Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-10-29
INDUSTRIAL NOTES.

Those interested in the wonderful ap-
plication of natural gas in the region
around Pittsburgh claim that the supply
is inexhaustible, and that wells which be-
gan spouting twenty-five years ago show
no abatement. The area extends over west
ern Pennsylvania, of Virginia and Ohio
and Kentucky. 1t is said there are hun
dreds of thousands of acres of excellent
gas territory in western Pennsylvania
still untouched. The theory is that the
gas is forming in the earth constantly.
The daily consumption of the wells at
Pittsburgh is 357 100000 feet, supplying
the factories and 10000 houses and tax
ing the place of 100000 tons of coal a
year.
Satisfactory results have been obtained
from trials made in the Azores on the fail
ure of the orange crop, to utilize sweet
potatoes for the production of -four and
spirit, French chemist, connected with
the French Antilles, NJ. Kalu, has lately
taken out patents for improvements in
these two new industries. the latter
seems likely to obtain large proportions.
The sweet potato of Martinique yields
fifteen liters of alcohol at 100 degrees per
100 kilos weight of roots, and the pro
continent of America will yield about the
same quantity. Ordinary potatoes only
yield about three to four liters.
The enterprising colony of Victoria,
encouraged by the satisfactory results
flowing from the trade in fresh meats, is
bent on tempting the English markets
with fresh Australian butter. 1t is argu-
ell that the system of refrigeration, by
means of which meat is kept fresh dur
ing the long voyage to England, will servo
equally well in the case of butter, and it
is pointed out that butter produced in the
antipodean summer would reach the En-
glish markets in time to command a ready
sale during midwinter.
1t is now feared that the locusts, which
havo made their appearance in great
swarms IN British Guiana, will prove
destructive to the sugar canes. The gov
ernor of the colony having requested the
Royal Agricultural and Commercial So
ciety to make investigations regarding
the plague, the society appointed spec
ial committee for the purpose, and acting
on their recommendations, the colonial
government having offered rewards for
the distraction of locusts and their eggs
report on JCldiS OF steam machinery
in Indiana for thrashing and cleaning
wheat has been issued by the Indian gov.
eminent, and the results are said to prove
that there is no difficulty in freeing the
grain from the abominable admixture OF
dirt and weeds, which creates a wholesome
prejudice against it among European
millers. The difficulty will be to induce
the ryots to use thrashing and dressing
machines, and to give up treading out
their corn with cattle on floors made OF
cow-dung.
Prof. Henry, of the Wisconsin agricul-
tural college farm, mentions that six
cows were kept, three by pasturing and
three by soiling. The result was a pro-
duct os 1,779 pounds of milk from one
acre of pasture, producing 80 pounds of
butter, while one acre in soiling crops
gave him 4,7S2 ponds of milk, which
made 1S6 pounds of butter. The pasture
was one of the best bluegrass pastures,
capapable of carrying a cow per acre
through the season under favorable
weather conditions.
The Lancet teaches the lesson that
milk, Immediately after being drawn,
should be placed .in open vessels and
rapidly cooled by being surrounded by
ice or cold water before trans portation.
In this way fermentation, with the result
ing production of poisonous potmaines,
will be prevented and the milk is deliv-
cred in condition proper for consump-
ton.
James Ireland, of the West Oxford
Cheese Manufacturing company, Ontario,
has received an order for two ton cheese
from Hatley Bros, Brantford, for the
English market This mammoth cheese
will weigh 1900 pounds; it will be five
feet in diameter, and will stand four feet
in height.
A fine saw is good i'm plement for cut
ting off the larger limbs and a sharp
knife for the smaller ones. In all cases
make clean cut, without hacking or
bruising the wood which is to remain,
so the wound will heal up neatly and
not have shattered stock to bleed and
rot.
In France electricity has been very sue
cessfully applied to quieting FESTIVE and
vicious horses while being shod. The
arrangement comprises simply an in
duction coil, dry battery, and a device
for giving a shock OF graduated inten-
sity.
In 1885 there were only six cheese fac
tories in Manitoba, while this year there
are seven cheese and five butter factories
and desire exists for a development of
the factory system.
Large numbers of the Clydesdale breed
ing horses have been shipped from Glas-
gov to South America during the past
few weeks.
Inventors would do well to make note
of the fact that machine is greatly need
ed that will cut up corn as it is found on
the hill.