New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-30
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

WerdermanB who claims, rather prematurely' u wO"iu
seenl TO have solved the problem OF the dvisiDiy o
the electric light, its practical adaptation 10 ORDINARY
uses gave an exhibition lately IN London OF DIS h1"
lamp and an explanation OF the theories upon winch IL
was based 1t was well known said Mr.. WeTdermann
that when they burned an electric light oil TWO co"'
one carbon burned ont in crater, Wmle Ihe o'Aci
burned to a point; thus the one carbon was consumer
twice as fast as the other II Occurrei to nm 10 ma OUT
what change would take place If he varied the Secuoh o
the electrodcs-that is II he made one carbon smaieF
md the other He then discovered this i'c 'N"t
when he had an electric Of one inch he could not
maintain that arc II ne diminished the section Oh MS
positive carbon. He went reducing the section or
magmtue, OF his positive carbon the electric arc ue-
canning Icsycned in regular proportion, until the differ
eDce Of of the two electrodes was as one 10 sixty
four and then the electric 80 far reduced thdV
the two carbon were in contact As tie section OF the
nositive carbon was diminished, the glowing portion oil
that carbon increased in length, while the heat impaired
IN the negative carbon was reduced. In erect WIeh
the sections of carbon had reached tle relative proper
tons stated and in contact the electric arc was
ipGpi,es IN Nv small, the negative elecToue was NOT
consumed while the positive eoctrOde was ncandesccnt
Light was therefore only supplied by the eIecllc
arc ut WAS also furnished by The iEcandcsccnt carbon
Of the positive electrode Il then only required simple
mechanical arrangement 10 keep the POSITIVE pore as u
consumed in regular contact with the negative pole, and
the difficulty which had hitherto stood in the way OF
using number Of lights from current was overcome
The lamp itself consisted upright rod OF carbon De
positive elecirode) resembling an ordinary slate pencil
touching OF the under side OF disc OF carbon
he negative electrode), which was somewhat Ike "a
half-pound weight Briefly, the lamp may be roughly
compared to a common weight balanced on sharpeneu
slate pencil balance suspended from the apparatus
served to keep the positive clecrode IN lts pace rs
the carbon was consumed A special wire
united all negative electrodes ana az lhe las' Ia5p
The current went 10 earth. In the experiments made
the current generated by tWoh0isS power %
platinC-machne Ten lamps were lighted, each IlEn
being about fortycdndlc power. the lamps burned
First of the ten lights was then cN'lhEsHeu, anu
afterwards second, the only Meet on the Iehan,eI
being that they became slightly more brilliant as gas
viii sometimes be under similar circumstances. Mr.
Werdermaun explained that this would not really ne me
the extinction of light the current would be directed
along supplementary wire, cqua IN resistance 70 te
conSumption light That the resistance III the
ease or the lights ON the circuit would remain IN
Affected The demonstration that the ten lamps could be
independently lighted burned and cxtlhSul, heu' 9S
current only being employed was cohpeteN SUCCESSFUL
CALIFORNIA SALMON IN MARYLAND WATERS.
The attempts to stock the waters OF Maryland win
the California Salmon promise % be completely success
fu. In recent tour OF inspection Fish Commissioner
Thomas Hughlet, found everywhere gratifying evil
dences OF the success Of the fish planting At Havrede
Grace and other points along tie susquehanna salmon
are beginning make Their appearance IN the river ana
many Of good size had been caught Even as lar back rs
last Spring salmon weighing over eighteen pounds was
caught III the Su,qu.hanna and sent to Professor rd
of the Smithsonian Institution as an evidence OF Tue sue
cess of the commissions wo,S in Maryland During lhe
ued in Maryland waters. OF these the majority were
put the Western Shore.
How TO KILL THE COTTON Notwithstanding
to Professor A. r. GrOte Of Buffalo one o. the experts
sent down lately by the Government to investigate the
cotton worm aud suggest practical remedies there are
two general aspects be considered first the for the IN
diydua planter next for the Government As to the
first he can only use poison when the appears II
1t comes early II it comes late Will not do enough
harm TO warrant much expense IN killing it, Paris green
In liquid FORM carb0lic acid, diluted ana sprayed
upward through the plants will be found the most effect
i've and economic way to kill the worm. a sprinkrng |
machine through the rows on wheels and worked
when the first brood Of appears will 90 far to
protect the crop the OF the year Paris green
put on dry is too expensive and difficult to get TO the
leaf beneath the young worms and eggs are to be
found Care must be taken with the handling OF Paris
green as it is skin poison as wen fatal If taken in
ternay. 1t has been found the most effective for the
worm, and recommended by Professor Riley Kero-
sene il it can only be well mechanically mixed with
water also good If sprayed or sprnkled on the plants
Where water Is scarce on some plantations when !
rely on wells the expense of wet poisoning Will be ln
creased Care should be taken keep the poison from
the cotton but these remedies should be used only
against the first crop of worms before the bOs open
The Government should 81 ote thinks
whether in tie event Of the immigration theory OF
Professor GrOtes proving true, it would not be well TO
employ extraordinary means to destroy me worm III sp
cia localities when II appears cary anu III lDri i ~
this way the nOrtAward progress OF me worm Wouu ps
gilpCuallY checked
Of quarantine would be thus established IL tLc
comes late these extraordinary efforts would nOl
needed The insect Is found III the ny state III inc
Winter but these flies die before the Young cotton Is mp
in the Spring The young cotton never shows me tue
cotton worm Consequently the worm IN the sumner
be produced from fresh nies coming from tAe
southwark.
TRICHINE IN FIsH-SOme excitement was
recently caused by the fact that tTichlu9 had been
found in pike which caught near Ostend. DR.. A.
Ecndenin OF that town, examined the fish under the
microscope and be full Of these dangerous
parasites II is believed that troop OF these rayenOus
aud omuvcrous fish had devOurcd some Of the matter
poured ont from the Oua at Osend ana tnat Jhe para
sites had thus found their way into their system.
MILITARY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES on the
recent progress made in military inventions, and the
possibility of an Afghan TbeLondOa Ddiy telegraph
says Not only rockets improved and mountain
batteries perfected bat among the aids TO warfare sent
out TO the northwest frontier some curiousy con
trved shells which, when fired into the air on dark
night will by of parachute and some maGnesum
stars turn gloom into light, and enable artillery or
infantry to disturb the repOe OF the enemy. Signal
ling too has received impetus and suppOsing that
the excellent system which has been invented by Colonel
Yonge. X. A. and adopted by the Austrians in Bosnia
and the Herzegovina. be finally taken by the English
Government, great step Will have been made in adj
vance OF the old flag arrangement. which is too cOmp
Gated and tedious for the purpose Of rapid warfare
Colonel Yonge means Of Twelve segnents Of circle
Identical with those formed by the spaces between the
figures clock face, has cOntryed series Of signals
which are so perfect, and at lhe time SIMPLE
and besides infalhby safe against either mis-
take by friends comprehension by the enemy
------------------
FUTURE PROSPECTS or COLORADO.