The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-09-04
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

: -
-Prunes arc : very profitable crop In
California. One grower expects to got
81, 900 for his crop. =
There are $50. 000. 000, 900 feet OF nm
cut lumber in the basin tributary to
Gray's Harbor, Wash.
The owner of . new tire, made Of
hollow spring steel, circular. oval, or
square. thinks that it will succeed rub
ber tires for wagons or bicycles. It can
be fixed on 50 that 1t can never come OF.
Carleton College Observatory has
issued star catalogue giving the exact
places Of ga companion stars" Is de-
termined BY original observations. It
represents two and . half ye.rs Of work,
and is valuable contribution to astro-
nomical science.
Two French biologists have con-.
>cluded that microbes are not killed d.
rectly by the electriccurrents ordinarily
used in medical work, but that the OBJ
served destruction Of bacteria has boon
due to the disengagement Of acids or Of
oxygen.
An enthusiastic entomologist is re.
ceiving daily from the local lineman the
moths which find their way into the arc
lamp elobe in an adjacent street during
the night Birds are fearlessly build
ing their nests in tho hoods Of the
lamps, and We are told that an electric
light superintendent in Nashville re-
ceived = unique present from colored
workman in the form of sack full of
honey bees. The swarm was found in
the hood of IN electric lamp, where it
had settled the day before.
Some months age Prof. Schiaparelli
announced the astonishing conclusion
that the planet Mercury rotates on its
axis in the same period of time in which
it revolves around the sun, and the
eminent Italian astronomer has now
brought forward evidence tending to
similar conclusion with regard to Venus.
II these views prove correct, both Mer-
curry and Venus must turn one side con-
stantly to the sun, just - our moon al
ways turns the same side toward the
earth.-Arkansaw Traveller.
"A recent communication to the
Academic de Medicine respecting DR..
Mesnet's investigations as to stigmata,
or cItches, IS they are now often called,
shows that If pressure on the skin Of
susceptible subjects is made in the form
of letters, such letters are clearly dis
tinguishable when nervous derange-
ment causes the skin to change color.
In one experiment the words LA Ma
ture' were traced out on q patients
neck, and the letters in few minutes
developed in color. It is observed that
people susceptible to stigmata are hys-
terical or epileptic, and frequently OK
perience local want of sensation.-En-
glish Mechanic.
Great Britain is the center of the
small fruit industry of the world. Ac-
cording to recent statistics, the areas
devoted to small fruit culture there, in
including the cultivation. between the
trees in orchards, aggregate 1852 acres.
The annual value to the growers aver
ages from SIS, 600, 900 to $40. 600, 600. The
industry has been q veritable boon to
English agriculturists. Small fruit
growing is taking the place of unprofit-
able root and grain crops. In the coun-
ty of Kent alone there are about 5O.-
600 persons engaged as growers, pickers
and packers in the production of jams,
and over 10000 tons of sugar is used
annually in the industry.-San Fran
cisco Bulletin.
Wood brought to mirror polish is
coming into use for ornamental pur-
poses in Germany, and has this advan-
tage, that, unlike metal, it is not az
fected by moisture. The stuff is first
treated with bath of caustic alkali for
two or three days. at q temperature be-
tween 1874 degrees and 1917 degrees F.
Next comes a dip in hydrosulphate Of
calcium, for from twenty-four to thirty
six hours, after which concentrated
solution of sulphur is added. After
another soak in an acetate of lead solu.
ton, at IS degrees to 100 degrees F., it
10 thoroughly dried and polished with
lead, tin or zinc, as may be desired,
when it resembles shining metal.-Sci-
entific American.