The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-02-13
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The Evan Hall plantation in Louis
lana has already turned out 1000, 900
pounds of sugar, with more than half
the crop of cane yet to grind
"A new insecticide has been recon-
nended by Prof. j. b. Smith, viz, pot
ash in the form of muriatc and kainit.
In the proportion of one ounce to one
pint of water muriate of potash de-
stroys plant lice, mealy bugs, bark lice
and thousand legs"
Not only is it now conceded that
new species can originate by hybridi-
cation, but new genera also. SophrO-
catAya is IL new genus recently estab-,
lished, which was actually raised by d
cross between q SophrORiteS and Gut
Ieyo-two we'll known and very distinct
genera of orchidacec-s plants.
Cincinnati, besides making 100000
sets of harness, turpS out 10000 saddles
annually. The saddles are of rude
manufacture, however, and do not COM
pare with the English article. Tho
finest American saddle made does not
| sell for more than $50, while the En-
glish make are up as high as $3.50 apiece,
and they are worth it, says is manufac-
turer.
A well-known manufacturer claims
that the only proper way OF making a
ready-mixcd paint in which there is a
| considerable portion of white lead and
zinc white present, to keep indefinitely,
is to enulsify the oil. This prevents
the chemical action which the painter
knows as ''fattinS"-that is, prevents
the formation of that particular kind Of
lead soap which will not dry.
Professor Kirchoff, of Halle, in an
article speaks of the anxiety with
which scientific men looked for the
meeting of the international conference
on degree measurement, for ObScrva-
! tons seemed to show that a decrease in
latitude was in process, implying an al
tcration in the direction of the carth's
axis. The fuctuation observed is prob
ably due to minute oscillation caused
by some changes in the internal mass Of
the planet. English Mechanic.
1t is not often that a lost art is re-
covered, but ii is said that The chemist;
have triumphed in the matter of the an
cient ''AleXandrian blue" This blue,
the ideal of painters and decorators, was
a peculiar and remarkably durable
color. The chemists are said to have
achieved successful analysis of the
coloring on the Pompeiian frescoes, and
to have reproduced the paint, identical
with the ancient coloring in every par
ticular.
1t appears from the studies of Mr..
r. p. Bigelow on the habits of the Por-
tuguese man-of-war, that this interest
ing jell-fish feeds largely on small fish,
which, swimming against its tentacles
are caught and benumbed. The fish
struggling to free themselves from con-
tact with the poisonous tentaclcs, cause
the latter to contract, and thus the prey
is drawn up to the feeding bells If the
fish does not struggle, the tentacles fail
to contract. The feeding-bells spread
themselves over the fish and digest it.
The Seattle Telegraph puts forth
some useful information about that
smart young city and it's progressive
State. Seattle's jobbing trade last year
was about S35, 900, 900, gain of SIS, OOO,-
900 over the previous year. Her bank
ClCiA dnCCo dSS dliiloSG E'of'UUVS-
900. She started five new banks, built
1857 new buildings, costing over Sc, 000,
900, and dealt in real estate to the value
of 5000 600. The lumber output of
the State was large; the grain yield
90, 200, 900 bushels The State exported
So, 900, 900 more of products than she i'm
ported; mined coal in sixteen counties,
and built AL miles of road.
The remarkably rapid growth of
some plants almost equals that of
Jonah's gourd of the olden time. 1t has
recently been noted that i'll one twenty
four hours OF an April day-tho East
India summer-n bamboo made thirteen
inches of growth. This is well for the
tropics, but here i'll temperate regions
are often growths no less remarkable.
At a recent meeting of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, a
shoot of q Japan plant, Pueraria Thun-
bcrgianurn, was exhibited sixty-five feet
in length, the whole of which had been
produced near that oity between May
LIST and September list Six inches d
day being the averagc-no doubt, greater
at times. is as good as the East Indian
case considering difference of climate,