The Progress., 1888-01-28
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

OSiCNSE& AMI JNCOoInYs
"A silk-throwing mill is to be estab-
iished ut Wadesboro. N. G., the first of
its kind in the South.
On the 18th inst. the citizens of
Athens, Ca, organized company to
build a five thousand-spindle cotton
mill at Barnett Shoals, ten miles from
Athens.
There are now in use on American
railroads 26,415 locomotives, 1882
passenger coaches, 6,325 baggage cars,
B45,914 freight cars. Their value is es-
timated at $500, OOO 600.
Wood fiber capable of being spun
is now prepared in Germany. The
preparation of the fiber Of pine leaves
as material for carpets is another
promising new industry. -Arkansaw
IrGUcler.
The shoe factories of Portland, Me-,
have done $3.50. 600 worth of business
the lastyear the local factories contrib
uting S1,355. 600. The factories have
turned out 841. 900 pairs of ladies' shoes.
The factories employ All males and 358
females.
We have read a good deal about
the civilization of the mound builders,
and we have seen the mounds. Piling
up a million tons of dirt over dead
Indian and a few stone hatchets don't t
indicate an advanced state of enlight-
eminent. The mound builder was only
an industrious savage. -Martha's Tsme-
gard Herald. r.-
BY means of improved appliances
the Germans are now able to extract
11.5l per cent. of beet sugar and 0. 65
per cent. of molasses, or a, total of II. 96
pounds per 100 pounds of beets. The
cost Of this sugar is only two cents per
pound. The sugar is produced in
enormous quantities, sufficient for the
home supply and a large export trade.
Boston Budget.
Quill toothpicks come from France.
The largest factory in the world is near
Paris, where there is an annual prod
uct of twenty million quilts. The fac
tory was started to make quill pens,
but when these went out of use it was
turned into toothpick mill. Wooden
toothpicks are made principally in
Michigan, Wisconsin,, Indiana and
Ohio. =....
During the past two seasons MIR.
E. B. Poulton has made observations
which prove that the silk of at least
three species of English moths is,great.
ly affected in color by environment at
the time of spinning. The cocoons
were dark brown when the larvae had
been placed in a black bag or among
green leaves, and white when they had
be:n freely exposed to light in tho i'm.
mediate neighborhood of white sur
faces. Traveller.
The question as to the best width
for wagon tires on vehicles used for the
transportation of heavy loads over dirt
roads and farm fields, has become a
subject Of scientific investigation. AS
the density and hardness of the earth
over which the tires are to roll enter
largely into the problem, it will take q
wide range of experiments to enable in.
vestigators to fix upon that precise
width of tire which will be most uni.
formly advantageous on all the varie.
ties of dirt roads and farm soils. But
that the tires should be much wider
than those in general use seems to be
conceded on all sides.-M y Ledger.
The scientific relation of colors to
nerves and temper is attracting atten.
ton. Physicians sometimes find that 4
certain color will throw patient into
Mysteries or spasms. In other cases, a
person is made sick to the stomach, or
afflicted with headache, at the sight OF
a color that, for some reason, is obnox.
ious to him. Others, again, are thrown
into spasms of i'll temper by colors. the
offending color sometimes being blue.
sometimes yellow, but oftener red or
scarlet. Animals are affected in a
similar way by colors. Everybody is
familiar with the fact that the sight Of
a red garment or cap will drive bull
frantic with rage, and the red juice oi
berries'is said to have a similar effeo.
upon an elephant N ?. Ledger.
One of the simplest of barometers
is a spider web. When there is pros.
pect of rain or wind the spider shortens
the filaments from which its web is sus.
pended, and leaves things IN this state
as long as the weather is variable. Il
the insect elongates its thread it is a
sign of fine, calm weather, the duration
of which may be judged of by the
length to which the threads are let out
If the spider remains inactive it is !
sign of rain; but if, on the contrary, il
keeps ut work during the rain the lat
ter will yot last long, and will be fol
lowed by fine weather. Other observa
tions have taught that the spider makes
changes in its web every twenty-foul
hours, and that If such changes are
made in the evening, just before sun.
set, the night will be clear and beauti-
ful.-La Nature.
"A celebrated physician has. re
marked that every house ought to b.
pulled down at the end Of the sixtietl