Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-03-11
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

pounds of grape-sugar day made from
old linen. The old linen, which is pure
vegetable iibrine, is treated with sui
phuric acid and converted into dextrine.
This is washed with lime-water, and
then treated with more acid, and almost
immediately it changes and crystallizes
into glucose-Or grape-sugar-whi is
highly valued i'm the making of rich
preserves and jellies. The process is
said 10 be economical, aud the sugar Is
chemically the same as that found in the
grape. Why the product should be
objected to on the score Of its origin is
not clear, If one reflects that grapes are
nOurished by materials more offensive
than old rags, and that there is prac-
tically no difference between "a trans
formation in Natures laboratory and
one in the laboratory of the chemist
Still there is a great outcry over the
German sugar-rag factory, and consid-
cradle danger of the enterprise being
stopped by the German Government.
A VALUABLE FTBRoUs PLANT.-Prof
$. Waterhouse, Of the Washington Uni
yersity, st. Louis, says: "The recent
experiments of Mr.. Lefrauc seem TO
prove that the AbutilOn avicenm con-
tains valuable fiber for textile use.
This plant nbounds throughout the West,
and has with rapid spread and rank
luXurianCe taken exclusive possession Of
whole fields. Its aggressive depravity
has earned for it the irreverent title of
Devils Plant" But what has hereto
fore been regarded as II noxius weed
may yet become an important addition
to our domestic fibcrs. 1t is already
worth SS a ton in the market. Farmers
can Judge for themselves whether this
price will afford a margin of profit
When the plant is raised in large guam
titles, and when factories, erected in the
neighborhoOd of production, save the
cost of distant transportation, the cult
vation of this fiber will become more
remunerative. Next year extensive
trials will be made in the raising of the
Devils Ptant;n and il is the object Of
this note, through the courtesy of your
columns, TO ask Western farmers 10 col
lect as large Il quantity of the seed as
possible, in order TO facilitate expert
ments which may yet greatly rebound
to their own interests ~
TIE VELOCITY or SOUND. "A memoir
is published by William w. Jacques, in
the american Journal Of Science aHd IRIS,
on the velocity of very loud sounds.
The author gives An account of expert
ments, made at the United States Arsen-
al at Watcrtown, Mass, for the purpose
of obtaining automatic measurements
of the velocity of sound near "A cannon.
Behind the cannon--a siX-pOundcr brass
field-piece-he placed, at distance of
10, 30, 3d. 80, and 100 feet from It's
mouth, ingeniously constructed mem
branes, having an electrical connection
with a chronOgraph capable Of record
ing .0000l of Il second. lie found that
the velocity of the sound was
not greatest at the immediate
rear of the cannon, but at some
distance from it, where it rose to a
maximum " considerably above the or
dinary velocity, and then fell gradually
to about the velocity usually received. -
When the cannon was turned at right
angles to the line Of the series of mem
branes the distance of the maximum
velocity of the sound came nearer the
cannon. From these facts the author
concludes that the velocity of sound is a
function of its intensity, and that the
experiments upon the velocity of sound
in which cannon is used contain an
error, probably due To the bodily motion
of the air near the cannon. The employ
ment of Il musical note of slow intensity
is, therefore, recommended to correctly
determine the velocity of sound.
One or THE SMALLER INDUSTRIES
The manufacture of thimbles has now
been so far perfected by means of inn
proved machinery and processes, as to
involve complete revolution in this
comparatively small but useful industry
Ia the first operation, a lot of bright sill
yer dollars, fresh from the mint, are put
into crucibles and melted into solid
ingots. They are then rolled into the
required thickness, and cut by stamp
into circular pieces of the desired size
These circular disks are placed under q
solid metal bar of the proportion of the
inside OF the projected thimble, which,
moved by powerful machinery, dcscends
in bottomless mold of the out side Of
the thimble, and presses the metal into
the needed shape at a single blow. The
remaining operations Of frightening,
polishing and decorating, are performed
by means of lathe. First, the blank
form is fitted with rapidly-revolving
rod; slight touch of a sharp chisel
takes thin shaving from the end, an.
other does the same on the side, while a
third rounds off the rim. The polishing
is done by round steel rod, which i.
dipped in oil and pressed upon the sur,
face. Small revolving steel wheels held
against the revolving blank pierce the
indentations on the lower half and tho
end of the thimble; the ornamentatior