Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-11-12
HEMP FIELDS AND INSECTS.


HEMP FIELDS AND INSECTS.
Hemp plants are recommended to be
cultivated in vineyards, orchards, &C.,
for the Punishment or destruction of
noxious insects. 1t is said that there
are no harmful insects in hemp fields.
EXCITED IMAGINATION AND SICKNESS.
IL the truth could be known it would
be found that half the cases of sickness
are brought on by the morbid and excited
imagination of the victim. Intense fear
of a disease will produce it.
PHOTOGRAPHY IN WOOD ENGRAVING.
The use of photography in wood en-
craving promises to be a great improve
ment. Instead of drawing directly upon
the wood, the artist now makes his finish
ed picture upon paper, which Is then
photographed upon the wood. The en-
graver then proceeds to cut the photo
graph, and during the time of cutting,
has the advantage of having the original
drawing before him, to which he may
refer.
A METALLURGICAL DISCOVERY.
Jacob Reese, of Pittsburg, Pa, puts
forth some remarkable claims in regard
to an alleged new discovery in metallur-
oy. He says he is able to melt Instantly
8 bar Of cast steel one inch in diameter
which cannot be fused in less than five
minutes in the highest furnace heat
attainable-simply by throwing against
it column Of air having velocity of
$4,000 feet a minute. The instant the
air touches the metal fusion takes place.
LANGUAGE IN LOWER ANIMALS.
DR.. Samuel Wilks endeavors to prove
that language in its broad meaning has
its rudimentary framework in the lower
animals. The parrot. he says, has a
vocal apparatus of the most perfect kind,
and it can gather through its ear the
most delicate intonations of the human
voice, which it can initiate perfectly by
continued labor, and retain them in its
memory. It is also able to associate GER
tair words with the persons who have
uttered them, and even invent sounds
corresponding to those which are given
out by objects in motion, etc.
TIDAL MOVEMENTS IN WELLS.
Our recent notice of the regular tidal
rise and fall in the waters Of certain
South Carolina wells has called our re-
ports of similar phenomena elsewhere.
A correspondent in Vienna informs us
that the water in the coal mines at Tep.
litz, Bohemia, exhibits similar tides
Something of the same nature has lately
been observed in this city in digging fol-
q foundation for the elevated railroad
pier at One-hundred- and-second street
and Third avenue, Just below the old
Bulls Head hotel.-Scientitfc american
INDICATED ICE.
DR.. Edwyn Andrew, of Shrewsbury
England, has pointed out the advantages
in certain surgical and medical cases OF
employing medicated ice. He thought
the cold was rendered more effective by
being combined with the active princi-
pies of drugs; and by freezing various
medical solutions. In that manner ice
might be rendered highly antiseptic,
caustic or styptic. In medical cases
especially of the throat, stomach and
bemorrhage from internal organs, ice
might be thus pleasantly used to relieve
symptoms and at the same convey med
icine as a food to the stomach when the
latter would assist them in any other way
COMPRESSION OF FLUID STEEL.
A useful method for the compression
of fluid steel, invented by 81. E. Jones
of Pittsburg, Penn, was described by
Mr.. Davis at the late meeting of the Iror
and Steel institute, held at Liverpool
England. The process consists in simply
admitting steam at high pressure t.
the top of the ingot mold Immediately
after the metal has been poured. a
steam receiver, for the sake of con
venience, is fixed to the side of the lingo
crane. This receiver has q number o
cocks, corresponding with the humble
of molds. India rubber pipes are pro
yided to conduct the steam, one enc
being permanently fixed to the receiver