Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-10-12

Extremely tight Iacing produces soften
ing of the brain.
| The determination of the figure of the
earth is one or the objects of pendulum
observations.
One pound of wheat bran contains as
much phOs horic acid as does five pounds
of corn meal.
An experimenter has made a lens of
ice with which he was able to light a
pipe by means of the suns rays.
1t is said that $50 gold piece will
carry bacteria from hand to hand, as
they nestle down between the milled
lines.
An ingenious Frenchman proposes to
stop the speed of vessels suddenly by
throwing several parachutes over the
stern.
Philadelphia is the largest wooden
manufacturing town in the United
States. In 1880 alone it manufactured
500, 900, 600 worth of woolens.
Aluminium resembles silver in appear
ance, is stronger than steel, will not
tarnish and is superior to silver for all
purposes for which that metal is used.
Although man, during his evolution
from barbarism to civilization, has in
creased in strength and stature and in
longevity, on the other hand, his power
of recovery from the effects of bodily
hurt has materially deteriorated.
The Northern Tactic road has ordered
so heavy freight locomotives, 100 stock
cars, $40 coal cars, 10 passenger coaches,
5 baggage and mail cars and 30 furniture
cars, all to be delivered before Christ
mas. They have further orders in for
1889.
Analysis of natural gas shows the pro-
portion of each constituent in 100 parts
of the gas to be as follows: Carbon1c
acid and carbonic oxide, - each; oxy-
gen, 81 defiant gas, l; ethylic, hydride,
5; marsh gas, 81; hydrogen, 22 nitro
gen, 3.
DR.. Esquirol describes the ''suicide-
mania" as a special form of hereditary
insanity, and estimates that four out of
ten self-murderers act under the impulse
of a moral predisposition, rather than of
physical disorders, or the haunting
me nory of a severe bereavement.
Lightning flashes, according to a re-
cent computation of Kohlrausch, the
German electrician, have comparatively
little energy. He estimates that the
energy of from seven to thirty five flashes
would be necessary to keep one mean
descent lamp alight for an hour.
An idea has been developed in Ger
many in the shape of the manufacture
of mortar by machinery in large guam
titles. to be delivered to contractors or
individuals as required for use. About
2, 900, 600 barrels were disposed of in
Berlin on this plan alone last year.
An Englishman, who has made a
special study of deer, says that the chief
use of their antlers is not so much fer
fighting as for facilitating the progress
of the animal through the woods. By
throwing up the head, thereby placing
the horns along the back, they are en-
abled to go forward with great ra-
pidity.
A plant called the Laughing plant
Sativa," has been discovered, and it is
alleged that when it is eaten in its green
state or taken as a tincture, made either
from the green or the dried leaf, as a
powder of the dried leaf, or smoked as
tobacco, it is potent in producing ex-
altation, laughter and cheering ideas.
A ''traction increaser" is the name of
a powerful device now being tested on
three freight engines of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad. 1t is a drawbar t1rmly
fixed between the locomotive and tender,
and it automatically throws part of the
weight of the tender on the driving
wheels of the engine in proportion to
the load the latter has to pull. This
makes the locomotive heavier when it
should be so, and increases its pulling
power and speed.