The Osceola times., 1875-12-25
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

lHis MINING JouIiih icPoie al
enormous blast of dynamite which
took place at Cauldon Lowe Limestone
Quarry, near Frogall. To test the
strength of the dynamite, it was de-
cided to charge a chamber with II cwt.
The fuse was then fired, and in the
space of eleven minutes the charge
exploded with immense effect, bring
ing down the face of the quarry "a
feet back for long distance, the
quantity of stone dropped being
roughly estimated at 10000 tons.
This shot illustrated the great saving
of labor in using dynamite. i
In an exhaustive examination of the
movements of the wings of birds in
hying, DIR. Alix comes to the follow
ing conclusions: 1. The wing in the
down-stroke begins by moving forward
to attain its basis of support; after
which it strikes briskly from above
downwards, and at the same time from
before backwards, as result Of which
the bird is projected forwards. 2. AT
the moment at which the wing COM
mences to descend, its lower surface
looks forward; but as it descends, this
surface gradually turns to look directly
downwards, and ultimately more and
more backwards. 3. During the as
cent of the wing, it moves upward and
forward, its inferior surface at the same
time looking forward.
PRoFEssoRJEvoNs, after careful ex
animation of the trade returns for many
years, has established connection be-
tween sunspots and the price Of corn.
The maxima of sunspots, it is well
known, occur every eleven years; and
it is found that the price of corn rises
in the tenth, eleventh, first, second,
and third years of the sunspot period.
1t is also pointed out that commercial
panics have tended to recur during the
last fifty-four years in a distinctly peri
odic manner. The average length of
interval between the principal panics
is about 1913 years, nearly coinciding
with I'LL, the length of the solar-spot
period. If Professor Balfour Stewart
be right in holding that the sunspot
variation depends on the configurations
are the remote cause of the greatest
commercial disasters.
DURING late official investigation
into the cause of one of the many re-
cent English railway accidents it was
stated that, owing to the presence Of
continuous brakes, the engineer had at
his command the means of stopping a
train going at the rate of fifty miles an
hour within four hundred yards. The
official character of this testimony in
duced a special trial to be made, with
the following results: A regular train
was made up, fitted with continuous
brakes, and run at the rate above men,
toned. AT given signal, the brakes
were put on, the engine reversed, and
when the train had stopped the distance
was measured. This was found to be
eight hundred yards, or nearly half a
mile; and, as the trial was fair one,
the result may be taken as final, and
will serve to set at rest the oft-repeated
assertion that train going at full
speed may be stopped within its own
length.
CERTAIN interesting experiments on
the growth of seeds have been con
Quoted by NJ. Uloth. These were un.
dertaken with view to determine
whether seeds could be made to germi.
nate in ice, and the process may be dc
scribed as follows Seeds of various
species were placed in grooves made in
ice-cakes, and over the grooved surface
other plates of ice were laid, and the
whole removed to a cool cellar in Jan.
uary, and there remained till the fol
lowing May. An examination then
made disclosed the fact that many OF
the seeds had actually terminated, the
roots penetrating into the ice. 1t is
but natural that facts of this startling
character should give rise to controver
sy, and so we are not surprised to learn
that opposite views are entertained as
to whence the heat needed for the pro
cess of growth was obtained. In the
opinion of the experimenter, it was
obtained, or rather liberated, in the
growth of the roots while forcing them.
selves into the ice.-Appletons Journal.