The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-03
SCIENCE ANo INDUSTRY.


Ilavcrhill, Mass, than in any other
city of tho United Statcs.
Apples ten and twelve inches in cir
cumfcrence arc raised in southern Flor
ida. They are said to DO of fine flavor
and juicy.
AS tho result of weighing two hun
dred and three newly born children. to
determine the weight Of brain, tho male
infants brain weighed 119 ounces and
tho female 1i.6 ounces. tho weight of
the brain being to TIC body as ono to
weight or thereabout.
"A feature of tho international olec-
trical exhibition in Frankfort, Germany.
Will DO the transmission of electric
power firm in Laufrcn, on the Nee
kar Will furnish currents of 500-horsc
power over copper wires. from station
l10 miles from the exhibition.
The effects of steam in tho destruc
ton OF bacteria do not depend, accord
ing to the researches of Won Esmarch,
SO much upon the temperature as upon
the degree of saturaton of the steam.
III there is air with it, the power of de-
stroying organic germs is very much
diminished
Tho 'prophor is new invention
from Germany of great Importance in
textile factories. and is being intro
duccd into tho factories of England as
we'll as Germany. 1t is an apparatus TO
diiiuse moisture necessary for spinning
without injury to health or machinery
Tho enormous development of our
iron indnstry'is shown by tho statistics
OF the Iron Age, in which the produc-
ton of iron for the first six months of
1880 is placed at 4,G10.O00 tons. which is
tho largest amount OF iron ever made in
any country in tho world in that time
Boston journal.
"A process for marblcizing silk plush
without pressing or enclosing it has
been discovered. BY this process the
light and dark effects arc reversed when
looked at from opposite points. Tho
finish is nicely preserved and does not
give the appearance Of having been wet
rs shown in many goods OF this charac-
ter.
-Glass- blowing is an art nearly a. 1000
years Old, and perhaps much older Yet
there nevor has boon any means discov-
cred of dispensing with tho human
lungs as tho instruments of tho blowing.
An English company is experimenting
with mold and mechanical bellows,
which does satisfactory work at bottle
blowing and othor coarse work
Tho production OF steel rails in this
country during tho first six months of
this year isgivcn by a reliable authority
as approximating very closely to $780,
600 tons This is said by tho Same au-
th tu tr> 1,a
cess of tho production for tho same
period last year This indicates q very
healthy condition of the strocl-rail trade
for the year so far, and the indications
arc that this activity will be continued.
American Manufacturer.
Ten years ago there worc only 14o
cotton mills in tho South, of 54o, 600 spin
dies. consuming 1Sl, 900 bales of cotton
In 1889 there wero $40 cotton mills, in
highly prosperous condition, using
1000, 600 spindles and consuming 500, 600
bales OF cotton year. In this industry
the South is just beginning to move; ten
years ago they manufactured one-for-
tieth OF tho cotton crop Of the South,
and now they manufacture one-twelfth.
In tho manufacture of paper this
country has been making tremendous
strides during tho last few years. Tho
industry has been brought to such a
high state of developcmcnt, and the pro-
duction reduced so much in cost by i'm
proved machinery and the successful
use of wood pulp undor special process,
that large export trade has been cs-
tablished, particularly with England.
a market has also boon found in Austria
liza and elsewhere.
by submitting different seeds to the
action OF the electric current their de-
vclopcment is rendered more rapid.
Experiments made in Russia show that
when the electrical treatment is applied
to vegetables there is larger crop and
the vegetable grows to larger size.
Barley ripcncd ten days quicker; pota-
toes were better and not so promo to
disease, and vines that have boon
treated have boon cured Of tho diseases
which have attacked them. 1t is also
n1 nc r.,