Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-16
SCIENTIFIC SKETCHES.


SCIENCE, THE BASIS OF CIVILIZED LIFE
BROUGHT WITHIN THE VISION OF ALL
WHO WILL READ.
Reported Solely for The Western Kansa,
World.
How COASTS HAVE FoRMED.-In a
paper on the history of the development
of coasts, German geologist, DR.. Fisher,
reaches the conclusion that where coasts
have been formed by the erosive action
of waves and streams, terraces and fiat
surfaces are the prevailing characteristics,
with semicircular bays of small radius on
terraced coasts and large radius on fiat
coasts. Where other features exist, they
are mainly attributable to subterranean
movements and comparatively recent
changes in the level of the land, some
modifying effects having of course been
wrought by the sea.
#**
QUALITIES OF Woops.-Prof Sargent
finds that the strongest wood in the
United States is the nutmeg hickory of
the Arkansas region, and that the weakest
is the West Indian birch. The most elias
tic is the tamarack, the white or she'll
bark hickory being far below it. The
least elastic. and the lowest in specific
gravity is the wood of the Ficus aureq.
The highest specific gravity-upon which
in general depends value as foods at
tanned by the bluewood of Texas.
x**
A remarkable variation has been OBJ
served in the stature of the inhabitants of
France. If line be drawn diagonally
across the country from Manche to Lyons,
the people to the northeast of the divis-
ion have an average height of feet &c
inches, while those on the southwest side
average only feet 4.6 inches.
~
The first archaopteryx, the fossil re-
mains of the oldest known bird, which
seems to form the connecting link" be-
tween bi;is and reptiles, was discovered
If the photographic state of Solenhofen in
1861. Another specimen, recently found
in the same locality, has been sold for
$4,000 to the Berlin museum.
~
A ruined city. hitherto unknown, has
been discovered in the province of Adana,
Asia Minor.
~
DEPTH OF ARCTIC FREEzING.-In a
paper on the thickness of permanently
frozen earth on the northern part of this
continent, Gen. Sir j. H. LEROY, of the
British army, states that the greatest
depth of ground ice ever actually meas
ured in America was forty-five feet. This
was found by himself in June, 1884, on
the banks Of the Mckenzie river, in lati-
tude Ga degrees north, a perpendicular
cliff from which a landslip had broken off
showing solid freezing for that distance
below the surface Half century ago,
a merchant at Yakutsk, Siberia, in lati-.
tude 62 degrees north, had to dig 3S2 feet
before getting below the ground ice.
Yakutsk, where the average temperature
is only fourteen degrees Fahrenheit, is
very near the Siberian pole of greatest
cold. The author believes that the |
ground ice within the Arctic circle in |
America is much thicker than the maxi
mum in Siberia, and even suggests 1900
seet AS probable depth.
~
The CUcuMBER's GOODNESS
;he results of series of observations on
he temperature of growing fruits, DR..
Ord has learned that the traditional cool
hess of the cucumber is not mere fancy,
growing cucumbers having proven to be
cooler than the surrounding air.
The same is also the case with bananas.
~
MORNING WoRK.-A German physi-
ian has experimental to ascertain the
hour of the day at which man is at his
,est and able to do the most work with
he least fatigue, and has concluded that
le is the strongest at the time of rising.
lie has shown, also, that breakfast has
n important effect on the muscular
owers, and urges early eating for those
tho rise early.
~
An exposure to light during twenty.
We years has produced remarkable
Ranges in the color of beetles in an Eng
sh museum. Fiery red has turned to
reen, pale yellow to brown, blue to
lack, and green to purple.
~
Sir John Lubbock declares that mind
ants differs from that of men only in
egree.
~
PROLIFIC WEEDs.-A botanist has at
empted to estimate the number of seed
ound upon single specimens of some of
ne most obnoxious weeds of this coun-
". For Shepherds purse he makes the
lumber 1880 per plant; dandeEon, H.
G; wild pepper grass, IL, 400; wheat thief, ,
600; common thistle, 1886; camomile, :
1920; butterweed, 1857; rag weed, 1886; !
purslane, 800; common plan ,
lin, 49, 300; burdock, 48,068.
~
APPARENT DISTANCE OF Sun AND ]
[ooN.-To determine how fa- off the