The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-12-22
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

AS to the corrodibility of aluminium
it appears that as compared with iron,
copper, lead, zinc or tin, it is not 50
readily attacked by air, water. wine.
beer, coffee, milk. oil, butter, gas or sa-
Iva Vinegar and salt will attack il
somewhat more, but not enough to rem
der its use as a substitute for iron, cop
per, etc. in the household utensils un-
desirable
The originator of the theory that
the earth is round was probably Thales,
of Miletus, about $40 B. c. He not only
taught that the earth was globular in
form, but of the five zones. some of the
principal circles of the sphere, the ca
pacity of the moon and the true course
of the lunar eclipses
Costa Rica has over 5000 coffee
plantations yielding product worth
81, 500, 600, while the product of its cocoa
groves is annually valued at S162, 900,
and of its sugar estates at 81, TOO, 600, be-
sides growth of 100000 punches of
bananas realizing about $500, o0o Tho
coffee plantations are chiefly cultivated
at an altitude ranging from 5000 to
$500 feet above sea level
The northern part Of Honduras il
largely devoted to fruit culture. It In
we'll watered, soil fertile, and climate
healthy, with no drouths or frosts An
acre of land, properly cultivated, pro-
duces 800 lunches Of bananas yearly.
and the fibre is being turned to practi-
cal utility. The exports Of vegetables
last year from Honduras amounted to
81, 500, 900 in value. ,
The Malayan ssvages know that il
is possible for plant or flower to be
real oddity, for botanists tell us that
they have an extraordinary flower
which is known to them by a name
which signifies "Wonder-wonder." 1t
Is flower, and flower only, having
neither leaves, stem, nor root 1t il
globular parasite, about three feet
across, and bursts into dream of love-
illness from the surface of decayed logs
and stumps
California has become q great
producing state. Fifteen years
ago fruit grower there made an ex-
pertinent which proved a remarkable
success AS the season was unusually
warm, he dried his grapes on the vines
instead of by artificial heat. Then, not
daring to label the fruit as grown in
California. he sold it in San Francisco
as Peruvian import Since then thou
sands of acres of land have been trans
formed into raisin-grape vineyards
Last year alone 1900, 900 pounds of
raisins were sent to market.
Dr. Carter. of Birmingham, En-
gland, recently delivering an address on
brain work and brain workers, called
special attention to the danger Of work.
ing too soon after meals. At least half
an hour should elapse before exerting
the brain. An hours close attention to
one subject was as much as could profit
ably be given at a sitting. He strongly
deprecated the use of sedative draughts
by brain workers who could not sleep.
"A French scientific agriculturist
has made a series of remarkable ex-
periments with potatoes, in one of
which he obtained yield of no less than
forty-two tons of tubers per acre. Hese-
lected the best and soundest seed pota-
toes, plowed the land very deeply and
MANFRED it heavily. He also stepped
the potatoes twenty-four hours in so
luton made by dissolving six pounds
of salpeter and six pounds of sulphate
Of ammonia in twenty-five gallons of
water; then he allowed them to drain
and stand for twenty-four hours for
their buds to swell before planting
| them.