Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-02-27
POPULAR SCIENCE.

At Cassis, France, granite blocks of
fifteen cubic metres have been moved BY
wave force.
1t has been shown conclusively that
insect or meat fed plants bear heavier
ard more seeds than those which are un-
fed
The new British cruiser Pique in re-
cent run is reported to have made a
speed of seventeen knots an hour with
out difficulty.
Recent experiments IN France on the
velocity Of propagation OF electric waves
give mean velocity which is almost ex-
actly that of light.
II has hee1 found that vaccination is
beneficial to horses having the CHAMBERS,
and this treatment is now being used in
France aud Germany
A marine railway has been built in
Elizabethport, n j., which is capable
of hauling a $500 toa vessel out of the
water 10 nine minutes.
The enterprise OF stocking the rivers
of Arkansas ln1 Missouri with the rain
bow trout Of California is said to be 1t
most gratifying success. i,
The alleged power of camphor to
awaken seeds or stimulate their germina :
ton has been sao vn by the experiments
of NJ. Henry de Varigny to have no real
existct ce.
Currents of water serve to a vast eX
tent the purpose of distributing seel.
Many trees are found Oh the banks of
streams which carry their nuts m lies
away, where they spring into new for
ests.
An alloy which a1heres firmly to glass
and can therefore be used for joining up
glass tubing, is said to be made by add
ing five per cent OF copper to ninety
five per cent. of TIN. The tin is first
melted aud the copper added subse-
quently.
A recent English invention is buoy
ant life saving seat for ships. 1t is in
tended for deck seat, the upper aud,
lower parts being made of buoy mt ma
terial, so that if thrown into tle water
the apparatus will sapport several people
comfortably.
Sometime ago Professor Parsi, of
Athens, Greece, was surprised at being
relieved of a tape worm after a very free
use of cocoanut. Since then he has
tried this as remedy with almost in.
variable success, and good results are
reported from its trial in America.
w. Werner writes to the BIOLOGIST
that the Kentish plover, like the stone
curlew or thicSnee, is being rapidly ex-
terminated in the county from which it,
derives its name by collectors and so
called "naturalists, who, with walking
stick guns, in aud out of season, destroy
all they can opproach.
1t is proposed to use electricity for the
disinfection of ships. BY the electro
lysis of sea water chlorine gas is lber-
atei aud the same effect-that of the
oxidation of the noxious substances =
produced by chloride of lime results. The
gas will be carried in pipes from the
electrolytic bath to the various portions
of the ship.
Dew may be derived from moisture
from the ground or from excess of mois-
ture in the air, near the earth, coming
in contact with vegetable or other sub
stances that have become cold by rai lila
ton. Dew falling upon metallic roofs is
free from the influence of ground mois-
ture, aud is due to saturation of the air
by cooling of both air aud metal by noe
turnal radiation.
A recent improvement in arc-liglt
pencils consists Of wire cloth contain
ing no carbon, but Is coated with chro-
mate of any kind. These chromates are
non-conducting, but the metal cloth
Starts the arc a1d the intense heat re-
duces the chromate to a chromate of the
metal used. These pencils burn at the
rate of one-eighth of an inca al hour
when the clrrent is properly controlled.