Connecticut western news., 1877-04-20
SCIENTIFIC.

| sudden ana simultaneous appearance
 of the most highly organized plants at
 particular stages in the past history of
 the globe, and the entire absence
 among fossil plants of any forms inter-
 mediate between existing classes or l families. The facts of pal9ontolOgi- l cal botany are opposed to evolution,
 but they testify to development ito progression from lower to higher types.
 The Cellular Alg9 preceded the Yascu-
 lar CryptOgams and the GymnOsperms of the newer Palgozoic rocks. and these l were speedily followed by Monocotyle- dons, and at a much later period by DicOtyledOns. But the earliest repres- entatiV yes of these various sections of | the vegetable kingdom were not gen. eralized forms, but as highly or more highly organized than recent forms; and the divisions were, when we be- came first acquainted with them, as clearly bounded in their essential char acters and as decidedly separated from each other, as they are at the present day. Development is not the property of evolutionist. Indeed, the Mosaic narrative, which traces all nature to 8 supernatural Creator, represents the operations of the Creator as having been carried out in a series of develop ments from the calling of matter into existence through the various stages of S the various steps in the organic world, until man himself is reached. The real question is, does science give us any light as to hoaU this development was accOmpliSheds Is it possible, from the record of organic life preserved in the sedimentary deposits, to discover the method or agent through the action of which the new forms appeared on the globe7 The only answer that can I. %r Sce hot rrhi Ia | the rocks record. in their contained fos- sils, the existence of plant and animal forms at different periods of the earth's history, as yet they have disclosed nothing whatever as to h0tU these forms riginated.-Contemporary ReUie,o.
 Why Tides Occur Later Eacb Ddy.- As the moon revOlves around the earth from west to east, she advances eastwardly in her orbit about thirteen degrees every twenty-four hours. Hence, when any part of the earth, in | its revolution, comes under part of | the heavens where tine moon was the evening before, the moon is not there, | but has gone eastward thirteen degrees, and therefore the earth must turn on it's axis as much longer as is necessary to bring that part again under the moon, which requires generally-nOt dlWdy dyS-dUOuU Alty MluuI6Ss u0 | same thing occurs the next evening. and the evening after, and thus tlle moon rises most of the year about fifty minutes later. each day. Now, as the tides are produced mainly by the moon it will at once be seen from this east
 ward movement, and this later rising each day, why they must occur about | fifty minutes later each succeeding day. While the lunar tide is thus daily lagg- ing, the solar tide occurs at the same time! Hence those two tides always begin to separate after new moon, being further apart each day, until they again coincide at full moon, when there is, as already stated, higher tide than usual called the spring tide. Then again they separate, until new moon occurs, when | they once more unite, producing an other spring tide
 It must not be supposed that the whole body of the ocean, to its pro- foundest depths, IS equally moved by the tides. The tides are mainly super ficial, and, except where the water is of moderate depth, the lowest parts are only slightly disturbed; but to what depth the tidal current extends can never perhaps be satisfactorily deter mined. The Gulf Stream is about three thousand feet deep, having for it's bottom bed of colder water of va riOus depths; but as the stream is the result of other causes than those that produce the tides, it is not safe to esti- mate the depth of the tidal currents by it's own. @
 Do not AlloaD the Frogs to be Pared.- The frog of the foot of every horse is the natural support of the foot. and should never be cut away except to re- move the rough edges which occasion ally appear from common wear. At late meeting of the farTiers and horse shoers in Wilmington, Del, there was 8 great deal said in condemnation of the manner in which horses are shod, especially in the rual districts. A lect- urer, veterinary surgeon (according to the New York Heratd) said that "the frog of the foot was often pared away so artistically to make aneat job that the tendon or muscle that extended down the leg, over what is known as the pulley bone. and gave the foot its motion, was often injured, and then the horse would be weak in the legs, and blunder. He severely characterized the habit of burning the hOof with 8 red hot shoe to make it it, and said there ought to be law passed to hang any blacksmith who would use red hot shoes in this way. The shoe should be fitted to the shape of the foot, rather than the foot fitted to the shoe.
 Tue Ne,o Bergen Tunnel.-It has been decided by the Delaware. Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company that the new tunnel under Bergen Hill shall be arched with brick thoughout the en- tire length, 5,200 feet. Of this distance the arching has been completed, except work when it is stated that 100000 brick have been laid in the arching. All the shafts have been torn down and will be rebuilt in such manner that the ventilation will surpass that of any tunnel in the country. The cost of the additional arching will, in the opinion of MT. Sloan, President of the Della ware, Lackawanna, and Western Rail- road, be more than compensated by the security against accidents from falling rock.
 4 Useful Vegetable Ou.-The French Consul at Canton has drawn attention to tree, the oil of which he thinks might be used as preventative against the ravages of the phylloxera. The tree is the EiBococcn Veranicia, and the oil it yields is universally used in China for protecting the wood of houses, ships. furniture, etc., from the perniciOus effects of moisture and the ravages of insects. It renders any tex
 ture impenetrable, is 8 powerful sic cative, and enters largely into the com-
 position of the Japanese varnish.
 A Satequard Against Rats.-Rats are accomplished rope walkers, and are able to make their way even along very
 small cords. Consequently so long as
 they can mount upon the lines, nothing edible suspended therefrom is safe
 from their attacks. A correspondent of
 the Boston Journal 0f Chemistry uses
 wires, upon which circular pieces of tin
 are strung, and hangs his meat, grain,
 etc., between the tin pieces. The rats
 cannot pass the tin circles, because, as they attemn nt tn cllmh nuar them O ftor