The Bossier banner., 1892-08-25
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

pactty of 1,S00 barrels of refined sugar
per day, and be put in operation again
by July /.
The minimum age of employment
on the continent is generally twelve, or
from twelve to fourteen. But then En-
glish children only work twenty-eight
hours per week, while in France and
Germany the hours are thirty-six, in Italy
and Germany forty-eight, in Holland
sixty-six, and in Belgium seventy-two.
The wheat crop of New South Wales
yielded 13 bushels per acre, rather less
than the average of the past 30 years.
The total area cropped was 1885,
acres, as against 333, ,233 last year. Re-
quirements are 1880, 900 bushels, exclu-
sive of seed, consequently, over 100000
bushels must be imported.
The great Alta irrigation district
system of canals has been completed in
California, and is running full of water,
practically irrigating one hundred and
thirty thousand acres of land. Five hun
dred miles of canals and distributing
bitches are in operation.
There are no great woolen factories
In Egypt, but the looms are scattered
In small numbers over the country.
According to Mr.. Felix Mengin, in his
'Histoire S6mmaire de PEgypte, 1898
49," published in 1899, there were III
Egypt, in 1888, 1900 looms for weaving
woolen stuffs. These stuffs were used
to dress the fellahs and the sailors and
for bed covers, etc. The coarse woods
of Upper Egypt were chiefly used for
those purposes, not being suitable for
any other use,-Pittsburgh Dispatch.
When increased work is thrown
upon the heart during active muscular
exertion, endurance of fatigue is limited
mainly by the limited power of the
heart to continue supplying the In
creased amount of blood which Is re-
quired by the acting voluntary muscles.
Luxuries which are forbidden or limited
in training" and which are known to
hinder prolonged exertion, such as
water, alcohol, tobacco, directly weaken
| the force of the hearts contractions,
| and so weaken the hearts power to
send blood to working muscles.
"A recent test of brick made by the
dry clay process at Watertown arsenal,
according to Paving, showed an aver
| age compressive strength of 3,972
| pounds per square inch. In one in
stance 1t reached 4,973 pounds per
| square inch. A test was made at the
same place on a fancy pressed brick" :"
| The first crack developed at pressure
of 305, 900 pounds and the brick crushed
at ss4, 800 poufids or 11;18O pounds per
| square inch. This indicates almost as
great compressive strength as granite
paving blocks. -.hich is from 49, 900 to
10000 pounds per square inch.
"A German inventor has devised a
means of producing a light superior in
strength to either oil or electricity. 1t
is by means of air driven through
pumice-stone, the latter having been
impregnated with benzine. The ben
zine gas thus obtained is then carried
through fine magnesium powder, and
proceeds upward through pipe to be
consumed in small flame of a claimed
400, 900 candle-power. The apparatus
consists of a blast engine for driving
the air through the pumice, and a num-
Der of other accessories, all of which
take up but small space.--English
Mechanic.
Tho horse power of whale has
been made subject of study by the
eminent anatomist, Sir William Turner,
of the University of Edinburg, Scotland,
in conjunction with the equally eminent
Glasgow shipbuilder, Mr.. John Hender-
son. The size and dimension of great
finner stranded several years ago on the
shore at Longriddy furnished the neces-
sary data for computation of the
power necessary to propel it at speed
of twelve miles an hour. This whale
measured eighty feet in length. twenty
feet across at the Aanges of the tail, and
weighed seventy-four tons. To attain
a speed of twelve miles per hour it was
calculated that one hundred and forty
five horse power was necessary.
Eastern farmers, who have abun-
dant supplies of water for crops and
every other purpose. by rainfall and
springs and riysrs, know little of what
the problem Of "a water supply means to
the farmers in the dry belts and arid
regions of the west. Some idea of the
labor involved In securing water for
irrigation may be gathered from the fol-
lowing figures of the four largest dams
completed last year: The Walnut Grove
dam, near Prescott, Ariz., 10 feet high,
inclosing 750 acres, and having caps-
city of 1000, 600, 900 gallons; the Merced
dam, in central California, one mile
long, go feet high, inclosing $50 acres,
and storing 5,5oO,oOO,0 900 gallons; the
Sweetwater river dam, near San Diego.
Cal. 80 feet high, 725 acres, storage Ca
pacity 5000, 900, 900 gallons, and the
Bear Valley dam, in San Bernardinc
county, Cal. so feet high, inclosina
2,250 acres, and holding 10000, 900, 0Ot
gallons of water.-N. Y. Sun.
American Women Famed as Athletes.
AS athletes American women are
gaining even transatlantic fame for ex
traordinary pedestrian feats, polo play
ing, cycling, and a few have managed
even football Nearly all the cycle
clubs have admitted women, and gym
nasiums and special schools for women
In boxing and fencing are increasing
Every fashionable school for girls ha,
its physical culture class, and the future
| women of SOcietv are learning hOw IL