The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1885-11-06
Scientific.

Woalney considers thai the results
obtained by Schlosi'.g, Muntz, Gilbert,
Warrington, and otkcrs place it beyond
all doubt that fhe changes which the
humous matter of soils undergoS are
almost exclusively connected with the
vital activity of ,aicrobia.
The most highly heterogeneous barleys,
L. Marx finds, alS those of Russia and
Baden then follow those of Sweden.
North Germany, Alsace, Hungary and
France. English and Austrian barleys
come lowest, with respective means of
800 and 0. 81 nitrogen.
In memoir by Sir J. B. Lawes it is
maintained that while the atmosphere is
the main, if not the exclusive, source of
carbon for crops, the soil is the principal,
if not the only, source of their nitrogen.
The author is of opinion that arabic soil
loses as much nitrogen in the form of
drainage as it receives from the atmos-
phere.
NJ. Dlavier has sent note to tue
Academy of Sciences. Paris, OH the
influence of thunderstorms on under
ground telegraph wires. He is inclined
to believe that the occasional disturb
ances, to which even well protected
underground wires are subject, in nppar-
ent opposition to the theory of static
electricity, may be explained either as
an effect of electrodynamic induction or
as All effect Of electrostatic induction
At Il late meeting of the North of
England Institute of Mining and
Mechanical Engineers, Mr.. T. w. Bun
n!ng read paper on experiments made
ut Saarbrucken to asccr ain the influence
OF coal dust i'll explosions in mines.
Mr. Galloway, who was present ut some
of these experiments, stated that if the
coal dust were removed from the vicinity
of the shot holes, or kept watered Tor tho
space of six yards, the risk of explosion
was removed. ......
In the course Of recent lecture on
the fauna Of the seashore Prof. III. n.
Mosely said it is because all terrestrial
aid dcep-sea forms have passed through
Ii tornl phase of existence and that
the littor;l animals retain far better than
those of any other faunal region the
recapitulatve larvai phases, by means
OF which alone the true historical origin
can be recovered, that marine geological
Laboratories on the coast have made so
m ny brilliant discoveries in zoology i'll
late Years.
Nine. Mirorolsky, of st. Petersburg,
has announced that the sulphuric acid OF
commerce. and even the Tuning acid,
may often contain traces of mercury,
hich cannot be removed by distillation.
Its presence can he detected by passing
an electric current through the dilute
acid and using gold needle as negative
cleo rode. After electrolysis the nee,,le
is washed, dried, and placed i'll sea Cd
tube, the upper end of which is capil-
larry. After heating the lower end char
acteristic drops of mercury may be rec
ognized with the microscope in the
capillary extremity.
The Government Of India has sent q
geological surveyor to report Oh the
scientific aspects of the Cashmere earth
quake. A correspondent of Calcutta
journal, writing on the second day after
the first great shock, says that the force
of the earthquake appeared to have con-
centrated itself at certain spots, and
th,re to have expended itself These
spots look as though large amount of
gaseous matter under the earth had.
with the strength of dynamite, been
struggling for an outlet, and had thus
torn and lacerated the ground at the
point where it fOund an exit