New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-28
APPLIED SCIENCE.

OSrRUrHIN, A NEW VEGETABLE PaINcIPLE.-A
new crystalline vegetable principle has been de-
tectcd in the root of master-wor 10y Gornp Beslnez,
To- which he has given the name ostFuthn it erys-
tailizes III whte needles or priSs and contains 10
nitrogen.
CopTfNE.-A peculiar principle called coptine has
been found 10y Gross in the Copits t0lia or golden
thread of Europe and America. This is associate
III the plant with brIberine, bat is Distinguished ny
being coo,ess and by wedding crystalline prccipi-
tate with pOtassa -meTcunc lOdiAe.
CoxTIyUrp SUPpIY or GUAYo.-More detailed
accounts of report which has been previously re-
ferred 10 ia these columns made by the E'nHdSSador
from Peru at London the supply OF guano III that
country. have come to hand. AID are calculated 10
relieve the fears so widely entertained of an early
failure of the guano supply. On soma f9rty-hVc
din rent localities the mainland end Islands 81
the Peruvian dolniuions gTlaro deposits are foind,
some OF them amounting to millions OK TONS
AUSTRIAN Plan FOR SUPPLYING AGRICULTURAL
r-BooKs--The need # appropriate textbooks
for instruction in various branches of agricultural
science is everywh-re very keenly felt. The Aus
TRAN Agricultural Ministry has attempted u very
practical plan for supplying tis want; namely, by
Offering rewards for authorship Some ten different
Textbooks for schools Of various grades desired,
and varying from 900 a. 100 HORNS are OF
ercd for satisfactory manuscripts the author 1clig
allowed in addition. whatever may De received
therefor from tue publishers
MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AT WHICH
| CERTAIN SEEDS WILL GfRMINArE.-iioberi;tndt has
lately published a table showing the maximum and
minimum temperature ut which large number of
agricultural seeds viii genuiuate. From this il ap-
pears that the minimum of the largest number. III
ending wheat. barley, rye oats. bnckwhcat, sugar
beet, lins cd poppy, clover peas, mustard etc. i
about 40. So F. The minimum for carrots sun
flower sorghum and maize lies between ..O.J1 T.,
aud 5000 L. For tobacco and the eouri IT IL he,
tween $3.50 +. and Go.l2, +. For cncn'nber aud
melon it is between G0.12~ r., and Go3U' +.
PREPARATION OF ABSOLUTE ALCOunr.-Prof j.
l.. Smith Informs us that alcohol Of % per cent can
he obtained by shaking up the strongest commercial
alcohol with freshly burned lime III n tightly closed
vessel, renewing the operation every day for week
or ten DAYS when the hotties are allowed 10 remain
at rest for few days for the hy'lrate Of lime to
settle and the original alcohol can he drawn Oft.
free from lime and Of os per cent TO obtain ahso
Int alcohol the last draft is t0 he pnt into con-
veuieIt flask with the addition of lime III coarse
powder and AN inverted Lie1g condr.seI attached
90 that TIE alcnhn viii ran back into The Hal whcv
condensed. lliIS - t!GiI Distilled OFCl, AL Will
mark 100 per cent.
TRANSFER OF THE ALBCMlNOIDs oP THE SEED
INTO TIE PLANTIAT.-It is familiar fact that
reserve materials il the cot yltaon and that Ire
isoluble starch IF the latter is converted. in ti"
process of examinations into soluble sugar and. ~
snch transferred to the ucw plantlct. Some late
German Investigations have thrown light upon the
uethul of transfer OF The albu.nUIds uf the sect
into the d INHERENT part of the new plant duI1ug the
PROCESS ni gcTIinat Ola Anpdrglu. hrst discovered
il asparagus, seems ~ general I" perform tiis TASK
in giving mp. The first place. III the respiration "
the plant, o certain amount nt cariioiic acid and
water and i, aftrrwaid united III the new plant tn
corresponding anionnis nf carbon and hydrogen. IA
form albumiuOiI materials again.
TIE ACTION OF LIGHT CPON CHLOROPHYII--
IT. has been long known that alcoholic extracts of
chlorophyll are decomP posed rapidly in the sunlight
but slowly in dInstd daylight. aud IN even the
faintest light assume varous color. The presence
of oxygen IL necessary according to Wi,sner in
order that the rays of light may effect the deconp'
sition of chlorophy: and this anthor has made an
interesting investigation into the action az different
PORTIONS If the spectrum and concludes that all the
chemical changes caused in chlorupyll cells by the
rays Of light nidn,e.y their dev elOn.n, dccOmpo--
tiDn aud assimilation of other sub-tanccs) take
place most rapidly in the brightest portion " the
spectrum, and tat while ali Portions Of the visible
spectrum have the power of inducing these changes
the mechanical effects Of light upon plants are T., be
especially ascrbod 10 the rays oi high reiraigbity
LY.Is.-In u recent notice of the iahors Of Jacob.
Be, ~ considers the question of the formation "f
magnets 10y elec troll ysis lie states that Causing
iron 10 he deposited Ivy galvanic action in the int,
rior of q coil be subsequently found the iron to he
magnetic. To secure this result, his cathode II
plain metallic plate opposed to similar iron plate
which acted anOde. An attempt by Jacob
produce similar AZ ton seems To have failed and the
reason for its failure explained hy Btetz ~ re-
suliing principally from the ict that the electrodes
employed 10y jacob were Of such a mature and "
arranged that IL npoSsible IL induce auv Iuag-
nriisn in the iron deposited between them 10 fact
the molecules IT the latter We're deposited IN mag
netic Shade intens. that less than .Ol OF tho cleo
tro-motVe force Affected 10.
The DESTRUCTION or SMALL Birds TIE CAUSE
or TIE SPREAD or PHYILoxEuA.-Ii haS been sug-
yested by Dr Turrel that the rapid spread Of the
PhgiioIeo or grapevine loIse. III France. II dne
more than anything else, Ia the rapid cxtrmipation
Of the ANAL birds of that country II Is well kmuwu
that a regular discharge If guns Is heard all
France at certain se.,sons II tie year. every
person " he can hire borrow nIsket, entering
into he crusade aud that M tirli-cI ssug t-r
view Of DIR. TuTc Is Strengthened 10y ia, fact that
III America where the FhyIioIra originated, it,
ravagrs have never been of any great OI'eut Even
If the birds themselves cannot reach the iIss:.
u ia suggested that other kinds III insects which
attaeked by birds, leave the vim. in n weakened con-
d tion and more liable To destruction by parasItea
LECITHINE AND CEKEBRiNE.-Gobley has pub
lishod an account Of renewed examination of two
bodies named ecthine aud ccrebrne, found together
In the yolk of egg and in brain subst auce lecihne
being subsequently detected In human venous