The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-03-03
SCRAPS OF SCIENCE.

DR.. MULLER, of Geneva, has made a
calculation in which he estimates the
number of plant species existing on the
globe to reach a minimum total of
25O, 1000.
IT is not expected that it will be posi-
BILE for the italian Antartic expedition to
start before 1888. In the meantime it is
intended that Lieut.. Bove, the originator
of the scheme, should make prelimin-
airy voyage in a whaler to the Southern
seas.
THE planetary discoveries Of 1880 we're
eight in number, five of which were
found by Herr Palisa, Director of the
Observatory at Pola. The last was dis
covered Sept. 80, and raised the total
number of known small planets to 219.
COLONEL GLUKoFsKY, who has sur
veyed the ancient bed of the Oxus, is of
opinion that the diversion of the river to
the Caspian Sea from its present course
| is quite practible, and sum of 600, 900
| roubles has been set apart for the work.
Ten Russian engineers, five companies
| of infantry, and three sotnias of Co.'S
sacks are engaged in the operations.
M. CAUvET, in the Bulletin of the
OotdlIACdl NOC1Sty 1duCC, dCSCAADCS
| his experiments made to determine the
development of carbonic acid by the roots
| of plants. His result appears to show
that roots constantly develop carbonic
acid, but that the development is less by
night than by day, and that it begins to
increase with sunrise, that it decreases
about noon, and rises again in the even
ing, to decrease at midnight.
Mica has been applied to new use,
that of fashioning it into middle soles to
boots and Shoes The invention consists
of sheet of mica imbedded in thin coat
ings of cement, and placed in the boot or
shoe under and adjacent to the insole,
the upper leather of the shoe tapping over
its edges, or next under the filling, or
between the filling and the outer or
bottom sole, and covering the upper
space from the toe to the instep.
THE royal engineers have tried the
effect of gun cotton in bringing down
two old chimneys at the Dockyard
Extension Works, Chatham, England.
The first was demolished by placing a
necklace of gun cotton inside the Chin
ney, the total charge consisting of about
four and half pounds. The second was
destroyed by placing six charges of the
explosive in the center of the base of the
chimney, the total charge weighing
twenty-eight ounces. The experiment
was very successful At the instant the
electric spark ignited the gun cotton the
chimneys became wrecks.
AT the Greenwich observatory very
ingenious instrument is in use to record
automatically the duration of sunshine
during the day. 1t consists Of glass
globe hung in a hemispherical cup of
slightly greater diameter, the cup being
lined with strip of paper covered with
stencil ink. The globe is entirely ex-
posed upon the roof, and while the sun
is shining, acts as burning glass, and
causes continuous line to be made upon
the paper. This line will be broken,
however, as often as the suns light is
obscured by clouds, and thus record
of the amount of sunshine for the day
will be obtained.
M, MoRIDE has shown the French
Academy new alimentary substance,
called nutrscine. Raw meat, freed from
bones and tendons, is passed into suitable
machines with nitrogenized food sub.
stances-such as bread, etc.-which alb
serbs its water, and perhaps form organic
combinations with it. The whole is driec
in the air or over mildly-heated stove
and then pulverized and sifted. The
powder obtained is grey or yeIowish il
color, and has an agreeable taste. Will
fats, albumen or gummed water, soli6
cakes or cubes may be made of it, to be
afterward made into soups, sauces, etc.
The substance is very nutritive, and
keeps indefinitely if not exposed to mois
ture or too great heat
AN ingenious Frenchman has devised
game for facilitating the study O.
geography by children. It consists of {
large planisphere map of the globe, &C
companied by numerous objects repre-
senting animals, plants, flags, costumes
tows and landscapes. These objects. O.
painted cardboard, stand upright whe1
the small inscription accompanying them
is folded back; and each one bears, more
over, number corresponding to one OF
the map. Placing each in it's proper
position, the child quickly becomes
familiar with the subject illustrated; if i
be plant, he knows the place which
produces it, and its use; if town, ht
knows its population, position, etc. The
new game has received the approval O.
the Paris Society Of Geography.