The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-11-21

if the cover gives out, I pull it off
and put on another one. Again, dolls
arm or leg will come off + but piece OF
muslin and q bit of paste restores the
article, so that it is as good7as it was
before.
Why BEES WORK IN THE DARK
Everyone knows what fresh. honey is
ike-a clear yellow sirup, without any
trace of solid sugar in it. After strain
ing it gradually assumes a crystalline
appearance it candies, and ultimately
becomes a solid mass of sugar. 1T has
been suspected that this change.is due
to Photographic action-the same agent
which alters the molecular arrangement
of the iodine of silver on the excited col
lodion plate and determines the forma-
ton of camphor and iodine crystals in
bottle, causes honey to assume crys-
talline form. M. Scheibler inclosed
strained honey in we'll corked TASKS,
some of which he kept in perfect dark
ness, while the others We're exposed to
| light. The result has been that that
portion exposed TO the light soon crys-
! tallizes, while that kept in the dark re-
mains unchanged. Hence, we see why
| the bees are so careful to work in the
dark, and why they are so careful to OBJ
scure the glass windows which are
sometimes placed in their hives. The
existence of the young depends on the
| liquidity of the saccharine food present
ed to them, and if light were allowed
access TO this, in all probability it would
prove fatal to the inmates of the hive
Western Farm Journal. io'
/ A PREVENTIVE AGAINST. RUST ON
IRON Not long since twas announced
that by imparting to iron coating of
magnetic oxide the surface would be
rendered perfectly secure against oxida-
ton or rusting, and it would appear
that this process is likely to be employ
ed in the preparation of machinery ex-
ceptionally exposed to atmospheric
agencies. The method adopted is very
simple, the articles to be treated being
placed in chamber of fre-clay or iron
capable of being raised to red heat.
This chamber is fitted with two pipes
closed by cocks, one of whichis to serve
as an inlet and the other as an outlet
for the air. The articles in the cham
Der having been raised to sufficiently
high temperature (from 1000 deg. to
1000 deg. f J, the air is passed in, and
the inlet and outlet pipes closed for one
hour, when they are again opened, and
sufficient air is allowed to enter to drive
out the whole of that deoxidized, and
the chamber closed. This renewing OF
the air is kept up until sufficient thick
ness of the magnetic oxide is formed.
This coating has beautiful light gray
or neutral tint of a most delicate APP
pearance, which perfectly protects the
iron from rusting under any ordinary
conditions.
A SUBSTITUTE FOR GUTTA-PERCHA.-
According to the Polytechnic ReuieU a
a rival to india-rubber and gutta-percha
has been found in new elastic gum
which has been named Balata. This is
the milky sap of the bully-tree, that
fourishes on the banks of the Orinoco
and the Amazon in South America.
The operation of winning the gum is
similar in every respect to that employed
with caoutchouc and gutta- percha. 1t
resembles percha so closely in its
general properties that much of it is
shipped from Guiana and sold yearly
for gutta-percha although it has many
points of superiority. 1t is tasteless,
gives an agreeable odor on being
warmed, may be cut like gutta-percha,
is tough and leathery, is remarkably
flexible, and far more elastic than gutta.
pereha. It becomes soft and may be
joined piece to piece, like gutta-percha,
about 120 degrees Fahr., but requires
27O degrees Fair, before melting (high.
er than gutta-percha). 1t is completely
soluable in benzole and carbonic sui.
phide in the cold. Turpentine dissolves
it with the application of heat, while ii
is only partially soluble in anhydrous
alcohol and ether. 1t becomes strongly
electrified by friction, and is better in
sulator of heat and electricity than
gutta-pereha, on which account it may
find considerable application for cleo
trical and telegraphic uses. Caustic
alkalies and concentrated hydrochloric
acid do not attack 1t; but concentrated
sulphuric and nitric acids attack it as
they do gutta-percha, which it closely
resembles in all other properties.
A NEW PRESERVING PROCESS
new method of preserving fish in per-
fectly fresh condition for many days
has been discovered in Germany, and,
if it has half the merit that is claimed
for it, it is likely to create in a short
time many changes in the fish trade. 1t
is now the practice in transporting fresh
fish to pack them in ice. Vessels going
out for short fishing cruises carry large
quantities of this article, and it has also
to be used in sending the "catch" to
the market, either by rail Or steamer
There is in the trade thus carried on