The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-03-08
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Sir John Lubbock's oldest queen
ant has reached the age of fourteen, and
still lays fertile eggs.
-BOracic acid dissolved in glvcerine
and frequently applied to she affected
parts with a feather is recommended
for diphtheria in fowls.
Recent experiments have demon
strated that an incandeseent electric
light of 1OO-candle powder. sunk twenty
feet in the ocean, will illuminate the
surface sufficiently to distinguish OBJ
jects within radius of $50 feet.
Experiments on the speed of the
electric current prove that if a proper
conductor could be wound around the
globe signal parting from It at any
point of it would return to the starting
point in one-half of a second.
-Tannin has hitherto been supposed
to be purely vegetable substance, but
1t is announced that it has been discov-
cred in the animal kingdom. A French
chemist-Mons. Villon-has extracted
tannin from corn weevils, which con-
tain about three Fer cent. of it.
Pulled woods are largely used in the
manufacture of flaunels. and one reason
Of their being so used is because the
process of pulling, either by burning or
sweating. destroys the telling properties
Of the fiber, and so better fits it for use
IN tiannels, which will not so readily
shrink in washing.
Cream of tartar occurs in the juices
Of many fruit, among them the grape
and pineapple; and when the grape
juice is being fermented to make wine,
a hard crust, known as argo. is formed
On the sides of the cask. consisting MAIN
ly of acid tartrate of potassium. but also
containing tartrate of lime and some
coloring matter of the wine.
The force popularity believed to be
exerted by nitro-glycerine and dyna-
mite, when exploded. is somewhat
mis-estimated. Thus experiments show
that the power developed by the ex-
plosion OF ton of dynamite is equal
to 1868 foot-tons; one ton of nitro
glycerine, similarly exploded. will exert
a power of 64,452 foot-tons, and one
ton of blasting ge.atine, similarly ex-
ploded, shows force of 1850 tons.
More than S10,OO0,OOO worth of
oysters were shipped from Maryland to
all parts of the world this season.
Over fifty thousand persons are EN-
ployed in the industry in the State, and
it supports besides l 800 sehooners and
slOops. To enforce the law for the reg
ulation of these vessels the State MAIN
tains an ''oyster navy" consisting of
five steamers, six schooners, and eight
sloOps.
1t has long been known that gold
is to some extent volatile at high tenn
perature; but it is evidently far more
volatile than has hitherto been believed.
Mr.. Crookes mentioned incidentally at
the last meeting of the English Chem
ical Society that he has found gold to
boil violently when heated ia the
oxyhycrogen flame. and. in fact, to be
so volatile that there would seem to be
no doubt that it might be distilled in
an apparatus similar to that employed
by Stas in distilling silver.
"A new theory of the formation of
mountains has been offered by Mr.. 7.
Mellard Reade, the well known En- |
glish geologist. He supposes that the
periods of great sedimentary deposit
that preceded the birth of every large
range have been followed by !
a great elevation of temperature, pro-
ducing expansions of the strata, with |
forcing up of ridges.
experiments with the var
ious rocks show that heating would
give such results.