The Florida agriculturist., 1885-04-29
For the FLORIDA AGRIcULTURIsT.
Scientific Miscellany.

ANIMAL VACCINATIoN IN INDIA.-Pas-
teur's system of vaccination for anthrax,
of which French farmers have so eagerly
availed themselves, has been most sue
cessfully tried by the Government OF In
dia-ponies, donkeys, cows, bullocks,
buffaloes, elephants, sheep and guinea
pigs having been effectually protected
against fatal attacks of that destructive
dis se. A laboratory for the manufac-
.S'se vaccine has been located at
! ySHold, If successful, will be follow
,-.< k\SSAhilar establishments in other
ceheDssS'A veterinary surgeon was some
time ago sent to study with Pasteur, and
it is recommended that others receive
similar instruction.
! .e1sss,. q.sls.sa, .aess<
Election OF the nativS%oods ofthe United
States is being prepared for the New
York Museum of Natural History. 1t
will comprise 36 varieties of oak, "a of
pine, of fir, of spruce, of hemlock,
II of ash, 3 of hickory, Is of willow, of
cherry, 8 of poplar, of maple, 2 of per-
simmon, and of CEDAR Each specimen
will display both longitudinal and trans
verse grainings of the wood; as well as
the log in its natural condition, with the
bark attached.
WHAT BECOMES OF ARCTIC ANIMALS?
1t has been a source of much surprise
to Prof. Nordenksjold that, during his
numerous expeditions within the Arctic
circle, in regions where animal life is
abundant, he has found only very few
remains of animals which died natural
death. No one has any idea OF what be-
comes of the bodies of such animals, and
Il nA or. ha orlyc
that on Spitzbergen it is easier to find
bones of gigantic lizard of remote geo
logical time than those of 'self-dead"
seal, walrus or bird. The same is also
true Of some places not so far north.
The presence Of thirty-thousandth
of pound of antimony in pound of
melted lead increases the rapidity with
which the lead oXidizes and burns, and
lead containing more than one-fourteen-
hundredth of it's weight of copper has
been found unfit for the manufacture of
white lead.
The only land from which the total
phase of the solar eclipse of Sept. Sth
can be seen is New Zealand. The total
ity lasts only two minutes and half. An
expedition will be sent over from Mel
bourne to observe it.
An equivalent of 81, 800 has been offer
ed for safe substitute for gunpowderin
coal mining.
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE.-"Men of sci
ence," says Proctor anent a recent spec
ulation on supposed organic remains
found in a meteorite, "may amuse them
selves by speaking of life being brought
to the earth by meteor, in reality a
fragment of some once peopled world
which has been destroyed by conflict
with another or by internal disturbance.
But this is more a scientific jest than
grave reality. Astronomy knows moth
ing of worlds coming into conflict. On
the contrary, the laws OF motion assure
us that if anything is SO unlikely that it
may be regarded as absolutely impossi-
BILE, it is the encounter Of two orbs in
mid space nor have we any. reason to
suppose that a planet can be rent into
fragments by internal convulsions. If
we had, we have not the slightest reason
for supposing that orbs thus unfortunate
would be likely to be inhabited than
their more lucky worlds. If these were
inhabited already, we gain nothing by
bringing to them fragments of other
worlds which have exploded; and if they
were inhabited, whilst the burst or shat