The Bossier banner., 1893-06-01
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

All the species OF ShellnSh draw
the carbonate of lime of which their
shells are formed from the sea. After
the death of the animals the shells ac-
cumulate at the bottom of the ocean,
forming lofty mountains and vast beds
of chalk.
The beautiful shellfish called murex,
containing purple dye. was first dis
covered about $500 B. 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 q
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 1892 of chemical wood pulp were
about 20, 900 tons dry, as compared with
800 tons in 1891, and about $500 tons
wet, rs compared with $500 tons in
1S91.-Scientific American.
Some of the revelations of the CEN
sus will startle good many people.
For instance, there are now more than
| 10000 almond trees bearing in the
United States; there are hundreds of
| thousands of bearing cocoanut trees;
there are more than 25O,000 olive trees,
| producing fruit equal to the best Med
| iterranean varieties There are more
than 500, 900 bearing banana plants, 200,-
600 bearing lemon trees, 100000 Or
ange trees and 100000 pineapples.
"A French scientist writes the fol-
lowing concerning the large arb-weav-
| 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 q 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 capacity
not far short of 100000 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 200, 600 carcasses. New Zea-
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 pow der is
claimed to burn without fame or
smoke, can be handled and transported
without danger, and is unaffected by
moisture or heat. Nitro-cellulose is
supposed to enter largely into its compo-
sition. Fifteen shots with ordinary
Swedish powder, or 10 shots with nitro
glycerihe powder, did not heat the gun
so much as 30 shots with Apyrite.
After 800 shots the gun 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 !, 1s93 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 congfess
will be s.. The official languages of
the congress will be Italian, French,
English and German, and the official
bulletins of proceedings will be pub
lished daily in those languages. Papers
and communications for the congress
must be announced by June 80 and alb
stracts must be sent to the committee
by JHly 81. Dr. A. jacob, 110 West
Thirty-fourth stfeet, New York, is
chairman of the American Committee
70 the congress.