New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-02

| Boston is suffused with gentle glow OF pride on
account Of a recent circular issued by the Smith
s0nian Institution announcing che transfer to har-
ward College Observatory of the business connected
| with the announcement of astronomical discoveries
IL appears that up to 1878 America relied upon
Europe for the orbits of p.0nets. ard comDuta-
tons were made at the various obseryatOries only
for their use there was 10 system for generally
disseminating the results. which learned
usually only from the German periodical, the
AstroRomische Nackrichten. after delay OF
| six or eight weeks in 1878 the Boston
Scientific Society began the publication Of
| the orbits of comets in The Science Obserrer,
and special circulars were distributed to Ameri-
can astronomers directly upon the completion of
| the mathematical work by the observers These
computations at first made by Mr.. s. c. Cband-
ler jr and their publication attracted attention,
both from the accuracy of the work and the short
| time consumed in presenting the results. The
| Science Observer code, which is self-checkng was
| invented for sending astronomical information
abroad by cable. and observations Of orbits were
sent to Boston aud then telegra ohed abroad with
ont error and with little lapse of time hat the
| orbits severa times published in both Europe
and America within four days of the discovery. In
| the observations of the great comet of 1892 The
Science Observer circulars, which sent by mail
| from Lord Crawfords observatory at Dun Kcht and
from Berlin as centres, proved invaluable to foreign
| observers. An astronomical union formed
abroad with centre at KEEL. Prussia, and Alessrs.
Chandler and Richie requested to act as dis
trbutots for the United States. They referred the
matter TO the director Of the Harvard Observatory,
| who has accepted the task. The Smithsonian In-
stiution, which years ago, through the efforts
of Professor Peters, entered into reciprocal ar
rangement with foreign obseryatOries In regard TO
! the Transmission OF astronomical news has now
| formally transferred the work of collecting astro-
nomical information in this country to the Harvard
| Observatory-a distinction which appears to have
been well merited by the faithful work of the BOs-
| ton astronomers.
member of the recent Ensilago Congress" rep
resented TIE TRIBUNE as having recommended
| " roots substitute" for the wfanglcd fodder.
Our only reference to that phase OF the subject
an incidental ll1sUn 20 succulent mangels as \
suitable feed in connection with the standard dry
ration Of welcomed hay. Many decades if not
| centuries. of European practice back OF that
WISE system. aud the most forohauded live stock
keepers in the older sections of this side the Allan
TIC arc coming more and more to recognize it's adj
vautages For examples. Nh. j. ). Woodward re-
ported TO rural readers awhile ago the details
/ of his practice in producing each year. on his
Niagara County farm, from 200 10 800 bushels
of roots for sheep and cattle: Colonel F. d. Curtis
finds profit in the watery turnD' for use in
his celebrated pgraslng and our country editions
lately contained notice OF a wide section of Canada
whore the custom is to devOte annually from i've to
twenty five and IN some cases forty to sixty acres
OF each farm to carrots. beets and rutabagas tor
winter use in pens and stables Nevertheless,
have not failed to recognize fairly the large prom
! Use OF the so boom and what 1t implies but it is
doubtless true that there many careful.
| ful, conservative old farmers among us who still
feel inclined TO entertain toward ensilage the In
tigatng. II not critical spirit implied by the slgnif
clnt announcement and cross question: Roots we
know but who are yosi"
prominent lawyer of this city, who has n keen
eye for errors I'm statistics, writes have searched
| as with "a lighted candle TO employ modern
phrase, az with an Edison incandescent lamp, and
| can say that so far as my knowledge extends The
TRIBUNE ALMANAC for 1883 is absolutely without
spot and well nsh without blemish." The three
blemshes which this painstaking critic has been
able 20 detect are trivial bnt arc under obliga-
tions TO him for pointing them ont. they he
easily removed in the second edition. which will be
issued speedily. The inaccuraC es On trans
position of the votes for Governor of Colorado in
Lake and Jefferson COunries-a displacement
which does not affect the footing - an Moor ect
initial letter in the name Of Samuel H. Treat. jr.
District judge II, Illinois, an A" beng substi-
Iutod for the H." a mistake. by the way. which
occurred IN the manuscript list OF tine Department
Of Justice (3) the substitution of james " for
John" in Judge Sharpsiein's name in tho Ad-
dcndum." These are pu-head inaccuracies. when
the enormous. labor of collecting so large a body of
political statistics IL borne In mind