St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-28
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

/ THE EARTH MoLDING WISb,-It appears
that the direct action of the wind during long
| ages has had some effect in the shaping OF
the land. In the plateaus OF Central Asia,
Gen. Prjevalski has found evidence that
violent winds have moved the small stones
about, gradually pulveriziug the fragments
by friction, and that the finer particles thus
produced have formed a constantly thicken-
ing deposit On the Puy de Dome, in France,
! extensive wind deposits have been noticed
an ancient temple of Mercury on the top Of
| that mountain having been covered up in
sand for nearly twenty centuries.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE oTATo-The COM
mon potato (Soldnsts5s fsberOsakl) Is a native Of
dry mountain land, and by cultivation in the
moist climates OF Europe and America IL has
become liable 10 what Is known as potato
disease or rot The suggestion was a short
time ago made that 1t might be re-iuvigor-
ated by mixture with some one OF the many
other known species OF SoldIafm. and an
English horticuIturist, Mr.. A. w. Sutton, is
now striving TO accom- plish this result. Dur
ing last season be succeeded, as he believes,
In crossing >. Maglid-a species discovered
by Darwin growing in marshy soil Oh
islands west Of PaiagoniA--with the Guilt
waited potato, obtaining three well filed seed
balls. The seed will be planted next year,
and it Is thought probable that they may
produce potatoes better adapted to moist
climates and soils than any Of the varieties
now grown.
A new lantern microscope, for displaying
upon screen greatly megnifed images Of
very minute objects, has been exhibited be-
fore the microscopcal societies OF London
and has given results said to be greatly In
advance Of any previous achievement At
one meeting a blow fiy's tongue was shown
from six 10 fourteen feet long, according TO
the powers used, and the section of a drone
Hy's eye was magnifed 2, 500 diameIers, OF
more than six million times.
RAPIDITT OF SESsATIoS.-Attempts TO de-
termine the speed Of thought have been made
by Prof. Donders, of Utrecht, with two in
struments, which hescalls the noematacho-
graph and the Observation-Disclosures. He has
found that the brain must act for .06e OF
second to produce a single idea, bat this time
will probably be shown to vary with different
brains. For the eye to receise an impression
requires .017 Of second, and the ear needs
lag OF second to appreciate a sound, the
action Of the eye being nearly twice as rapid
as that of the ear.
A subterranean observatory is being es-
tablished in very deep coal mine near
Nagasaki, Japan, the object being to deter
mine what connection exists between earth
quake phenomena and those meteorological
Phenomena belonging to the earth's surface,
such as storms, tides, etc. The protector is
Prof. Milne, of the University OF TOkia, the
interchangeable student of earthquakes in the
land in which they are most frequent.
An English surgeon, DR.. Leighton Keste-
ven, reports remarkable success with a new
antiseptic method Of treating wounds, con-
sisting OF keeping the sores cleansed by
means OF a jet Of steam charged with a solu-
ton of the oil of the eucalyptus or blue gum
tree.