American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-07
INDUSTRIAL.

| THE Baltimore packers are preparing to
do an unusually large business in canning
peaches.
| THE introduction of machinery for sep
arating slate from coal is depriving thou
sands of boys of work in the anthracite
coal region.
The hay crop in Western Massachusetts
is but little over half an average crop. In
many places on the uplands grass is al
most total failure.
THE Lewiston (Me) Journal says
This is pronounced an excellent season
for bees. One gentleman says his colony
of hives has already increased to nine, and
the indications are that he will gain three
more swarms. They are laying in honey
rapidly"
A NEW product called "appartine," and
| useful as a glaze or finish for papers and
fabrics, and doubtless to be applied in
time to many other uses, has just been
brought out. 1t is made by stirring twen-
ty parts of potato starch into 100 parts of
water, and then adding ten parts of potash
or soda I've of twenty-five degrees. The
whole is stirred vigorously till the milky
mixture becomes transparent, viscous and
stiff. Poured out and dried, it gives thin
sheets of cOlOrless, odorless, transparent
substance, resembling horn, but more
pliable and tenacious. As a stiffening and
surfacing material it is said to possess
many valuable properties.
ENGINEERS are well aware that in some
cases explosions occur in mines where the
safety lamp is in use. In such instances
the explosion has been observed to take
place most frequently after the firing of
blasting shot in the vicinity; and, as it is
almost certain that the penetration of the
flame through the gauZe of the lamp is
not due to a sudden flow of gas from one
part of the mine to another, experiments
have been instituted to determine whether
the transmission of the sound wave, or
wave of compression, may not be the orr
gin of the mischief. With this object
tube is arranged, at one end of which
there is the infiammable current envelop-
ing a safety-lamp; in the center is a loose
diaphragm, and on a pistol being fired at
the other end the explosion will cause
sound wave to be propagated along the
tube. On the arrival Of this sound wave
at the extremity of the tube the combus-
ton passes from the inside to the outside
of the safety -lamp.-N. Y. Sun.
THE idea which has been proposed of
using glass for lining tanks, etc, and to
take the place of the ordinary enamel sur
face given to iron is likely to be practi
cally realized on an extensive scale, a
method for its accomplishment having
now been devised, which is spoken of as
answering every requisite of success. The
chief advantage to be gained by this proc
ess is surface easily cleansed, and the
possibility of perfect cleanliness, as for
fermenting watts, etc., and it also offers a
solution to the lead poisoning difficulty.
1t may be used, too, for veneering and
decorative purposes, in many cases with
very good effect, especially as designs may
be colored and placed under the glass, and
thus be preserved from fading and wear
ing. Another suggestion made in this
is that thick glass might easily
hospitals, and thus prevent the retention of
the elements of disease. 1t would, en-
ployed in this manner, be non-absorbent,
easily cleaned, readily re-
paired if damaged by accident, and, unlike
paper and paint, would always be as good
as at first.