The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-03-04
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Some valleys which are below the
sea level are found to be favorable to
rheumatism and lung diseases, as we'll
as high elevations, These low valleys
are peculiarly favorable to asthmatic
difficulties, on account of the density Of
the air.
BY digesting coal-dust with caustic
soda at a boil and neutralizing this
liquor with hydrochloric acid, Z. +.
Reisch obtains a new tanning agent
which he names pyrofuscine. He con-
siders that the new process is moro
complicated than the usual tanning pro-
cesses, but that it is so per cent.
cheaper than the bark process, and
from 20 to so per cent cheaper than tho
alum process.
During the year 1891 there were
surveyed at the port of Bangor IL, 945,-
963 feet of dry pine, 7,l6s sos feet OF
green pine, llS20s, 74l feet of spruce,
and %, Goa, S44 feet of hemlock. juniper,
cedar, etc, total of 1874, 9s5, $50 feet
This is IA. 600, 900 less than in 1890, and
3. 900, 900 less than in 1889. The great
est falling off was i'll spruce and pine,
and the decline was chiefly due to the
decentralization Of the New York mar
ket
Professors Waldron and McArdle, of
the North Dakota Agricultural college,
are collecting grasses for a state ex-
hibit at the worlds fair. Among the
specimens secured along the shores Of
Devils Lake was a species of slough
grass which had attained the unprc-
cedented length of twenty-five feet
The samples were so long that they
wound them up in coils They also
found what seems TO 10 n new variety
of wheat growing wild on the prairies
this season, very much higher than the
cultivated kind
salmon on the Pacific coast they
found none, but found something
far finer In Europe salmon and
trout differ only in the upper rows
of teeth, the salmon shedding his as no
grows older, while the trout always re-
tains them. On the Pacific coast, how
ever, there is always one certain and
easily noticed mark of difference be-
tween the two In the trout the last
lower fin has generally not over nine
rays, sometimes ten, but in the salmon
the rays range from thirteen to sixteen.
In fact, the salmon in every way is
built upon a more generous plan.
DIR MitscherliclS has invented stuff
made from the fibers of wood. Thin
boards, with the knots taken out, are
treated with solution of sulphurio
acid in a hollow boiler. Not only tho
hard manter, which Is the cause of the
brittleness of wood fibers, is eliminated
by this treatment, but the fiber itself is
chemically transformed. 1t is bleached,
and becomes silky as we'll as strong and
elastic. 1t is then treated in the same
manner as any other goods, that is,
combed, spun and finally woven into
stuffs of exceeding fineness and differ
ent varieties
"A bulletin from the census office
gives preliminary figures on the first
investigation ever made by the govern
ment into the nursery industry. From
the tabulations in the bulletin 1t APP.
pears that there are in the United
States 4,5l0 nurseries, valued at SAL
SIS, s3S. so and occupying l72, 500 acres Of
land, with an invested capital % ST.
425, G69. 81, and giving employment TO
Is, So men, acre women and Ia 200 ami
mails, using in the propagation and cul
tivation of trees and plants $500, COG %
worth of implements.
Complete returns of the production
of pig iron in the United States have
been received by the American Iron and
Steel association, and they are pub
lishcd in detail in the Bulletin OF the
association for January 90 and ~, The
total production was s,279, $40 gross
tons of 2,24o pounds, against 920s, 7os
gross tons in 1890, decrease of 922, SSS
gross tons or over 10 per cent This de-
crease occurred during the first half Of
the year; in the second half the product
was greater than for either half in 1890.
Our production in 1891 was about |, 00o,-
900 gross tons larger than that of Great
Britain for the same year. --philadcl-
phia Ledger.
| SOURCE OF TAE nANlfRE