The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-07-29
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The whole bulk Of tobacco produced
In Cape Colony, South Africa, does not
exceed $4,000 pounds annually in dried
leaves. The majority of the farmers
are not in favorable circumstances, and
the culture of the weed is of the most
primitive description.
Some writer's think the process of
turning white among arctic animals is
In some way connected with decrease
OF vital energy and in his notes on
recent science, in the Nineteenth Cen.
tury, Prince Krapotkin brings for
ward us an example the alleged per
manept white colors of domesticated
animals in sub-arctic regions, such as
the Yakutsk horse.
1T is proposed to open five farm
schools in the Madras presidency OF
India. all to be under governmental
control. The idea is to erect school
houses in which practical and theoret-
ical teaching of agriculture and veter-
mary science will be given, the curri-
culum to extend over four years, the
schools and farms being under the i'm
mediate management of the director Of
agriculture.
There is no proof whstever that
meteorites come from the sun; the
bright granules on the sun-the facu-
l@-are entirely distinct from the sun
spots, and they are not composed of
helium in combination with hydrogen;
we only know of the existence of he
lium through it's spectrum; it is not
contained in meteorites, and even if it
could be transferred TO the earth would
not solidify.
1t has been sta ted that cheeses,
bearing date of 1860, are still to be seen
in Switzerland. Ins ssome parts of the
country cheese fol ms the staple food
of the people, ana the laborers are
often paid with it There are no fewer
than $500 cheese making factories, and
nearly $4,000 tons are exported annu-
ally, the value of which is over s7,OOO,-
900. Exports of cheese to the United
States are about 100000 pounds, at an
invoice valuation of 100000.
| I'm the human body there is said to
be more than 100000 perspiration
glands communicating with the surface
by ducts, having a total length of some
ten miles. The blood contains millions
of millions of corpuscles, each struc
ture in itself. The number of rods ir
the retina supposed to be the ultimate
recipient of light, is estimated at 3O,.
100000. A German scientist has calcu
lated that the gray matter of the brain
Is built of at least 900, 900, 600 cells.
Just imagine a wild flower with
leaves three feet long and flower stems
seven or more feet high, bearing about
140 flowers on stalk, with each flower
having white ray petals half an inch
long and a yellow disc an inch wide!
This is literally "a daisy" The Amer
lean Senecio aureus will give an idea
Of what a wonderful thing this mon
ster Senecio sagittifolius must be. II
is new species recently discovered ir
Uruguay by M. Andre.
"A correspondent of Notes anc
Queries, writing as to the age of trees
and as to the oldest tree in the world
says that the age of the late Dragon
Tree of Orotava was variously estimated
at from 5000 to 10000 years. On the
lowest estimate it surpassed not only
Domesday Oaks and Soma Expresses
but the Hedsor Yew, with it's 3,2O(
years, and Alphonse Karr's Baobabs O
Senegal. Balfour gives the ages, a.
ascertained by De CAndolle, of thu
cypress as $50 years. the oak 1,5OO, tn,
yew 2,S20 and the baobab as probably
the same as the yew.
There is a canal to be opened il
Greece which has been spell of tim,
in construction. 1t crosses the Isthmu.
of Corinth. Its construction was begun
in the time of Nero, in the first century
of the Christian era. 1t shortens the
distance between the countries of west
ern Europe and Athens. The gentle
Nero first struck the earth with q
pick in building this canal, but he hat
to go elswhere in the empire to attent
to some pressing business in putting
down a revolt. Ten years ago moderr
capitalists took up the idea and tn,
canal has been completed at cost O
S14, ,000,0 900.
The variations in our snakes hav,
been studied by Prof. Hay, who find
that in the striped snake the variat tio1
from the average number of body
vertebrse amounts to IA per cent, il
the black snake to 9 per cent, in tn,
green snake to 4.5 per cent, and in an
other variety to Is per cent. He add
that the variations in the number o
caudal vertebrie is still greater; and
were breeders interested, they coul,
very soon produce breeds of snake
with long bodies and short tails, ant
short bodies and long tails, or an,
other combinations that might be de
sired.
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