Griggs courier., 1891-06-19
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
The commerce of New South Wales,
one OF the Australian provinces, In pro.
portion to it's numbers is three times
that OF Canada, five times that of
France, and eight times greater than
the trade of the United States.
1t is said there is a tract of forest
trees in southern Oregon embracing
about 10000 square miles, which, cut
and sold at $40 per 1000 feet, would pay
our national debt twice over 1t is es-
timated that the amount of merchant
able timber standing will reach AGO.
600, 600, 900 feet.
What is called the 4'scent farming"
industry is fast growing in Importance
in the colony of Victoria 1t consists in
the cultivation of plants and flowers
which yield perfumes that have COM
mercial value. The climate and soil of
Victoria are particularly we'll suited
foc the cultivation OF .scent-producing
plant.
The author proves that a parasite
growing on plants Of the Strychnos
genus contains neither strychnine nor
brucine. The mistletoe growing upon
the oak does not contain the tannin of
the latter, but exclusively green tan
min. In like manner other parasites are
shown not to absorb the peculiar prin-
ciples OF their hosts.-A. Chatin, in
Scientific American.
The most extensive salt mine is in
Wieliezka, near Cracow, Austria Hun
gary. For six hundred years it has
been constantly worked, and from it
$4,000 tons of salt are annually taken.
The mass of salt in it is estimated to be
500 miles long, 90 miles broad and 1000
feet in depth. Its collective galleries
are fully 80 miles in length, and its
lower level contains streets and houses.
making it a complete underground vii
lage.
The velocity OF sound in air at low
temperatures has recently been meas
ured by determining the interval be-
tween the fash of gun H. s meters dis
| tant and the report. For temperatures
1913 degrees, 257 degrees, s7.s degrees,
and 45.6 degrees below zero (centigrade)
the velocities were 326. 1, 317.1, 309.7 and
3O5.6 meters per second. From this it
appears the velocity of sound diminishes
0.602 meter per second for each degree
| (centigrade) or rise of temperature
Topeka Capital.
-Salamanders and toads have, ac-
cording to Herr Schultz, German
naturalist, not only mucus glands all
over their skins, but certain poison
glands on parts of the back and limbs
and behind the ears. These glands per-
form a protective function, and emit
corrosive juice, which can be detected
with opper-h@matoxylin. In the sala-
mander the poison is spurted out on
stimulation, but in the toad it slowly
exudes.
The lobster is greatly in dread of
thunder. and when the peals are very
loud numbers of them drop their claws
and swim away for deeper water. Any
great fright may also induce them to
drop their claws But new claws begin
at once to grow, and in short time are
as large as the old ones, and covered
with hard shells. The lobster often
drops its she'll, when it hides until the
new shell is hard enough to protect it.
Two cases of pneumonia, as re-
s.
been reported. A boy of eleven, who
was forcibly struck on the left side of
the chest with hatchet, began to cough
about two hours later and soon devel-
oped the symptoms of pleuro-pneu-
monia at the base of both lungs. A man
of twenty-five, who strained his right
side by trying suddenly to stop the fall
of sack of malt, developed all the
signs of pnemonia in both lungs and died.
1T is reported that the observers at
Mount Hamilton have lately kept
sharp eye turned upon the shadow of
one of the moons of the planet Jupiter.
This shadow seemed double indicating
that the tiny moon which cast it is also
double. Since the first hint of the dis
covery many observations have been
made through the Lick glass, all tend
ing to confirm the original impression,
to-wit: That this particular satellite of
the greatest of the planets is double-a
dot of moon revolving around the
main moon.-Popular Science News.
The Canadian railways operated by
the government do not seem to be very
profitable concerns. The Ottawa Free
Press remarks: According to the re-
port Of the minister of railways for 1890.
just issued, the Intercolonial railway,
the cost of which was estimated by the
original promoters at s21 900, 600. has
already cost the country $40, 542 9s7, ex-
elusive of the aggregate of deficits on
its operation, and the capital account is
not yet closed. The receipts of the
railways operated by the government
last year amounted to $3.2O6.s s74, while
the operating expenses reached $780,.
O44, leaving deficit of $642, 2,17O.''
An Improbable Yarn.
''1n early days." remarked Mr.. Ber-
nard, the other day, 'an old fellow
named Bennett came to Butte county