The state herald., 1890-01-24
Scientific Department
ArrAnrSr rnASsMUrArios or AN nr.E.

MEXT
A reinapkable speclrosbopic Observation
by MIR. Z. Piuzzi Smytli seems to support tile
idea that hydrogen is the original form of
matter, and, MS Mr.. Smyth remarks s,,g-
gests the possibility that everything may
return to the hydrogen state and that tl,c
solar system may explode some day into a
so-called hydosen star. In 1873 quantity
OF iodine was placed In some tubes, when
the sir was nea.ly exhausted and tho tupes
were Theoretically sealed. In 1850 the lights
emitted by one of these tubes on the passage
of an olctric current through 1t suwedi no
less than us lenes of the iodine spectrulne,
and only three faint hydrogen lines; but
when recently again cXaincned the same
tube gave n great abundonce Of hydrogen
lines, and not n single iodine line, while
some iodine granuals seaIed:int0 tho tube
lad also disapf cared, there wus no pOssbili.
ty of an accidental leak 10 account for the
phenomenon
ELEcrRIFiED STEAM
Mr.. Shelford Bidwell' +. Il. 5. has found
that the opacity OF steam issuing from a
nozzle is greatly increased by bringing
electrified points, near it, and that its
color is changed toi orange-brown. Spetro-
copic indications lead TO the conclusion that
elcciriiication causes an Increase in the size
of the water particles in tho steam from
something small in comparison width the
wave length OF light, TO about one 50, Oo0th
OF an inch in diameter. These obrvationsare
OF considerable meteorological interests for
the steam-jct phenomena go far toward ex-
planning the intense darkness OF thunder.
clouds, and Of the lurid light with (which that
darkness is frequently tempered
HOt-air inhalation for c0iisuption has been
tested ut ST. Petersburg with no favorit.,5le
results. Air cooled to the temperature of lee
has been successfully used in three eases Mt
Naples, for stopping bleeding from the lungs
Many OF the laundries OF Paris are said to
use boiled potatoes in preference to soap for
cleansing s0iled linen.
GRASS AND WHEAT AT RoTIIAMsTEp.
AT the famous cxpirmcnal farm ut Roth.
sihsted. Gne field OF seven acrcs-nOw de-
vided imo twenty plots-is supposed to
iiave been liz irrass for some centuries and n
Is certain that no fresh seed has been artI.
iicially sown for fifty years. Since 1856,
wien 'he heritage was uniform, each plot
las received different treatment, one re-
naming unmanurcd, and the others ieceiy-
Ing various fertilizers, among results repor-
cd by Sir John Lawes is that Oh one plot the
fertilizers have fcdo only one Kind Of grass
which las killed off all the rest; on another
The grass Is so hard and wiry as to be
hardly fit for food: and on n third, the land
las become little better then bog. II thus
appears that the food received by p,ant
determines their nature as much us In the
case of animals. In sne of the wheat-firlds
IN which the grain has been grown con,inu-
otisly for 10 years, section which has re-
ccived no manure yielded last year n crop
equal to the ararage In the early years of
the experments-ll sevcn-eights bushe =
per acre One end Of this field was left un-
cropped hrc years ago, the rpened wheat
being allowed to fall. In three years there
was scarcely an ear LETT, and now there is
not one-a demonstration of, the article
charter Of our .ood-produccrs, which when
uncuiivatod, are quickly killed off by the
stronger natnin' plants growing as weeds.
ELECTRICITY IN PuwDER-MAKIya.
The use in p,wdcr-mills of ebonire. gu,ta
Fcrciin, and other substance liable 10 become
wiilhcleciricity is being condemned
IN Germahy. On rcsuming work after n
recent thundcr-shower, n workman In one
large mill ircccivrd four-incn spark from
the e5onitc sheets he was using 10 press the
powder in.o cakes, and was killed by the
explosion Of the powder thus ignite,l. One
OF the principal German rowder.inills has
connected Its sulpiur.cnrushlng machines
with the earth, AMI has since been relieved
from the mysterious explosion with which
Il hal been previously troubled.
TIE hospital rs, Spiritp. In Florence, Is
SAID TO contain tabletop of petrifici hnman
'isceTa, the work ofa Florentinc anato,nest
who died without explaining the pro,es, so
shoulishly applied.
DESERT CULTIVATION
A fairly successful daiepalm!farm Is said TO
have been established In the Sahara Desert a
quarter al n century ago, and the arojcct of
further colonizing this immense waste sD,
has since been u fayorite one with French
y company was organized some
years agu 10 work the region Of Oued Rir'.
m. Algerian valley some II miles wide, and
now has five oascs-tie largest containing
lsoo acres-on which are PAINTED date palms
Since 1881 this company has created three
pases and three villages, has secured n
wfier-suppiy OF about 5 Ooo gallons per
minute by sinking nine artesian wells and
has reclaimed and put under cultivation
over 100 acres OF land and planted 5000
iaie'palms, with the construction Of irriya-
Hon canal and of houses for workmcn, I'm,
cost about slco,0O1 Other plans are culiya,.
ed IN addition TO the dafc.laim, h,.nna and
hadicr being found TO thrive with little Mt.
lenilon. and cotton. flax and tobacco. with
vines and cereals. being grown experiment,
ally. Grass for The cattle and vegetables 10
'he woihmen are produced In the shade of
the da'e'palms. The largest OF the cases is
about - feet below sea-leyel, and the under.
grounds water Is some 10 feet below the
surface
FORESTRY ~ GERMANY.
Tho Germans have been the pioneers In
scientific forestry, as In so many other lines
o' progress; total forests area OF only
5i,iI6, 90 acres, oi which II. eia, 600 acres
belong to the State, the German Empire
now las no less than nine schools Of forestry
and during the three years ending with isss
u published Ia books on the various
branches Of the subject. There are ten pcri.
odlcnis devoted To forestry; and u genera |
meetings, and ten local societies. The
French factory Of Maneois Is the only one
In the world where large glass disc, snfficI
entity perfect for telescopes lines can be
successfully east
An incandcsccnt lamp at Taunton, Eng,
wns used 10, 600 hours before the slender
carbon filamrnt failed.
The San Frisco Joker who advertised
to exchange California hcrlesscs for
Europe titles has received u peck OF
letters from impecnnions mob Iemen
nt.I tt. a