Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-02-19
Scientific Miscellany.

The common potato (Solanum tubero
um) is native of dry mountain land,
and by cultivation by the moist climates
of Europe and America it has become
liable to what is known as potato dis
ease or rot The suggestion was short
time ago made that it might be rein
vigoratcd by mixture with some one of
the many other known species of Soda
mum, and an English hortic'lturist, Mr..
A. w. Sutton, is now striving to accom-
plish this result. During last season
he succeeded, as he believes, in crossing
s. Maglia-a species discovered by OAR
win growing in marshy soil on islands
west of Patagonia-with the cultivated
potato, obtaining three well filled 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.
Some remarkable illustrations of the
power of plants to adapt themselves to
diverse conditions have been furnished
by the observations of Senior Ladislao
Netto, of Rio Janeiro. One plant
strychnos triplinevia-was found grow
ing in an open space as bush about
six feet high, while another specimen
of the same species was seen in the
shade of some woods only few yards
away as vine sixty feet in length.
Other plants were allowed to become
vines of considerable length in the dense
Brazilian forests, and at once began to
change their appearance to that of
shrubs on being given free exposure to
the sunlight.
1t 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, General
Prjevalski has found evidence that vio-
lent winds have moved the small stones
about, gradually pulverizing the frag-
ments by friction, and that the finer
particles thus produced have been
blown to the valleys, where they have
formed n constantly thickening deposit.
On the Puy de Dome, in France, extern
sive wind-deposits have been noticed,
an ancie mt temple of Mercury on the
top Of that mountain having been
covered up in sand for nearly twenty
centuries.
W hOACl Nht SDttu VI
thought have been made by Prof. Dom
ders, of Utrecht, with two instruments,
which he call the acknowledgement and
the noematachometer. He has found
that the brain must act for .069 of
second to produce single idea, but
this time will probably be shown to
vary with different brains. For the eve
to receive an impression requires .077
Of second, and the ear needs .149 of
second to appreciate a sound, the action
Of the eye being nearly twice as rapid
as that of the ear
While some naturalists have seen
reasons for believing that light of some
kind must. exist several thousand IA
thoms below the surface of the sea, it is
very improbable that sunlight can pene-
trate to such great depths. At depth
If 500 feet in the lake of Geneva,
Messrs. Fol and Sarasin have just found
that the strength of the light in the day
is about equal to that which we per-
,eive in clear moonless night. At 400
Feet below the surface the light is still
quite strong.
A new lantern microscope, for dis
playing upon screen greatly magnified
images of very minute objects has been
exhibited before the microscopical soci-
,ties, of London, and has given results
said to be greatly III advance of any
previous achievements. AT one meet
ng blow-fy's tongue was shown from
six to fourteen feet long according to
The power used; and the section of q
irone-fy's eye was magnitied $500 dia-
|,,a to -
A subterrancan observatory is being
established in very deep coal mine
near Nagasaki, Japan, the object being
20 determine what connection exists be-
tween earthquake phenomena and those
meteorological phenomena belonging
20 the earth's surface, such as storms,
tides, etc. The protector Is Prof Milne,
If the University of Toxic, the indefatig-
thlc student of earthquakes In the land
which they are most FREQUENT.
The London bridge winch tue dyna-
1924 and was finished in 1927, from de-
signs of John Rennie, architect of
Southwark and Waterloo bridges. The
cost is estimated at between f1,500,-
900 and f2,500,000. 1t is built of gran
tie, in five arches, the center arch be-
ing 152 feet, the next two 140 feet, and
the two shore arches $50 feet each in
span. The bridge is 900 feet long and
"a feet wide. Thelamp-posts are made
from cannon taken in the Peninsular
war. Over 100000 persons pass over
t every day. Police constables are
Stationed in the middle of the roadway
to prevent blocks. 1t is the handsom-
est bridge over the Thames.
The only cosmetic have used, said
an old lady, 'is a flannel wash-cloth.
For forty years have bathed my face
every night and morning with clear
water as hot as can bear it, using Tor
the purpose a small square of flannel,
renewed as often as IL gets thick and
felt-likc. My mother taught me to dc
this, as her mother had done before
her. No soap, nor powder, nor gly,
cerine even, has touched my face, and
this is what my skin is at sixty" she
finished, touching with pardonablt
pride cheek whose peachy bloom and
| fine soft texture gave effective emphasii
IN the recipe. - Harper's Basar.