The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-03-19


times there have been as many as FIVE |
in receipt of such pensions. Lord
Cairns is now the only one.
The annual report Of the California
State Board Of Silk Culture represents
silk culture to be in an encouraging
condition in that State. The cocoons
raised have never been surpassed in
quality, and the amount Of silk pro-
duced would have been doubled if not
trebled last year but for disappoint-
ment in eggs in the spring. There is
a lively interest in the industry.
There are number of soap trees
growing in Tallahassee. They are
prolific fruiters, the berries being about
the size of an ordinary marble, having
ayellowish, soapy appearance, with a
hard black seed, from which the trees
are propagated. People in Tallahas-
see boil the fruit to make soap, but in
China, Japan, and other tropical coun-
tries the berries are used as a substi-
tute for soap just as they are taken
from the trees.
In 1910 about 10000 pounds of
opium were consumed in the United
States; in 1880, 533,450 pounds. In
1868 there were about 10000 habitual
opium eaters in the country; now they
number over 100000. More women
than men are addicted to the use of
the drug. The vice is one SO easily
contracted, so easily practiced in
private and so difficult of detection
that it presents peculiar temptation,
and is very insidious.
A dozen East African tribes between
the north end of Lake Nyassa and the
Indian Ocean have been reduced to a
leplorable state by famine. Their
crops, which are their main depend
ence, were almost a total failure last
year. Many have died, and many
others, tempted by the grain the coast
Arabs took among them, have sold
themselves into slavery for few days
provisions. Many of the Zulus in
South Africa also are starving on ac-
count of the failure of the crop of
mealies, and Zulu famine fund has
been opened in London.
The industrial depression and dis
turbances in Russia are beginning to
attract very serious attention. On all
hands are heard sounds of alarm at The
growing discomfort and agitation
among the factory hands and the
working population generally. Agra
rian eme,ttes have lately given place to
disturbances and outrages of an in
dustrial character, and the purely po-
litical crimes of the Nihilists seem also
to have ceased in favor of those per-
petrated by the malcontents Of labor.
The latter have been greatly increased
this winter by the curtailment of work
in most Of the large manufacturing
districts, and many peasants who had
been driven by agricultural distress to
become factory operatives now find
themselves worse off than they were
before.
/ Bills to prevent the useless devasta.
tion of forests and the pillaging Of
timber from school lands are pending
in the legislatures of Minnesota Wis
consin and Michigan. The Lumber.
man hopes that if these measures be-
come law the United States Govern
ment may be induced to stop giving
away timber in all the States of the
Union. Should this be done it is
thought the natural inclination o.
farmers to preserve timber sections
and the efforts Of the forestry people
to stimulate tree-planting, will be suf
ficient to maintain timber supply
ample for all needs of the country.
The Russian Oil region covers ar
area of over $4,000 square miles, with
AZ oil wells in one district, over a hun
dred in another, and 400 in a third
while there is still richer regions wait
ing to be developed to produce still
greater results. One spouting vel
produces 100000 gallons day. Th,
oil is found in places at depth of ;
hundred feet, and no well has gon,
below 875 feet. Three Swedish broth
ers and few Americans and Russian:
who have been in America have in
troduced method and system, pipe lines
oil carrying barges and steamers, tanl
carts, refneries, joint stock companies
railroads, and now produce SO0,0O(
tons of crude and 100000 tons of re
fined petroleum, and are rapidly find
ing new markets. To sink well il
Russia costs now $4,000 to $4,000, ant
that in a region so poorly supplied tina
the owners have to house their men il
barracks.
France has followed the example O
Germany in raising microbiology tt
the rank of recognized science. Th,
establishment over which DIR. Kocl
presides in Berlin is the completest anC
best-equipped in Europe He has foul
army surgeons as assistants; and somt
sixty or eighty students, among whom
are not few sacants of standing, arr
daily pursuing their researches in hi: