The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-05-18
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

All the species of shellfish dra,
the carbonate of lime of which thei
shells are formed from the sea. Ate
the death of the animals the shells &C
cumulate at the bottom of the ocean
forming lofty mountains and vast bed.
of chalk.
| The beautiful shellfish called murex
containing purple dye, was first dis
covered about $500 Il. C. by the Pheni
clans, They travelled westward in
search of these fish, had large fishing
colonies, and became world renowned
for the purple dye.
The northwest is sending immense
quantities of shingles to the east just
now. Fifteen to twenty carloads a
day was the average freightage of this
commodity passing through Seattle in
the first half of the month, and one
day solid train of thirty carloads of
shingles left that point for the east.
There are now in Norway eleven
sulphite and four sulphate manufac-
tories. Several of these are also con-
nected with paper mills. The exports
during lS92'of chemical wood pulp were
about 20, 900 tons dry, as compared with
II, 800 tons in 1891, and about 5, 800 tons
wet, as compared with $500 tons in
1s9l.-Scientific American.
Georgia ranks as our first state in
the production of watermelonS, second
in that of rice and third in that of cot.
ton. The melon acreage last year was
2S,540 acres; this crop is estimated as
netting the farmers about s4S9. 900, and
giving the railroads a gross revenue of
sl,OO0,000. The cotton crop was about
Is, 900 bales.
Some of the revelations of the CEN
sus will startle a good many people.
For instance, there are now more than
500. 900 almond trees bearing in the
United States: there are hundreds of
thousands of bearing cocoanut trees;
there are more than 100000 olive trees,
producing fruit equal to the best Med
iterranean varieties. There are more
than 800, 900 bearing banana plants, 200,-
900 bearing lemon trees, 1900, 900 or
ange trees and 81 200, 900 pineapplcs.
"A French scientist writes the fol-
lowing concerning the large arb-wcav-
ing spider of Madagascar. He finds
that the spider furnishes the most silk
after she has laid her eggs. From one
spider there was obtained in % days
nearly 1000 metres of silk-over three
miles. The silk was of golden yellow
color. He gives the plan of an appa-
ratus for winding the silk, which, how
ever, as he says is imperfect. Nothing,
however, was done as to the raising
and keeping of the spiders in large
numbers, undoubtedly the most serious
question.
The export of frozen mutton is be-
coming one of New Zealand's chief in
dustries. The export of frozen beef has
been declining of late years, but that
of mutton has largely increased. There
are now twenty-one freezing establish
ments in the colony, with a capacity
not far short of 1000, 900 sheep year.
Nearly all the frozen meat exported
from New Zealand and Australia goes
to England. A new storehouse recently
built on the Thames in London has a
capacity of POO, 900 carcasses. New Tea
land exports about twice as much NUT
ton as does Australia.
"A new smokeless powder, called
Apyrite, has given remarkable results
in trials at Stockholm. The powder is
claimed to burn without flame or
smoke, can be handled and transported
without danger, and is unaffected BY
moisture or heat. Nitro-cel lulosc is
supposed To enter largely into its compo-
sition. Fifteen shots with ordinary
Swedish powder, or 10 shots with nitro
glycerine powder, did not heat the gun
80 much as 20 shots with Apyritc.
After 500 shots the gan was still clean.
The manufacture of the powder is said
to require no special appliances or
buildings.
The eleventh international con-
gress of medicine will meet in Rome,
September "a to October /, 1898, and
will be divided into nineteen sections.
The price of membership for physicians
and men of other professions inter
ested in the labOrs of the congress
will be 81. The official languages of
the congress will be Italian, French,
English and German, and the official
bulletins of proceedings will be pub
lishcd daily in those languages. Papers
and communications for the congress
must be announced by June 30 and abb
stracts must be sent to the committee
by July 81. DR.. a. jacob, 10 West
Thirty-fourth street. New York. is
chairman of the American committee
to the congress-.