Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-05-17
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

IeHG pTeSefNdG1Ou. IL Is COHJuCCuTeu IIldG
the bones are those of some hunter who
climbed the tree, and slipped into the
hole in the trunk, from which he was un-
able to extricate himself.
This simple method of making phos-
phorescent lamp is given: Cleanse oyster
shells by well washing, expose them to a
red heat for half an hour, separate the
cleanest parts, and put into crucible in
alternate layers with sulphur. Then heat
to redness for at least an hour. When
cold break the mass, and separate the
whitest parts for use. If enclosed III a
bottle the figures of watch may be seen
by the aid of the light emitted. To renew
the luminosity of the mass expose the
bottle each to the sun or other strong
light The sulphide of calcium win thus
be made to absorb light, which will be
available throughout the night.
Investigations lately made reveal the
fact that the number of vibrations of a
tuning fork is affected by the tempera-
ture, and that the higher the tone of the
fork the greater becomes the influence of
temperature,
An observer in England has found that
the depth of dew-fall in that country sell
dom exceeds the hundredth part of an
inch during any night of the year; while
the average annual depth of the deposit
is not more than an inch and half.
A school for the education of idiots has
been in operation in Holland for twenty
five years, with encouraging results. OF
the total of AIT pupils entered upon it
register since 1856, forty-three have gone
directly into service or adopted trade
while twenty-five others have been dis
charged in greatly improved condition.
Troun's electrical polyscope was re-
Gently placed in the stomach Of a fish
swimming in Paris aquarium. Without
producing any sign Of inconvenience, the
body of the fish was then Illuminated by
the apparatus, which caused it to radiate
into the aquarium light equal to that of
a common candle.
During some recent experiments in
Glasgow it has been proved that telepho-
mic sound can be conveyed through less
facile conductor than the usual unbroken
wire In this case a break in the wire
was taken up by joining hands continued
the electric current through their bodies.
The effect of interposing these human
links was to diffuse and weaken the cleo
trio power; but the current was still
sufficient to convey some audible repro
duction of song from the transmitting
to the receiving end of a telephone.
After a long search, M. Broca declares
that he has been able to find no skeleton
save that Of the negro which corresponds
in proportions and outline to that of the
statue of the Apollo Belvedere.
Mr.. M. A. Vedder finds that water is
not freed from organic impurities in freez-
ing, and that the germs Of animalculae
are present in very much of the ice taken
from stagnant water. This being the
case, considerable risk must attend the
use of such ice in drinking water.
A Brussels genius has plan for con-
structing a submarine apparatus for trav
cling to the North Pole. 1t is presumed
that when the pole is reached he will act
on another hint from Jules Verne's fer
tile imagination, and seek an opening to
the centre of the earth!
In paper on the origin of the plow,
DR.. Taylor states that the first agricultu-
raj implement seems so have been point
ed stick four or five feet long, such as
many savage tribes still carry for the
purpose of digging roots, knocking down
fruits and unearthing animals. At later
date the stick was bent and used as hoe,
the point being hardened by fire. In the
southern part of Sweden large tracts of
land give evidence of early cultivation,
which is attributed to prehistoric peo-
pie called by the natives ''the hackers, -
who are always associated with the
giants of mythology, and whose rude hoe
was a fir pole with short projecting
branch. There came into use afterwards
a larger instrument of the same kind,
which was not used like the hoe but drag
ged by men or oxen. Instances of this
are to be found in old Egyptian pictures
and bas-reliefs, and it was probably the
primitive idea of the plow, which is of
prehistoric origin, evidences being found
of its early use among the Greeks, Egyp-
tians and Chinese. 1t had from the earli-
est times religious sanction. The next
improvement was a wooden hook shod
with iron; and in the time of Virgil a
wheeled plow was in use which differed
but little from the best in Europe GEN.
tnry ago.
M. Pasteur proposes inquiring into the
diseases and parasites of the phylloxera,
with view of promoting their increase.
He believes this to be the most promising
plan of entertaining the vineyard pest.
1t is well known fact that microscopic
parasites often prove remarkably de-
structive in insect life.
BY the aid of spectrum analysis sodium
has been detected in solution contain
ing less than the two-millionth of grain
Since we have commenced to export
apples on large scale, there promises
to be no limit to the demand in the fu
ture for choice varieties. The crop like
all others is variable, but as rule il
pays well.
The cost of the Afgan War is found
to exceed the estimate, about "a, 900. 600
This will be something for Gladstone &
Co. to talk of at the regular meeting Of
the new British Parliament.