The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-06-12
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

THE commerce of New South Wales,
one of the Australian provinces, in pro-
portion to its 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 tract of forest
trees in southern Oregon embracing
about 10000 square miles, which, cut
and sold at SO per 1000 feet, would pay
our national debt twice over. 1t is es
timated that the amount of merchant
able timber standing will reach 400,
900, 900, 900 feet.
What is called the "scent farming
industry is fast growing in importance
in the colony of Victoria. 1t consists IL
the cultivation of plants and flowers
which yield perfumes that have com
mercial value. The climate and soil OF
Victoria are particularly well suited
| for the cultivation of scent-producing
plant.
The author proves that a parasite
| growing on plants of the .Srychn0f
genus contains neither strychnine nor
brucine. The mistletoe growing upon
/
the latter, but exclusively a 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, 20 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 complete underground viii
lage.
The velocity of sound in air at low
temperatures has recently been meas
ured by determining the interval be-
tween the flash of a gun 1913 meters dis
tant and the report. For temperatures
1919 degrees, 25.7 degrees, 37.S degrees,
and 45.6 degrees below zero (centigrade)
the velocities were 326. 1, 317.1. 3O9.7 and
305.6 meters per second. From this it
appears the velocity of sound diminishes
0.G02 meter per second for each degree
| (centigrade) or rise of temperature
Topeka Capital.
-Salamanders and toads have, ac-
cording to Herr Schultz, a 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 protective function, and emit
corrosive juice. which can be detected
with copper-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 a short time are
as large as the old ones, and covered
with hard Shells The lobster often
drops its shell, when it hides until the
new shell is hard enough to protect it.
Two cases of pneumonia, as re-
sult of conclusion of the lungs, have
been reported. A boy of eleven, who
was forcibly struck on the left side of
the chest with Ratchet, 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 pneumonia in both lungs and died.
1t is reported that the observers at
Mount Hamilton have lately kept a
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, OOO, 900, has
already cost the country SAG, 542 NJ, 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, S74, while
the operating expenses reached $3.50
044, leaving deficit of S642, no."
An Improbable Yarn.
'In early days." remarked Mr.. Ber-