Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-15
SCIENCE NOTES.

a recent writer refers to the allantuS as
one of the easiest trees to grow. 1t will
take root in any place where the seed can
find sufficient nourishment to sprous, and
grow In places where no other tree can or
will. Seeds have been known to lodge on
the granite caps Of the windows of the As
tor House, New York, and grow to the
hight Of two feet before being destroyed.
When large the trees are very difficult to
eradicate from the soil, and unless every
bit OF root is taken from the ground it will
sprout again and form another tree. The
term ailantus means Tree of Heaven, F."
but it is difficult Co see the applicability of
tine name, for when the tree is in bloom the
odor is anything but heavenly.
The singing hairs of the nettle possess
glands at their bases which secrete the
poison felt when nettle is touched "The
slightest touch breaks the point, and the
poison luid, with which the hair is charged,
at once flows into the skin, and produces
the characteristic pain and after effects. 7"
When placed under a microscope the con-
tents OF the hair are seen in a constant state
of motion. Waves Of contraction roll
along It's whole length, and minor streams
of minute granulea hurry here and there
through the substance of the interior.
In addition to many other manufactures
from vegetable substances, leather is
now being made which is used for many
purposes. II is made in webs fifty yards
long and four and half feet wide. The
manner OF making the substance is secret,
but India rubber enters largely into its
composition. It is used for book binding
and harness-m making, and other purposes.
1t can be made of any thickness, and is
capable of being stretched and cemented.
The Fish Commissioners of Maine have
adopted plan for marking young salmon,
In order TO obtain information in regard to
their development and migration. Each
fish has fastened to it a light metal tag
with number on it, and several hundred
have been set free III the Penobscot river.
Whoever catches marked salmon in any
of the Maine rivers are requested to send
either the fish or the label, together with
all information in regard to the fish, to the
State Commissioners.
4 species of tortoise found in the arid
wastes of San Bernardino county is said 20
possess on each side of the inner part OF
the shell membrane containing about
pint of water. 1t has been supposed that
the water is secreted by the animal from
the cactus plant, upon which it feeds.
Species of tortoises from the Galapagos
Islands are said to have the same peculiar.
ity, and the water is sweet and pure.
A new kind of celluloid is now made
from peeled potatoes. These are treated
for thIrty-siy hours to solution of eight
parts of sulphuric acid and 100 parts of
water, then dried between blotting paper
Ind pressed. In France pipes made from
the material are said to be quite equal in
appearance to meerschaum. Billiard balls
can, by heavy pressure, be made from it.
In lecture delivered before the Royal
Institution of Great Britain, Professor Ball
sad that if the ideas of biologists in regard
to the age of the earth were correct, and
that if 100000 years was comparable
with geologic time, then So in all probability
none of the stars now visible to the IN
aided eye can then have been visible from
the earth"
1t is well known that birds of different
kinds, notably the ostrich, turkey and
chicken, swallow stones to help digest
their food. Recent researches show that
seals swallow stones OF one, two or three
pounds weight, and one investigator, not
long ago. found 9" ten pounds of these
powders in the stomach of sea lion"
1t is said that the accumulation of SCOT
in chimneys can be prevented by putting
quantity Of salt into the mortar with
which the inner course of bricks is laid
The salt in the exposed mortar attracts
moisture. this dampens the SCOT, and causes
1t to fall into the fireplace.