Called in the homo Of ITO birth. the
Iloo OF 1losvon; but it BueolY did not bring
from TINT quarter tho ,anls, dlsguatlug olluylum