Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-01
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

$4,000 for the purpose of encourage
ing investigation into the nature OIL
celerv-ru,t, and the discovery of O
remedy.
According to Prof. TAFT, a fash OF
lightning ten miles in length has
been recorded by trustworthy oh.
server
/ During the recent severe storms
in Germany, the subterranean lines
of telegraph have proved SO much
better than the others that the Ger
man Government now proposes ask.
ing the Reichstag for authority to
greatly extend the underground sys-
tenn.
The Swiss colony in North Caro-
lima has discovered that the null
berry-tree grows with as much lux
urianco as the cherry, and that the
soil and climate of that State alike
foretell the future production of silk
under the most favorable conditions
M. Javel says that the fatigue ex-
perienced by the eyes from read
ing with ali'"tia. light is due more
to the want OF light than to its ex-
cess. Even in a very brightly illum-
mated room the pupils are very
much more dilated than by daylight
and this dilation produces fatigue.
The Academy of the Syncaei,
founded at the beginning of the
seventeenth century, is stated to be
the Oldest scientific society in the
world. The Academy was reor-
gained in 1875, and has members
of various nationalities.
The adulteration of tea is carried
on to surprising extent. NJ. Hus.
sen, an eminent French chemist
has investigated the subject and
made report to the Paris Academy
of Sciences. He finds that great
variety of substances are used as
adulterants, such as Prussiau blue
indigo, gypsum, chromate OF lead
ar eniate of copper, sulphate OF
iron, stearite, carbonate of lime
carbonate of magnesia, plumbagc
and kaolin. The Chinese often mix
with tea tho leaves and flowers OF
other plants.
In bamboos, the flow OF sap takes
place at the beginning Of the rainy
season, but vigorous shoots rarely
grow before the thunder storms,
which generally precede the harvest.
The rapidity of their growth in
creases with the violence of the
storm, amounting to as much AS
seventy feet within thirty days in
some instances, the vegetation being
most active during the night. These
facts offer q curious confirmation OF
the experiments of DR.. Siemens OH
the influence of electricity upon
plant growth.
A very slight declivity suilices tc
give the running motion to water.
Three inches per mile in u smooth,
straight channel gives q velocity OF
about three miles an hour. The
Ganges, which gathers the waters
of the Himalaya mountains, the lof-
tiest in the world, is, at $50 miles
from its mouth, only 500 feet above
the sea, and to fall these 500 feet in
the long course of the river is said
to require more than Il month.
The use of carrot juice for coloring
butter is familiar to most dairy
keepers who are aware that some
organic matter, besides the coloring
substance, is contained in the juice,
and which does no good to the but
ter. A European chemist, one DR..
Guesneville, has gone scientifically
to work to obtain the coloring sub
stance in a pure condition. He first
slices the carrots, then dries them
grinds them to powder and then di-
gests the powder in bi-sulphide of
carbon, a liquid obtained by distill-
ing sulphur in tight vessel on red
hot charcoal. After standing for Il
short time the bi-sulphide is evapor-
ated and the coloring matter remains
in the form of minute crystals. The
substance, which is called caroline,
is perfectly tasteess, and has been
used for coloring butter with great
satisfaction, being pronounced SUI