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

In his latest meteorological paper,
Prof Z. LOOMS observes that north
of thirty degrees of latitude storm
tracks in all longitudes almost invari-
ably follow an easterly course, but
generally have an inclination north of
east, In the tropics, however, the
tendency OF storm tracks Is westerly or
toward the northwest. An interesting
fact connected with tropical cyclones
is that they are unknown in the Pacific
ocean except near the Asiatic coast
The average velocity of storms in the
United States for the entire year is
found to be % 20 miles per hour, but
in February they travel twice as rapid
ly as in August,
Hansen, q German physicist, finds
that the color of fruits and flowers are
furnished by very small number of
pigments, which he Classics into three
groups. first, reds; second, yellows;
and third, blues and violets. He
omits chlorophyll green. because it is
comparatively rare in flowers. Orange
is produced by thickening of q de-
posit of the fundamental yellow pig
hiOues IuC bCiuH IuC
same in the rind Of an orange and in
yellow buttercup. Roses and car
nations show the characteristic red
pigment, in which variations are pro-
duced by the presence of acids.
Color-blindness. as usually under
stood, is Q blindness to red, to green,
or to blue or violet; and about one
male in every twenty-five appears to
be unable to discriminate between the
principal colors Of the spectrum. In q
strioter sense, all persons are color
blind, for, although Chevreul is said to
have been able to distinguish APO
tones Of color, u has been proven that
the human eye is totally incapable OF
receiving all the vibrations OF color
which must exist in the spectrum.
English tests of the durability OF
small squares Of various woods buried
one inch under the ground have given
these results: Birch and aspen de-
eayed in three years; willow and horse
chestnut. in four years; maple and red
beach, in five years; elm. ash. horn
beam and Lombardy poplar. in seven
years; oak. Scotch fir and Weymouth
pine, partially in seven years; while
larch, juniper. and arbor vitae were
sound ut the end of seven years.
According to Newcomb, late obser-
vations of the planet Jupiter appear
to show that the period of rotation al
its equator is more than five minutes
less than in the latitude of the great
red spot, This interesting result tends
to confirm the suspected resemblance
of the greatest world of our system to
the sun itself.
A kind OF beer made from bananas
10 reported by missionaries Of Uzigay,
in the equatorial lake region of Africa,
to have proven an effective prophylac-
tic against malarial fevers. its use hav-
ing Kept them in excellent health in q
most deadly climate.
Admiral dc Jonguieres. OF the
French navy, has called attention to O
remarkable phenomenon which may
be witnessed at Papeete. in the So
ciety islands. At this point there is
but one tide day, instead of two
which occur at other places on the
sea.
A new process for removing grease
spots from paper, or any fabric, seems
to be in favor in Germany. Calcined
magnesia is saturated with benzol,
and the powder is rubbed over the
spots. Old stains may require . sec
ond application.
Sir j. Is. Lawes finds that, although
nitrogen is the most abundant constit-
uent Of the atmosphere, plants derive
their supply nearly if not exclusively
from the soil, while the carbon OF
plants is taken from the air.
A scientific authority wishes 10 know
why the bodies of elephants and wild
animals generally are so rarely found
after death.
The circulation of the blood, accord
ing to DIR. Gordon. was familiar to the
Chinese 1000 years ago. Harvey's
discovery OF il was made about 260
years ago.