Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-05-24
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
M. Pellet Of the French Academy, has
determined the value of different sub
stances in manures for beets to. be in the
following order: l, phosphoric acid. 2,
magnesia. 8, lime. 4, potash. 5, soda. 6,
nitrogen.
The great map of the moon completed
twelve years of labor, shows 1886 era
ters and ring-like formations on the lunar
surface; and 348 riffs and clefts. DIR.
Schmidt estimates that the number would
be increased to 100,0 900 craters in COM
plete chart showing the moon as seen with
magnifying power of six hundred.
A French physician, who has studied
the effects of turpentine on some three
hundred painters, arrives at the conclu-
sion that the injurious effects produced
by turpentine fumes can never be suffi-
GENTLY severe to cause death unless they
are contained to very confined space.
With good ventilation, no fear need be
entertained of fatal effects from this
cause.
Toughened glass seems to be capable
of a great variety of applications. Glass
railway sleepers have already been tried,
and now an English manufacturer pro-
poses using this material for drain and
water pipes, as well as for transparent
bricks and several other articles.
A Berlin inventor has produced new
kind of cloth, consisting principally or
entirely of sponge.
By means of relays, it is stated that
London has frequently placed in direct
communication with Calcutta over 1000
miles of wire.
The forests of the globe are estimated
to cover about one-fifth of the land sur
face.
Some time ago, Prof. D. E. Hughes no.
ticed that when iron or steel wire was
immersed in acidulated water for even
few minutes only it became excessively
brittle, and that this effect was invariably
produced upon all kinds of iron or steel.
He has since performed some expert
| ments to learn the cause of this phenome
non, and has become convinced that it
arises from the absorption of hydrogen
| by the wire. He, therefore, calls the
product ''hydrogenized iron." Another
observer has proven the curious fact that
notwithstanding the brittleness produced,
the tensile strength of the wire remains
unaffected. When the hydrogenized wire
is heated the hydrogen is expelled, and
Mr.. Roberts finds that the quantity of gas
thus evolved amounts to twenty times
pected that useful applications may be
made of this new compound.
| During last winter, whenever zone
of high barometic pressure covered
France, it was found to be warmer at the
mountain station of the Puy-de-Dome OBJ
servatory than at the Clermont station
which is $500 lower. This remarkable
fact is attracting much attention from
meteorologists.
| 1t is reported that in the Azores the en-
trance of smoke into Conservatives has
been found to hasten the Towering of GER
tain plants.
In the height of the season, queen bee
lays from 2OO0 to 5000 eggs in twenty
four hours.
A tube of 'Canton's phosphorus" or
sulphide of calcium, prepared more than
a century ago. is found to be still capable
of phorphoresence. As 1t is to this sub
stance that the phosphorescent properties
durability of the latter seems to be as
aured.
To illustrate recent lecture, M. Raoul
Pictet coined a medallion weighing thir-
ty-three pounds frozen from quicksilver.
In recently published work, Count
d'Ursel asserts that in Bolivia, Peru and
other South American countries, he has
met with an insect which after its death
is transformed into a plant. He de-
scribes and figures this creature as thick
hard grub, with distinct articulations.
When about to die it buries itself in the
earth, and there gradually increases in
circumference until it presents an appear
ance somewhat similar to that of potato.
A stem is then put forth, which in the
spring months bears crop of blue flow
erS.
Under the auspices of the King of the
Belgians, an establishment is to be form
ed in Eastern Africa for the capture and
training of elephants.
DIR. Carpenter considers it possible that
at some geological period connecting
strip of land may have existed between
Europe and America, and that New Zea-
land, Tasmania and South America may
have been linked together by ridges Of
dry land, while Madagascar may have
been joined in a similar manner to the
African continent. Biologists have sup
posed that great continent, which they
have called Atlantis, once existed between
Africa and America, but DR.. Carpentel
regards the evidence of it as very unsat
isfactory.
ssNo, William" she mournfully uttered
, still allowing him to retain the hand, g
can't marry you. l do not believe yol