The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-10-24
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

-- USEFUL AND .SClENIlFlC. +
CATILLoN's researches in France on
the physiological action Of glycerine
when administered internally tend to
confirm his original impression that the
glycerine is entirely oxidized in the
body. 1t seems to be completely ab-
sorbed in the stomach, and nowhere re-
appears as glyeerine, except perhaps
the merest trace. Catillon could not
find any evidence of its presence in the
blood. .,.#t 81 D
In South Australia the Governments
making unusual efforts to develop agri-
culture. There is an. enormous crop of
cereals there this year, bat labor is
scarce and there is difficulty in harvest.
ing. In order that the crop may not 60
to waste, the Government has offered,
through Sir Arthur Blyth, the Agent
General in London, reward of $40, 900
to the American inventor who shall pro-
duce the best machine for reaping and
cleaning wheat. The Government is
the owner, Of the telegraphs and rail-
roads, and transports at the very lowest
rates. va aat -h33aE s- e. 81. 7}
TO insects we owe wax and honey,
silk and precious dyes, valuable medi-
cines, food for birds and many other
animals, the fertilization and increase
OF plants necessary for the subsistence
of many creatures, and thus, indirectly.
for the preservation of man. In short,
the human species, wholly deprived of
the services of insects, would fade from
the face of our planet. So the husband
man has only to make the best of it by
learning to distinguish between his
friends and his foes, and how to assist
the benefcent operations of nature in
encouraging the former and checking
the latter.-Boston Journal of Chemistry.
EXPERIMENTS are being made by the
Government of New Zealand with a
view to acclimating the English hum
blebee. The object is to assist the New
Zealand agriculturists in cultivating
their fields of clover. Common bees
are not strong enough to force their
way into the petals of the clover flower,
and thus fertilize the plants as they fly
from one to another. For this purpose,
therefore, the humblebee is needed but
SO far the nests sent out have been de-
stroyed. Attempts to acclimatize the
common bee in some hot climates have
so far proved useless. After a short
time they quit the hives and can. not be
enticed back. - .aa3 t4s5l.HI
N The exact nature of the connection
between the curious phenomenon of sun
spots and the weather is not known; but
1t seems to be pretty we'll settled that
there is some such connection OBJ
servation shows that periods of maxi
ma and ;minima in the number of the
spots are coincident with meteorologi-
zeal changes on our own planet We
have just passed through minimum
period, during which the suns disk has
been almost entirely free from spots.
Those who desire change in the
weather may find a CLEAN OF hope in
the fact that all last week, until Friday,
when it was carried out Of sight by the
SUMS rotation, a large and well-defined
spot was visible on the northern hemis-
phere of the SUM-. This spot is proba-
bly, harbinger of gradual approach
OF another maximum spot period, which
is very likely to be accompanied with
AA4eeA hS~A stilSCS.7j
RENDERING GARMENTS FIRE PROOF.
M. Sieborath, of Dresden, has been
experimenting with a view to find some
cheap substance that would prevent la
dies clothing from burning with flame
Weak solutions of alum were not salts
factory, but a per cent. solution of
phosphate of ammonia proved quite;
successful; the impregnated clothes did
not burn with flame, but were merel;,
destroyed by carbonization. Lastly,
solution containing 5 per cent. alum and
3 pei. cent. phosphate of ammonia was
tried on linen and WooleE stufs. Here,
too, there was no burningg The stuffs
treated with phosphate Of ammonia did
not even burn when they had been Wig
orously rubbed with gnnpowder. Il The
powder flashed, but left the stuffs un-
consumed. The clothes lose their in
combustibility, however, by getting wet
or being washed. It is disadvantage,
too, that they can only be worn in GER
tain places. treal i.a
WnUnnneo Vrn, IS