The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-01-09
Correspondence Baltimore County Onion.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
ALKALOIDS IN FLOUR.

The investigations of Mons Balaud indicate
that -four becomes unwholesome after long keep
ing in sacks, akaloids being formed in consequence
of the acidity of the old -four during the trans
formation of gluten under the influence Of the
natural ferment CT wheat. Traces of the alkaloids
are found in -four year year and half old,
but are more marked in that which has been
ground two or three years.
HEIGHTS OF CLOUDS.
Measurement of the heights of clouds have been
made at the Upsala Observatory during the past
summer. The results are approximately as fol-
lows Stratus, 1000 feet nimbus, rain. clol J.
from 5000 to 1900 feet cumulus, from 1900,
$4,000 feet cirrus, 22,40O feet. Cloud measure
ments are always somewhat difficult and uncer-
tain, but these figures considered fairly exact
NATURES AGRIcULTURIsTs.
Prof Henry Drummond remarks that there can
be no succession of crops without the most thor
ough agriculture, and that whore man is not do
ing this work nature employs other agents. OAR
win has shown how the soil of England is titled
by earthworms to the extent Of having ten tons
of dry earth per acre annually transferred from
below to the surface, by passing through their
bodies and being deposited as their casts But
in the hard baked soil of tropical countries the
worms are unable to operate, and other agencies
are demanded, an effective one being, Prof Drum
mond finds, the termite, or "white ant" This
creature lives upon dead vegetable matter, and
its tunnelngs, like the action of the earthworms,
constantly bring fresh layers of soil to the surface.
Unlike the earthworms, however, it is very dos
tructive to mans works, and in spite of its sub.
soil blowing is rather dreaded foe than valued
friend.
UNDEvELOPED SIGHT.
Notwithstanding the color beauty OF the textile
fabrics, dyes and pottery made in India, Mr..
Allen Cunnin cham, resident of that country for
twenty three years. asserts that there are very
few persons among midas 250O00,00O inhabi-
tants who possess a well developed sense OF color
The eyesight of the uneducated people is, in fact
poor in every way, and they find it difficult to
thread needle, or even to distinguish between
the top and bottom of picture. The inability
to make out the objects in picture is the most
surprising defect, certain "pictGre- edzsstiopS
seeming to be necessary to develop picture
sense"
OUR AUTUMNAL BEAUTIES.
National pride finds many unequalled beaties
in America but it is little curious that its feests
should display much moro vivid colors in heir
autumn foliage than the same trees exhlit in
European countries having similar climae.-
Yet reliable observation assures US that sub is
the case One of Berstadt's gorgeous vies OF
Rocky Mountain scenery is said to have,een
actually rejected by the Paris Salon on the grund
that such tints were impossible in nature, thpic-
ture being accepted only when the American on
sui certified to the correctness of the coloring
MISCELLANEOUS
strong decoction of the roots and leaf htts
of the New Zealand fax (PhOrmium tenec) has
been used by Surgeon Major Monckton az a dess-
ing for wounds, and he asserts that noting is
equal to it for producing healthy healing. In
the climate of India the decoction quickly fermnts
but is preserved for use by the addition of tile
carbolic acid and gycerine.
The union of the rivers Volga and Donwas
thought of by Peter the Great, and it is now ro
posed to construct the canal. The rivers are fly
miles apart, and the distance is gradually lesen-
ing through the washing away of the wesern
bank of the Volga.
A new alkaloid has been found in picked cab
bage by Mons. Tuyagopu, who asserts that the
substance allays delirium tremens. -
In Turkey the notion prevails that leprosysA !,
result from a stroke of lightning.
Signor Bartoli has calculated that if all tie
known elements were present IN body, In a solu
state and in the ratio of their atomic weights, he
mean density, or specific gravity, would be o.To.
1t is interesting to note that this closely agrees
with Cavendsh's calculation OF the mean density
of the earth-vz., 1867.
Old philosophical treatises gave porosity as ne
of the general properties of matter, and the x
pertinent of forcing wafer through gold has hen
often repeated since 1861. The pores have ben
proven, however to be defects of casting. HIM
mering destroys the porosity of the gold and gpss
has been recently shown to be impermeabe to
gases under pressure of 1875 atmosphere.
A commission of the Spanish Government on
siders DR.. Ferrans system of incubation or
cholera to be not only useless but positively on
gerous.
Mr. Thomas Meehan has found reasons fore
lieving that when raw and in the spring the cm-
mon garden parsnip is acrid and in some cses
poisonous. Cooking, of course, renders it ham
less.
Free oxygen has been found by Mr.. W. Dittiar
in Specimens of water from all parts of the ocen,
and he is thus led to conclude that absolute stg-
nation does not exist in any part of the sea, OF
even at the greatest depths.