The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-03-18
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.


New York is said to employ an army
of cash girls $4,000 strong. many of
whom are nearer 10 than IA years Of
age.
Mexico is fast becoming a coffee
producing country. The district OF
seconuses contains twenty-six estates.
employing 1900 men. The cost of pro-
duction is about cents per pound. but
as the demand is far ahead of the sup
ply sales are readily made on the plan
tation at 90 cents per pound.
"A scheme for taking vessels OF
twenty feet draught through the Cana
dian canals by means of steel pontoons
placed under them is being urged upon
the Canadian government The ex-
pense of this system would be about
$780, 900, while to deepen the canals suf-
ficiently would cost many millions OF
dollars
The method of purifying water in
vented by DIR. William Anderson, and
now employed at Antwerp with
success, consists in passing the water
through a revolving cylinder containing
metallic iron in the form of scraps or
filings The estimated cost of purify
ing 100000 gallons in this way il
about six shillinga
Mr.. Francis Darwin has proved by
experiment that insect or meat fed
plants bear heavier and more seeds
than those unfed. He grew two lots
under similar conditions, feeding one
with roast meat and the other with
nothing. The pampered plants bore $50
seeds to the others 100. with superior
ity in weight Of seeds
According to the published returns
the total yield Of the Italian vineyards
last year was 621. 562. 900 gallons, as
against about 500, 600, 900 the year be-
fore. II is further stated that the quail
ity was very good for 10 per cent of the
crop, good for n per cent. moderate for
10 per cent, and bad for only per cent
The annual report of tho Michigan
State salt inspector shows the salt man
ufacturing capacity of that state to be
$3.50, 900 barrels Last year 1lS firms
were engaged in the manufacture the
inspection for the year ending Novem-
Der 80, 1891, being 3. aa7,67l barrels, and
the actual quantity manufactured 8, &c.,
7S4 barrels.
"A paper by Mr.. John Watson, Of
Manchester, England, asserts that the
redevelopment of lost limbs is not I'M
usual among insects. He has had three
specimens in which limbs have been re-
developed. and one case of complete
cicatrization. "Redevelopment," he
says, can take place either in the larval
or the pupal stage of an insects meta
morphosis."
Experiments made In America with
the cottonwood show that the increase
in the girth of the tree is made only
during a week or two about mid-sum-
mer. 1t is believed to be the rule with
most American fast-growing deciduous
trees. Experiments on coniferous trees,
recently made in Scotland by Mr. David
Christison, show opposite resulta
There is retardation of growth at
midsummer, and a rather rapid increase
just before and just after that time.
Experiments recently conducted in
the school Of physiology, in Paris,
France, have demonstrated beyond per-
adventure that the kernel of tire oat
contains three medicinal principles, the
first of which acts to calm, soothe and
tone up the brain and nerves; the second
yielding phosphorus to weakened and
hungry nerve tissues, and the third re-
siding in the husk of the oat or oat-
meal, to act as n laxative and anti-con-
gestive on the stomach, liver and bowels.
1T is a wcllknown fact that birds
enjoy much longer terms of life than do
mammals Hesiod and Pliny both tell
us of rocks that lived to the patriarchal
age of 700 years, and that the average
life of raven was 240 years How far
this was correct we can not determine.
1t is well known thst they outlive man;
while swans have been known to live
200 years, chaffinches and nightingales
have been kept in confinement for 30
years. Girardin tells us that he had .
heron for SO years, and that he knew Of
two storks that built their nests in the
same place for 40 years