Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-07-11
POPULAR SCIENCE.

foreign animals has been formed at
Sydney, New South Wales.
SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, the naturalist, has
been testing the affection of ants for
one another. His conclusion after re-
peated experiments is that "in these
curious insects hatred is stronger pas
sion than affection"
Ir is said that the milk from Alpine
dairy farms differs from other good
milk merely because it contains high
percentage of sugar OF milk and because
1t possesses a peculiar flavor, derived
from the aromatic plants on which the
animals feed.
NEssLER has been thus far unable to
ascertain when the coloring matters Of
mallows and bilberries are used to color
wire, and he considers it very probable
that the natural red coloring of the
grape does not differ essentially from
these foreign substances.
In reference to recruiting, fellow of
the Royal College Of Surgeons writes to
the Pal Mall gazette that linen of fair
complexion attain the proportions Of
manhood earlier than dark men, but
the medical statistics of the American
war show that they more quickly break
down, and are more liable to every
diseuse."
M. MALEzIEUX, of Paris, recently
delivered an address on the public
works of the United States, in which he
compimented American engineers up
on their skill in building bridges of
CT large span, and observed that other
dations might borrow many useful
hints from them in regard to the use Of
compressed air in laying foundations.
PROF. WoLLNY finds the following
relations between temperature and the
compactness of soils: In summer, com
pact soil is on the average warmer than
loose soil, but in winter and on u fall of
temperature, it il colder. In warm
weather, compact soils are warmer by
day and colder by night than loose soils,
and are subject to greater fluctuations
oftemperature. The practical inference
ID plain.
PRussIAN statistics go to prove that
the price OF wheat govern the births
there. Most births occur in January
and February; fewest in June and July.
Those Prussian provinces which contain
M unmixed German population Of
comparatively high degree liberalization
have fewer births than the more mixed
Polish provinces. Jews multiply less
rapidly than Christians; circumstance
contrary to whit has been supposed.
On the other hand, they live longer.
Since 1867 the average number of chill
dren to married women has been five.
1t used to be four.
PITTsBURG is one Of the blacklist cities
by reason of tho smoke from its manu-
factories; but II plan is being tested
that promises to make it clean. The
proposition to wash the smoke, and the
way for doing it is thus described: "The
washing il done by passing the smoke
through the spray caused by paddle
wheels revolving in n tank of water
holding soda ash in solution. The tank
and wheels are placed in the llue, be-
tween the furnace and the chimney,
and, the wheels being made to revolye
in tho direction Of the chimney the
draught is Increased" The smoke after
being thus treated will not soil white
handkerchief.
AN invention has been patented in
Germany which, should its practical APP
plication prove feasible, will add very
greatly to the power OF musketry fire.
The invention consists of IN apparatus,
described M very simple in design and
construction, by which an ordinary
broech-loading rifle can, whenever it
may be desired, be temporarily convert
ed into II repeating arm. The apparatus
holds ten cartridges and can be carried
by the soldier in his pocket. When
necessary it can be fitted on tho rifle in
II moment, when the ten rounds can he
fired just rs rapidly as the same num-
Der Of cartridges can be discharged
from any magazine rifle.
TIE carrier-pigeon service is now in
full operation in France and has been
included in one of the military depart
ments under the head Of aerial com
munication. The number of birds fed
by the government is six thousand.
These pigeons are placed i'll Paris and
twelve other large fortified towns, A
number of soldiers and officers have
been taught the treatment and rearing
of these birds, and carriers are now
sent from place to place. The minister
of public instruction and the minister
of agriculture have established prizes
for pigeon races.
Cleveland Herald Peter Henderson,
the veteran gardener. made very
significant statement during the course
Of his remarks here before the conyen-
ton Of nursery men and florists. This
statement embodies the remarkable
fact that if garden seeds, when planted
in tho spring, are firmly pressed when
under earth Ivy the ball of the foot Mt
the time the gardeners are putting
them in the ground they will invari-
ably grow, drought or no drought, and,
what IL still more important, they will
spring up earlier and grow faster, and
mature better than any of their kind
which have not been subjected to this
discipline. The same rule of pressure,
he says, holds true in regard to trans
planting trees, shrubs and plants.
Henderson said that though he had
been extensively and steadily engaged