The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1876-01-20
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.


To COVER COTTON WITH SILK--A
method Of covering cotton with silk is
devised. The silk Is dissolved IN hydro
chloTic acid or an ammonical solution of
copper or nickel. Water is added until
the solution begins to cloud, when the
cotton, previously morpanted, Is i'm
mersed in it for few minutes. When
taken out it viii be found to be plated
with silk.
A NOVELTY IN GRNDsToNEs.-One
of the newest articles produced in Ger
many is an artificial grindstOne. These
stones are made at the city Of Worms, of
grit, soluble glass and petroleum. The
| pTopOntions are not given BY the journal
| to which we are indebted for infor-
nation concerning their fabrication.
1t Is said they are 50 firm as to endure
| very high speed without becoming soft.
The Scientific American has an article
| on powerful explosives, IN which nitro
| glycerine is rated as the most dangerous.
gunpOwder next, such preparations of
nitro-gl lycerine as dynamite third, and
gun-cotton last. The mixtures of nitro
glyceriRe and sawdust or earth may be
safely transported when GFst made, but
! soon become hazardous. A method of
making pulp compressed gun-cotton, in
vented by Prof Abel, Of England, has
been adopted by the German, English
and French governments. The material
Is saturated with water and compressed
| into cylinders of various sizes. In that
condition it can be only exploded by ex-
perts provided with the proper appli-
ances. Fire, heat, or friction will not
affect it.
THE EAIBLEsfATfc EAeLE.-The Etrus-
cans were the first who adopted the eagle
as the symbol Of Royal power, and bore
| its image as astandard at the head of their
armies From the time of Marius it syas
| the principal emblem of the Roman re-
! public, and the only standard of the le-
gions. It WIS represented with out
spread wings, and Was usually OF silver,
till the time of Hadriah, who made il of
gold. The doubled-headed eagle was in
use among the Byzantine Emperorz, to
indicate, it is said, their claim to the
empire both Of the east and the west; il
was adopted in the fourteenth century
by the German enIperOrs and afterward
appeared on the arms of Russia. The
arms Of Prussia are distinguished by the
black eagle, and those Of Poland bore the
white. The white-headed eagle, is
the emblematic device of the United
States Of America, is the badge Of tho
order Of the Cincinnati, aud il figured
on coin. Napoleon adopted the eSgie
for the emblem of imperial France, it
was not, however, represented III herald
ic style, but in its natural form, with
the thunder-bOlts Of Jupiter. It was
disused under the Bourbons, but was re-
stored by a decree of Louis Napoleon,
January /, 1852.
FLORIDA ORANGEs--In various parts
of Florida, south of latitude 80 deg,
especially along the St. Johns and In
dian rivers, there are immense groves of
wild oranges. BRrtran, in his "Trayels,4
mentions having seen in 1863, near Mos
quito inlet a ridge about q half mile
wide and forty miles long, which was
one dense orange grove, interspeFsed With
magGolias and a few other irgcs So
thoroughly established is the tree, and
50 generally is it distributed, that many
have supposed it to be indigenous but
botaHists who have investigated the mat
ter regard it as an instance OF remarka-
bic naturalization, and the trees as hav-
ing descended from those which are
known 20 have been introduced by the
early Spanish colOnists. This Wild
orange II bitter, often called in Florida
the bitter-sgeet, and 30 exceedingly
fruitful that a tree in full bearing is an
object of great beauty. The wild orange
furnishes stock on which TO bud other
varieties, and the fruit is used to make
Iaarmalade. In Florida there are three
methods of establishing an orange grove.
To clear up a wild grove, removing all
the trees not needed, and budding with
sweet fruit those that remain; 70 take
up voting wild trees, and set them in
prepared grOund, and there bud them;
and to raise stock from seed, bud them
in nursery rows, and when Of sufficient
size set them IN the plantation, as II
practiced with other fruit Each method
has its advocates but it is probable that
the last-named, though apparently slow
ef, gives ultimately better success.
WHERE BoXwOoD C0MEs FROM
Not every one is aware that the wood
Used by engTavers IS the growth of those
far akRY regions around the Black and
Caspian seas, the very name Of the
ports from which it is shipped being uu-
familiar. Very few who consider them
selves good geogTaphers have ever heard
of Poti, or Abkassia, or TzaritsiH, and
yet these are foGTishing commercial
towns, reached by the way Of the Golden
Horn Of COnstantinOplel For al fine
engraFings, Turkey lockwood il used. and
as its quality varies much, some skill is
necessary 10 good selection. The best
Is of a delicate yellow color, clear aud
free from spots it cuts smoothly and
evenly, with no crumbiiUg nor tearing,
but every line cut will he perfect. 1t IS
to the use Of this wood by our aTtists
that the superiority Of their designs sud
w0Od-engraving must in a great measure
be attEjbuted. In consequence Of It's
scarcity and high price many substitutes
have been resOTted to maple, apple,
pear and mahogany hgve@been expert
meDted upon but hitherto 30 wood,
metal OF composition has been discovered
that possesses the requisite qualities. IN
addition to engraving, bOxwood is used
for scales, rules, guaging-rOds, and simi-
lar articles Oh which figuring is made;
and there are factories in Connecticut
that cousume hundreds of tons annual
lv for this purpose alone. ANY one that
has ever held carpenters rule III hI5
hand knows what boXwOod is like. II
differs in color and texture from all
other wood, and Is somewhat remarkable
that it comes to perfection IN a compare
lively limited region Of country IN the
vicinity Of the Black sea. II weighs
about seventy-ive pounds 70 tho cubic
foot, and varies in price TO land It IN
Boston from S75 TO $3.50 ton.
A MODEL SrUDEST-The Rev. Dr.
Richie, of Edinburgh, though very
clever man, once met with his match
When examining q student as 10 the
classes he had attended, be said; And
Won attended the classfOr mathematics
:. y e." " How many sides haaa circle
{. Two" said the student. What are