The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-09
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

SSIENSG tHiFO IINOO0 n IL
1t is stated that at least 1000 900
tons of commercial fertilizers are now
annually used in this country.
"A few years ago cOttonseed were
thrown away as worthless, but to-day
the seed is as valuable as the lint.
M. Dubus Bonnet, of Lille, France,
has invented a process of spinning and
weaving glass into cloth. The warp is
composed of silk, on which the pattern
in glass appears.
If gelatine be suspended in ordi-
nary alcohol it will absorb the water,
but as it is insoluble in alcohol that
substance will remain behind, and thus
nearly absolute alcohol may be OBJ
tanned without distillation.
-"Securite" is the name given to a
new explosive which is said to be flame
less when exploded, and will, it is ex-
pected, be Of especial value as a substi-
tute for ordinary blasting powder and
other explosives in fiery coal mines.
An electromagnetic with carrying
capacity of 800 pounds is attached to
crane in the Cleveland Steel Works,
which readily picks up billets and 9TH
er masses of iron without the aid of
any other device. A boy is thus ena-
bled to do the work of dozen men.
BY the old method the steel wire
from which watch springs are made
was heated to the proper temperature
and Immediately plunged into oil. In
the new process the wire is immersed
in the oil bath first, and is then brought,
By means of an electric current, to the
desired degree of heat.
Prof. Roberts. of Cornell, urges
the Importance of a complex diet for
man, and especially the use of concen-
trated products, such as beef, milk,
butter and cheese. Only on such
food is it possible to reach the fullest
perfection of physical health and intel
lectual development.
One New York factory turns out
five millions of matches every working
day. The cutting of splints from pine
planks is done so rapidly that about
thirty-six planks, each twelve feet long,
eleven inches wide and three inches
thick, can be cut up into splints during
the course of the day.
1t is known that very elastic
caoutchouc tubing gradually loses some
of its elasticity; later, the tubes break
on stretching even if previously laid
in warm water, and finally they crack
if pressed between the fingers. This
change is put down to a very slow for
nation of sulphuric acid by the action
of moist air on the sulphur contained
"a the caoutchouc. By frequent wash
ing with slightly alkaline water the
action of the acid is prevented; tubes
washed five or six times year remain
ing perfectly elastic.
Fire under water can be produced
by placing small piece of phosphor-
Gus in a conically shaped glass filled
with water, and some crystals Of
chloride of potash covering the phos-
phorous, and then pouring through a
long tube funnel, or glass tube, few
/ drops of sulphuric acid down the
] lulAuuIS dU Ilt DOJIOIl VI Inc SldSSs
Tongues of flame can be seen flashing
up through the water. The intense
chemical action produces sufficient
heat to flame the PHOSPHORUS under
the water. Where there is sufficient
heat and oxygen fire will burn, whether
in air or water.
Grape juice is now pressed into
bottles, and then olive oil is poured in
at the top of each bottle. This effect
ually excludes the air, and none can
work down into the wine to ferment it.
At the same time any air that was in
the juice finds its way up through the
oil, The oil is sopped up with cotton
when the bottle is uncorked. The cot
ton absorbs it little by little. All that
is needed is little patience. This art
Of keeping unfermented wine was
practiced by the Egyptians many
years before Christ. But it was lost.
1t has now been rediscovered, and is
coming into general use.