The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-06-06

than in the latter. The maximum of air tenn perature travels with the course of the sun, from eastern slopes in the morning to the southern at noon and to the western in the evening.
 Several Spanish doctors have been practicing vaccination with cholera virus. It is reported that so much faith is placed in these experiments by people of all classes that 300 individuals were inoculated in Va lencia in single afternoon. A commission from Madrid has been sent to report on the result.
 During the summer season ofthis year. thunder-storms will form subject of special study by the newly-organized New England Meteorological Society. Observations, di- vided into several classes to bring the work within reach of all who will share in it. will be taken whenever a thunderstorm can he seen or heard
 Chinese Mineral Wealth.-The coal fields of China proper, according to a paper read before the Philanthropic Society of Glasgow by MT. 4. Williamson, have a total area of about 100000 sq are miles. Both the Shansi and Heenan coal fields are greater than that of the aggregate of the principal 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 va rious kinds, and iron ores are in all parts found in close proximity to the coal.
 The Science of Deep Plowing.-A Ger man agricultural chemist, Professor Hein- rich, concludes that plants are best nour- ished when the plant food ia soil or water reaches certain concentration, net the ab- soute quantity of plant food but its concen- traitor determining the fertility of soil. Deep tillage without a simultaneously in- creased application of manure is hurtful. since the plant-food is thus diluted and the nutrition of the crop rendered more difficult. Deep tillage ensures, but heightened concen- tration of plant-food increases, the harvest.
 A Chinese Industry.-The British con- sular agent at Chung King, Mir. Hosie, has made tour through certain districts of China for the purpose ofgaining information concerning insect white wax. He has found the substance to be the product of minute brown, lice-like insects, which exist, together with small black beetle, in excrescences or gals attached to the boughs and twigs of an evergreen, called by the Chinese the insect tree" Early in May these gals are collected and placed on the wax-tree, usually a stump from which rises numerous sprouts. The creatures soon deposit a white coating on the boughs and twigs, which often reaches thickness of quarter of an inch in ninety or hundred days. The branches are then topped off, and the wax is carefully removed by scraping and boiling. The material is then poured into moulds, and becomes the white wax of commerce, used chiefly for can dies.
 The Cause of Volcanoes.-ProfJ Joseph Prestwich, of the university of Oxford, argues that the earth must consist of solid nucleus, surrounded by molten stratum of no great thickness, which in turn is enclosed by crust which may be less than twenty miles in thickness. He does not regard the expansion of water-which can hardly penetrate to a greater depth than seven or eight miles-as primary cause of volcanic action. The presence of aqueous vapor is due alone to the surface and underground waters en- countered by the lava in its passage to the surface, and, while it adds greatly to their violence, it does not originate the eruptions. The contraction of the earth from cooling, slow though it be, is sufficient to account for the forcing out of lava, Cordier having long since calculated that five volcanic eruptions annually would shorten the earths radius only about one twenty-6fth of an inch in a | century.
 Geography in Pleasure PArks.-At a conference in Madrid Professor Escrche of Quadalajara, has described a project for making familiar in an interesting way the dry details of geography. His plan relates to the formation in cities and towns of Geo graphical Parks," each to be a public gar den reproducing on certain cale, accord ing to its extent, the geographical features of country. The park would be kind of map in relief, the principal towns being repre- | sented by places surrounded by trees, the main highways by winding paths, and the rivers by streams of water. The clumps of trees within the network of roads would form varied pastures, in which the natural pro- ducts of each locality would find a place among the flowers and in the centre, where the towns should be, would be placed small structures in which would be photographic views of the principal monuments and, es- pecially. the most important astronomical, geographical, historical and artistic informa. tion concerning the town represented.
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