The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-04-18
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
nAruRALIr o1LEn HARnoRs.

NATURALLY OILED HARBoRs.
The anohorages of Narrakal and Aneppy, in
India. are stated to be perfectly smooth and quiet
even When the sea outside is. tumbIing in before
strong southwesterly gales. To explain this, Dr.
w. King mentions that analysis proves the ex-
istence of oil in the muddy bottoms of these an
chorages, and he supposes that there are deposits
of petroleum, either beneath the sea- bottom or
along the coast, from which oil continually oozes
up, and Gains the otherwise troubled waters
THE SOLAR CORONA.
The most impressive feature of total eclipse
Of the sun is the corona, the aureole of light at
other times invisible, which surrounds the hidden
disc and sends out rays far into space. DR.. W.
Higgins, who has succeeded in photographing
the corona without the aid of an eclipse, remarks
that it is variously explained as coming from a
gaseous solar atmosphere, from matter elected by
the sun from ring of meteoric matter, from
comets tails, and from meteor streams travelling
al distance from the sun but illuminated by it.
He concludes, however, that the phenomenon is a
complex one, in the production of which each of
the suggested causes may play some part. A very
thin gaseous atmosphere probably surrounds the
solar globe, but the coronal light must be reflected
from solid particles in that atmosphere. The ex-
istence of one particle in cubic mile would ac-
count for the corona.
LIFE OF ANCIENT AMERICA.
The gigantic animals which existed in the
western part of the United States during the ter
tiary age, and which constitute an order known
to science as the Dinocerata, form the subject of
an elaborate treatise by Prof. o. c. Marsh, Of
Yale College. basin in Wyoming Territory,
drained by Green River, in the only locality in
the world where remains of these creatures have
been found. This basin, now from 5000 to 5000
feet above sea-evel, is the site of ancient lake.
on whose borders the great beasts, nearly equal
ling elephants in size, roamed in great numbers,
and in which many of them were entombed. In
the same region ancestral forms of the tapir, the
horse and the pig fourished at the same geologi-
cal period, and the lake swarmed with crocodles,
tortoises, snakes and fishes, while its shores
fringed with palms and other plants which are
now characteristic of the tropics. Prof. Marsh
believes the age of great mammals to be past, and
that the elephants must soon disappear from the
earth. .n I o..
NEW SOLUTION OF AN OLD PUZZLE.
A German physicist attributes the well-known
phenomenon of the apparent enlargement of the
sun and moon, when rising or setting to two
physiological causes. One is the greater sensolog-
ical causes. One is the greater sensitiveness of
the eye to angular magnitudes when seen horizon
Al &C. Roffb he loti nf
the pupil under the feebler light reaching from
the heavenly bodies when near the horizon, such
dilation tending to magnify the image received.
He finds experimental proof of these theories,
and shows the absurdity of the common explana-
ton that intervening objects enable us better to
estimate the real size of the sun and moon.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Prof Pollock, of Breslan, finds that the "house-
fungus" Merulius Iacrymans), which is becoming
extensively spread in Europe, is most destructive
to woods containing most mineral matters; and,
as such constituents are several times more album
dant in trees when in sap than in the cold season,
he recommends that timber be cut late in the
winter.
1t appears from observations made in France
that the development of vegetable life is retarded
by an average of nearly four days for each addi-
tional 100 yards of altitude. The arrival of the
chimney swallow is delayed about two days for
each increase of 100 yards in height.
An interesting case of phosphorescent snow has
been observed by Philadelphia geologist,
mountain covered with this snow shining in dark
night as if illuminated by the moon.
species of trees, belonging to 15S genera. Of
these, 4s genera and 20 species peculiar to
Florida.
A French investigator has detected periodical
variations of earth currents in direct relation with
the movement of the moon or the tides.
Experiments have been made in France with
-slsatricity agent to prevent the incrustaton
of boilers. The passage of current through a
boiler not only caused the impurities of the water
to settle as a loose powder but detached the old
incrustation.
An accident in Melbourne foundry has led to
the discovery that plunging iron castings into
mixture of treacle and water softens the metal to
such degree that it can be punched, bored and
tapped as readily as wrought iron
A botanical phenomenon was witnessed last
season on the shore of Todos Santos Bay, Lower
California, where apple-tree blossomed and
bore large perfect fruit on its trunk an inch from
the ground.
A January fog in London, lasting part of one
day, cost more than $4,000 for extra gas used in
consequence.
Under electric illumination, DR.. Theodore Stein
finds himself able to photograph the throat and
larynx in health or disease
What Variety of Potatoes to Plant.-The
following is taken from an agricultural exchange,
and as it contains some good suggestions, we
publish it for the benefit of our farmer readers
eff you want potatoes early as possible, select
the best early potato you can find. The genuine
Early Rose is good enough and early enough.
The Beauty of Hebron is equally good, and there
are dozen other varieties any one of which. if
you happen to have it, will ripen about as early,
and give satisfaction. If any one tells you he has
apotato that will ripen two weeks earlier than
the Rose or the Beauty of Hebron, and yield as
much again per acre, tell him that it is a most
valuable variety, and that he had better plant all
he has got, and not sell tuber to anyone else
for seed For early potatoes, plant in good rich,
mellow soil as soon as the frost is out of the
ground. You can hardly plant too early. Until
the plants appear, frost will not hurt them.
When the plants are up, a frost will sometimes
destroy the crop, or at any rate seriously retard
or injure it. piece of paper, or light cover
ing OF soil will save the plant. For winter pota-
toes, select variety that possesses at least four
points, viz: quality, vigorous growth of leaves to
resist the potato bugs, good keeper, and pro-
ductiveness tt
''When the potato bugs first appeared, every
body planted early varieties of potatoes, in hopes
OF getting ahead of the bugs Now that we know
how to keep the bugs in check, we can plant later
kinds. As a rule, the early varieties cannot yield
as well as the later sorts, which have a longer
season to grow in; or if they do in exceptional
cases. it is probably owing to unusual richness of
land. On ordinary land, other things being equal,
a late variety will yield better, and keep better