The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-10-16
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY,

Weather-vanes illuminated by cleo.
tricity, so as to be visible at night, have
been suggested.
A case has been reported in which an
extraordinary outbreak of measles and
pneumonia among the children in
public institution was caused by sewer
gss.
MIR. Lennox Browne, an English
Psychologist, finds that drinking and
smoking affect the vocal organs. stats.
tics furnished by no less than $50 pro-
fessional vocalists having shown him
that singer should avoid all stimu-
lants.
A peculiar black paper Of Siam and
Burmah, made from the bark of certain
trees, is used very much as are slates
in Europe and America The writing
upon it may be rubbed out by the ap-
plication of betel leaves, just as slate
writing is erased by means of a sponge.
An electrician asserts that in bodies
in which life is not extinct the tenn
perature rises upon the application Of
an electric current, but never in the
case of actual death. This fact supplies
test for use in cases where life is sus-
pected to remain in persons apparently
dead.
"The sorrowful tree" fourishing
only at night, is a singular vegetable
Of the island of Goa, near Bombay.
Halt an hour after sunset the tree is
full of sweet-smelling flowers, although
none are to be seen during the day, az
they close up or drop of with the APP
pearance of the sun.
The latest report of the Russian Geo.
graphical Society makes the Lena delta
extend nearly half degree farther
north than on the best maps. The
northern cape of Danube Oounay) Is
land is placed in 70 degrees, IS minutes
north latitude, while on the Vega map
1t is 73 degrees u minutes.
IL appears that an alloy of copper,
platinum and tin has been extensively
used in Great Britain for jewelry with
the object of deceiving pawnbrokers.
The fraud has been very successful, ~
the compound resists the usual acid
test for gold. The alloy has even been
used for counterfeiting English coins.
Several Spanish doctors have been
practicing vaccination" with cholera
virus. 1t is reported that so much
faith is placed in these experiments by
people of all classes that 800 individu-
ais were inoculatcd in Valencia in q
single afternoon. A commission from
Madrid has been sent to report on the
result
From experiments made in Germany
by Professor +. Wollny, it appears
that the air is considerably cooler over
a field under crop than over fallow
field. and that the temperature fluctua-
ties less in the former case than in the
latter. The maximum of air tempera-
turc travels with the course of the sun,
from eastern slopes in the morning to
the southern at noon and to the west
ern in the evening.
The coal fields of China proper. &C
cording to paper read before the
Philanthropic Society of Glasgow by
Mr.. A. Williamson, have total area OF
400, 600 square miles. Both the Shansi
and Heenan coal fields are greater
than that OF the aggregate of the prin.
cipal coal producing countries Of
Europe, and in other districts of north
China the coal-fields are said to be
seven times as large as all those Of
Great Britain. The coal is of various
kinds, and iron ores are in all parts
found in close proximity to the coal.
AGerman agricultural chemist, Prof.
Heinrich, concludes that plants are best
nourished when the plant-food in soil
OF water reaches certain concentra-
ton. not the absolute quantity of plant.
food but its concentration determining
the fertility of SOIL Deep tillage
without simultaneously increased APP
plication of manure is hurtful, since the
plant-food is thus diluted and the nu.
triton of the crop rendered more diff
cult. Deep tillage ensures, but height.
sned concentration of plant-food in.
creases, the harvest.